Islington Baptist Church December 31, 2000
Today’s text: Genesis 3:14-24
Scriptures to read: Lk.10:1-24, Rev.12;18-20
For a month now we have been examining various Messianic prophecies. In the OT, time and time again, God, by the mouths of various people, communicated to his people about a Messiah who would come. This coming Messiah would be: a Savior, a King, born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, raised in Galilee, God in the flesh, was going to suffer and die upon a cross, not see decay, etc, etc. All of these words about this coming One can be classified as being Messianic prophecies. In Jesus, all of these words of God regarding the coming One are fulfilled. Jesus is the Messiah the OT prophets were speaking of.
Last week we considered Micah 5:1-5. In Micah 5:1-5 we are told the following about Jesus:
1. That he will be struck on the head by a rulers staff
2. Where he was to be born
3. What he will be: ruler
4. His nature: eternal
5. That he was to come on the scene during a time of great Israelite suffering
6. He will act as a perfect shepherd/ruler for his people. One of the defining images of Micah 5:1-5 is of Jesus as a shepherd.
In Genesis 3:14-15 judgment is pronounced upon Satan for his role in leading Adam and Eve into rebellion against God. Believe it or not Genesis 3:14-15 is a Messianic text. It’s Messianic because of this: To Satan, God declares the coming of Jesus. God’s ultimate judgement against Satan is this: His head will be crushed by a coming Savior: Jesus.
READ CHAPTER 3
In terms of the big picture, Genesis 3 details for us Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God and the consequences they brought against themselves and us ( for Adam acted as our representative head.) for their sin and disobedience.
Genesis 3 provides answers to many important questions people have
-If you have ever wondered “Why is their so much sin, death, and suffering in the world?” Genesis 3 is the text.
-If you have ever wondered “Why is child birth so painful?” Genesis 3 is the text
-If you’ve ever wondered “Why is growing plants and vegetables so hard” Genesis 3 is the text
-If you’ve ever wondered “Why is marriage sometimes so tough?” Genesis 3 is the text
-If you’ve ever wondered “Why do some ministers at funerals dump sand on the coffin and so ‘ashes to ashes and dust to dust’?” Genesis 3 is the text
-If you’ve ever wondered to yourself “Why is nudism wrong?” Genesis 3 is the text
-if you’ve ever wondered to yourself “What is the proper role for men and women and husbands and wives in the world” Genesis 3 touches on this as well
-if you’ve ever wondered “Why are Christians persecuted for their faith in Christ?” Genesis 3 is the text.
As you and I approach the text today, seeking to understand v.14-15, one big principal begets our attention
DISOBEDIENCE AND REBELLION AGAINST GOD BRINGS PUNISHMENT
Have you ever wondered “why is life so hard?” “Why I am physically sick?” “Why am I in danger of getting cancer” “Why was I abused as a child?” “Why is there so much death and suffering”
Genesis 3 answers this question. We get sick, we die, we suffer, people abuse us, life is hard because Adam and Eve sinned against God. There disobedience and rebellion against God (not to mention our own) is the reason for why we have all the troubles we do.
If they had never sinned and if all their children had followed suit… no one would ever die. No one would ever get sick. No one would ever get mugged. No one would ever be raped. No one would ever contract cancer or AIDS.
Yet they did sin and today we continue to reap the consequences: the ultimate consequences of their sin and also the consequences of our own sins.
Some have said: “It’s not fair that Adam acted as my representative, if I was in the garden I would never have sinned”
Like it or not, Adam did indeed act as our representative in the garden as Romans 5:12ff notes.
Today when you and I sin we must realize that there are consequences to pay….
When we sin against God we cannot expect to get off “Scott free”. When we sin God sees it, nothing escapes his attention.
God doesn’t wink at sin like we do either.
If you are a child of God you are under God’s grace and he does not treat you as your sins deserve. But lest we forget: God disciplines those of us that he loves.
If you are not a follower of Christ then you are trouble. Your sins are on your head. They are not paid for. You are under the terrible wrath of God for your sins. The only thing separating you from your just end is the gracious breath that God presently continues to give you. Turn to the Lord Jesus and be reconciled to God.
One of the things you will note as God pronounces judgement in these verses is this: he deals with each party in order of their sinning against him.
TODAY OUR FOCUS IS GOING TO BE ON THE WORD OF JUDGEMENT PRONOUNCED UPON SATAN in v.14-15
In order to properly understand the text it is quite important to own this: The serpent being judged in Genesis 3 is Satan. As proof I refer you to Revelations 12:9 where it says “the great dragon was hurled down- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled down to the earth, and his angels with him.”
Throughout the scriptures Satan is referred to as a snake or a serpent and his followers as Jesus called the Pharisees “a brood of vipers”
Why is Satan called a serpent? It would seem that it’s a name that fits his character and person perfectly.
As mentioned, our focus today is going to be upon the words of judgement pronounced by God against Satan. A great irony is this: What was to Satan a word of judgment is to us who are in Christ a word of blessing.
“Cursed”
-Adam and Eve are not the ones who are cursed by God. The serpent/ being Satan is cursed
-to be cursed is to be subject to and under the wrath of God. It means “to be damned”. Indeed, these are the words announced to Satan.
In v.14-15 Satan’s end is spelled out for him by God. Verses 14-15 are words of judgement addressed to Satan. The final script is read to him by God. His fate is sealed. He will be judged. He will be crushed and defeated. He will be opposed and harassed. He will suffer under God’s wrath and endure all sorts of humiliations.
I would like to propose to you that v.14 is figurative language that depicts the utter humiliation of Satan.
Those who crawl on their bellies and eat dust are those who have been subjected to abject humiliation.
God utterly humiliated Satan when he threw Satan and his angels out of heaven and onto the earth.
Listen to Revelations 12:7ff “And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”
Satan’s humiliation lies in the fact that he, once a holder of a great position in Heaven, was cast down to this earth. His being on this earth is part of his humiliation. This is God’s judgment upon him. For all the rest of his days: this once mighty one amongst the angels of Heaven is subject to having the dust of the earth as the ground upon which he slithers/walks.
I know it’s hard to imagine but try to imagine that Satan, at one time being a very important angel of God, was chucked out of the beauties of heaven and restrained to a ball of dirt known as Earth. Being on this earth is part of Satan’s humiliation, and how is it that God portrays Satan on this earth? “As a snake crawling on his belly before God and eating dust”
In addition to suffering the humiliation of having the earth as his prison Satan’s ultimate end is here proclaimed in our text.
We must mark this: Satan is well aware of his ultimate end. Satan is well aware that the eternal lake of fire will be his next stop. The scriptures teach us that Satan’s being humiliated by his being restricted to this earth and his knowing that his eternal judgment is at hand, is enraged. As Christians he is our greatest enemy. He is our accuser and as Revelations 12:12 says “But woe to the earth and sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short” and as v.17 says “he makes war against the offspring of the woman- those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Yet his end is sure.
How is it that Satan will come to his final defeat. A descendant of the very woman who he led astray will one day birth a Savior who shall bruise and crush his head. ****
The Seed of the woman in v.15 is Christ. (see Galatians 3:16). Jesus, being the Seed spoken of here, shall one day at last return and sit as Judge upon the great white throne and by his command, Satan and all his seed—being called the children of the Devil, will be cast into Hell. And then Satan will lift his head no more.
In the meantime, as we wait for Judgment day, the day of Satan’s and all who are his, being cast into the eternal lake of fire, there is a war that goes on. A war that has gone on now from the time of Genesis 3:15.
“enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers”
While indeed Eve was Satan’s first human victim and unknowing friend, she soon is here declared to be his enemy. From Eve, shortly named such by Adam (again affirming the headship of Adam over Eve), whose name means “life” will come the author of Life: Jesus Christ.
From Eve’s body has come 2 very different sorts of peoples. One group, being godly, and another being ungodly and called the offspring of the serpent. The immediate example of this in the life of Eve was the 2 sons she had –Cain- being a child of Satan and Abel—being of the godly line.
As to the enmity between Satan’s offspring and the godly line that came from Eve there is much evidence.
Those who are the children of Satan, by there very natures hate the children of God. Persecutions abound and hardship is daily known the world over by those who profess the name of Jesus Christ.
Why does this enmity exist?
Because peace cannot exist between the children of God and the children of Satan. One is a friend of God, the other in league with the Devil.
There is a natural hatred between the two. On the hand is the child of God whose heart is being to taught to love God and the things of God. On other hand is the child of Satan whose inclinations are evil and who hates the light.
This enmity is a necessary enmity as well.
One cannot serve 2 masters. He will love the one and hate the other.
Here’s some amazing words from Jesus’ mouth that directly correspond to the enmity declared between the seed of Satan and the seed of the woman in Genesis 3:14-15.
“I have come to bring a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, 3 against 2 and 2 against 3. They will be divided, father and son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother in law against daughter in law and daughter in law against mother in law.” Luke 12:49-53
Some of you know all to well how true these words are. Is there not in all our families this truth?
Satan has gone to all ends to frustrate the word of God here delivered against him in Genesis 3:14-15.
He has fought hard and he continues to rage. Yet his end is sure as is the end of all who shake their fist against God and take a stand against the children of God.
Throughout the scriptures, Satan’s opposition to the plans and people of God are well documented. Time and time again he has struck as it were against “the heel” and wound indeed he has. Think of all the nations that wished to wipe God’s people out. Think of how the land was continually polluted by idols. Think of all of Satan’s efforts to exterminate the godly line of people who lived in the land of Israel under wicked kings. Think of how martyrs untold have and continue to die for the cause of Christ.
Satan is not the victor. Every time he strikes he fails and is in struck upon the head. Every time persecution wracks the church of God—the church grows.
Think of the efforts of Satan to kill Jesus while he was yet a baby. Think of how Satan appeared to Jesus in the wilderness to tempt him. Think of how Jesus struggled and prayed in the garden of Gethsemene before he went to the cross.
In all respects Satan has been struck as it were upon the head. Yes, he has and does strike against the heel, but the wound he gives does not compare to what he receives. Satan is a defeated foe.
Application to us:
God never winks at our sin. There is no such thing as a little sin.
There is always consequence for sin
-one of the first consequences of sinning against God is the loss of joy; the first thing that happened to Adam and Eve is that they lost there joy: they feared God and cowered in the bushes.
-Our relationship with God is also affected—as Christians our sense of closeness suffers—not our salvation
-the discipline of God
-the judgment of God
Are you a non Christian? Do you know that you are under the judgment and wrath of God for you sins? Your sins have not been atoned for? You are going to have to face the consequences yourself. YET THERE IS HOPE FOR YOU IF you turn to Christ!
The glorious thing to me is this: as a child and follower of God, He does not treat me as my sins deserve. Psalm 103:10. Thank God for grace.
