2018.12.29 Hopewell @Home ▫ Genesis 3:12-15

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 tomorrow’s sermon, we have the first declaration of God’s precious gospel: He is going to humiliate the serpent (on his belly he will go!), and defeat the serpent (you shall eat dust!), and send a Son to deal the serpent his death blow.

Note that while Yahweh God puts enmity between the seed of the serpent and the Seed of the woman, it is not the serpent’s seed whose heads are crushed, but the serpent himself. He’s still there, and he’s still the serpent, when the Lord Jesus delivers him the death blow.

Once we realize that this isn’t a reptile, and that v14 is not some weird theology of a certain class of reptiles, we’re left to wonder… what does it mean that the serpent goes onto his belly all the days of his life? What does it mean that the serpent eats dust all the days of His life? What connection does this have with Jesus?

As we’ve been discovering, Scripture often readily interprets itself if we pay careful attention. Psalm 72:9 puts the desert dwellers on their faces and the enemies of Jesus licking the dust. It signifies humiliation and defeat, to go with the head-crushing in v15.

But let’s notice that the humiliation and defeat are not one-time occurrences. From the day of the fall onward, Satan’s existence will be one of continual humiliation and defeat. The Lord Himself will preserve His people from the devil and the devil’s people until at last Jesus Himself comes to earth and personally defeats Satan.

God is going to get around to telling the woman and the man the consequences of their sin, but not until they have heard Him announce that He is going to save them and defeat the devil—and even use them in the process of doing it! This is why He asked them those questions, but He asked the serpent nothing—He wanted them to fall back upon the gospel, even as they first heard the results of the fall!

When you experience sin and misery, what do you tend to fall back upon?

Suggested Songs: ARP183 “Under His Wings” or TPH265 “In Christ Alone”