Read Genesis 3:12-15
Questions for Littles: Whom did Adam blame for his eating (v12)? Whom did Adam blame for the woman? To whom did Yahweh God speak next (v13)? What did He ask her? What did she answer? Whom did she blame? To whom did Yahweh God speak next (v14)? What does He ask the serpent? How does He begin His address to the serpent? Onto what will the serpent go? What will the serpent eat? How long will this curse, humiliation, and defeat continue with the serpent? What will Yahweh God put between the serpent and the woman (v15)? Between whom else will Yahweh God put enmity? What kind of wound will the woman’s Seed give the serpent? What kind of wound will the serpent give the woman’s seed?In the Scripture for this week’s sermon, we saw Adam and his wife challenged by God and give poor excuses. The woman uses the ever-popular “the devil made me do it.” Adam, even worse, goes with, “my wife made me do it, which is really Your fault, God.”
Do you know who doesn’t get challenged by God? Do you know who isn’t given a chance to offer his reason? The serpent! God just curses him. And, even though God gets Adam and his wife’s ridiculous excuses out in the open first, He doesn’t say a word of penalty to them until after He has finished declaring the curse upon the serpent.
Why does He do this? At least in part, because the curse upon the serpent includes the gospel for the sinful man and woman. They had failed to put enmity between themselves and the serpent? God will restrain their sin by putting that enmity between them Himself. They are sentenced to death, but God is going to create for Himself a covenant family people who are at odds with people who belong to the serpent.
And, from this covenant family people, God will bring a Descendant for whom the serpent is no match. The best the serpent will be able to do is inflict some pain, but the Descendant will deliver the death blow on behalf of the entire covenant family!
Before Adam or his wife hear a word of punishment, they already know about the Savior who will defeat the serpent. And we know that He will defeat the Savior by taking their punishment! Has He taken yours?
We deserve Hell. We deserve worse than anything that ever comes to us in this life. But the God whose holiness and justice are so entire that our sin cannot go unpunished is also the God whose grace is so great that He doesn’t intend for us to hear the bad news of His wrath apart from the good news of His salvation. The Savior has come. He has crushed the serpent’s head. He has suffered fully all that we deserve for sin. Is He your Savior? Cling to Christ. Place yourself entirely in His hands and at His mercy. For He is full of mercy, and He will save you!
What do you deserve? What has God done about it? And what have you done about that?Suggested Songs: ARP72B “Nomads Will Bow” or TPH358 “Sing, Choirs of New Jerusalem”
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