I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” – Genesis 3:15
Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of all Scripture. From creation, where He is responsible for all that was made (John 1:3), to His final triumph in glory, it is Jesus around whom all things are written. You see Him in prophecies, you see events that offer illustrations of Him, and you see Him in what are called Christophanies. Throughout the Old Testament, though He has not yet been incarnated and seen in the flesh, if you pay attention, you see Him.
In theological circles, today’s verse is known as “the protoevangelium—the first Good News.” Even though everything in creation was perfect, there was a spoiler, the devil, in the form of a serpent, who tempted our first parents to sin. From that time as theologian John MacArthur says, “All human beings who will ever walk on this earth are affected by what happened in the third chapter of Genesis.” So, God stepped in! In His pronouncement made in today’s verse, the entire plan of salvation is contained. English preacher Charles Simeon said this verse is “the sum and summary of the whole Bible.”
Jesus is present in today’s verse. Commentary writer and preacher Ray Pritchard wrote, “He is the ultimate Seed of the Woman who would one day come to crush the serpent’s ugly head. In the process his ‘heel‘ would be bruised on the cross. In short, this verse predicts that Jesus would win the victory over the satan but would himself be wounded at the same time.” The people of the Old Testament could not have understood the full implications of God’s pronouncement, but you have the perspective of looking back on the Cross of Calvary, where you see it fulfilled.
The question becomes, have you placed your faith in God’s plan of salvation? Have you received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord? There is no more important decision you will ever make. Come to Him before this year ends. If you are a believer in Jesus, praise Him today for this ultimate gift to you. Then pray for those who are preparing to enter public service in government, including a prayer for their salvation.
Today’s Verse: Genesis 3:15
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: Genesis 3
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
16 To the woman he said,
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,
but he shall rule over you.”
17 And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
20 The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
