In the darkness of the tall hemlocks I stood up and turned away from the warmth of the fire. Gazing up at the night sky, I walked to the far edge of the campsite, hoping to get a view of the brilliant stars – a unique sight for a man from suburbia. It was then I heard the rattle. Switching on my headlamp I discovered a large timber rattler within a few feet of the camp. The piercing spotlight on my headlamp drove the serpent out of the campsite and it disappeared into the darkness. The moment was tense. It reminded me of something greater. It reminded me of an ancient tension.
In the guise of a serpent, Satan deceived Eve. She was convinced that, if she would taste of the fruit of the tree, her eyes would be opened. Eve, with her husband, Adam, weighed the opportunity to be like gods against the opportunity to stand in obedience to God. They sided with the serpent. Eve took and ate of the fruit. She gave to her husband and he ate. Through Adam’s disobedience humanity was plunged into spiritual darkness, death and sin (Rom 5:12). Their eyes were opened all right – opened to the awful consequences of sin.
This is the context in which the first prophecy in Genesis 3:14-15 appears. The guilty stand before God. God speaks first to the serpent. It is cursed. And there will be enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. The prophecy forecasts the destruction of Satan, the one that is behind the snake (Rom16:20). For Satan and his seed, the consequences of sin will be fatal. There would be a mighty crushing blow to his head.
Deliverance would come from the seed of the woman. A real Man would rescue humanity from their sin and the power of Satan. Galatians 3:16 teaches that the seed is Christ. His heel would be bruised at the cross. But in the moment He was stricken, a fatal crushing blow would be delivered to Satan. In John 12, our Lord teaches that in His hour of suffering (when He would be lifted up on the cross) “the prince of this world [will] be cast out.”
In this we learn that, despite man’s sin, God is merciful. Adam and Eve are both sentenced for their sin and the consequences were costly. Yet, in this dreadful scene comes the promise of the Savior. Christ Himself would suffer, bleed, and die. Salvation and victory over death and hell would be costly to Him. But victory was secure. Have you tasted of this victory?
Understand that there are only two sides. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning” (1John 3:8). We have all sinned. God will not delay His promises. Have you been delivered from sin and the power of Satan?
If not, there is hope in receiving Christ as Savior. It was “for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (IJohn 3:8). There is deliverance promised. Christ, the seed of the woman, destroyed the works of the devil and offers salvation to sinful people.
