I will admit that, at times, I get confused as to how something written so long ago could apply to my life today. However, I am excited to remind you (and myself) that we serve a God who is timeless and whose Word will never return to us void (Isaiah 55:11).
When I read through Genesis 3, it can be a bit disheartening to talk about how the first humans couldn’t make it through a couple chapters without sinning. It makes me wonder why God would create humans at all. (It is okay to ask God questions like this because He made us in His image to think deeply, and He longs to reveal His character to us. He is not afraid of our questions, for His Word gives us answers).
The truth is, God made us because He wants to be in an intimate relationship with us. He wants to know us deeply and wants us to know Him deeply so that we can experience great joy in being loved by Him. God has sustained the sinful human race for a very significant purpose.
After the fall, in Genesis 3:8-19, we read a dialogue between God, Adam, and Eve. Since they had sinned, they realized they were naked, and they understood what shame felt like. Their natural response was to hide from God. God asked them: “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (Genesis 3:11).
In short, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent that tricked her. Then, God cursed the serpent and all humanity, which does not make this a favorite Scripture passage for most people. This passage brings up many questions: How should I respond to these curses on the serpent and humanity? How does this passage help me understand God’s character? How can I rejoice after reading something like this?
While we all may be thinking that this is the end of our rejoicing (even though we only made it to chapter 3), this is our reality. But what is hidden between the lines of this reality is beautiful. If we look carefully, verse 15 changes what seems to be a hopeless and depressing story into the greatest story in the world. This is the very first biblical reference to the gospel. This is God’s first promise to one day save all of humanity from the curse of sin.
“And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” —Genesis 3:15
God promised the woman’s offspring would defeat the serpent, the enemy of God and of people. Later, we come to find that this offspring is Jesus Christ!
Galatians 4:4-5 tells us, “when the appropriate time had come, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights.”
The sending of Jesus to come into the world with a singular mission to die for all of humanity is the fulfillment of that very first promise in Genesis 3. I am so thankful that we have gotten to see this promise fulfilled in Christ. This gives us such a vivid revelation of God’s character as our faithful Promise Keeper.
As we read through Genesis 3, we see that sin clearly has severe consequences, but we also notice God assuring us that this is not the end of the story for those who believe in Jesus. The foreshadowing of a Savior in Genesis 3:15 is our first ray of hope.
The truth is, God is sovereign. He knew that all would sin and fall short of His great glory, and He has always had an action plan to save humanity from the consequence of sin (which is eternal torment and separation from Him).
Sin is a reality, but so is Jesus. And this is the very reason God sustained humanity: so we could witness His passionately-committed love for us (completed in the work of Christ) and live to glorify Him. Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Lastly, friend, take a moment to read Romans 5:18-21 to help tie it all together. Just as sin, which leads to condemnation, started with Adam (the beginning of the human race), so life has come for all people through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s sinless Son. The law was put in place to reveal our sin and magnify our need for God’s grace, and through the law, God’s character is revealed.
We were dead in our sins, “but God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!” (Ephesians 2:4-5). Praise God for His kindness and grace!
As you continue to read through this study, may you be encouraged that the Bible is one big story, all about Jesus. In the beginning, God made the world with Jesus present with Him, and from the beginning, He had a plan to save it through Jesus. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), and He can be yours today (see His invitation for you in John 11:25-26).
With God’s love,
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