Day 8

Day 8

The Curse and The Promise by Rory K.

 

Genesis 3:14–24

 

Do you remember the first time you heard the gospel? Do you know where it appears for the first time in scripture? Most of us would say Matthew or one of the Gospels. The good news, however, can be traced all the way back to Genesis 3.

 

We read in verse 14 and following that God pronounces a curse on the serpent. The curse God pronounces isn’t just on the serpent, but also what he represents, sin and death. He also foreshadows the method by which sin and death would be defeated. The “seed” or “offspring” of the woman is referring to a man who would come and accomplish this, i.e. Jesus. “You will strike his heel”, the cross, “but he will crush you head”, the victory over sin and death.

 

Adam and Eve experienced the consequences of sin right away, they were separated physically from God, but another reminder of the consequences of their sin was in the form of the clothing they took from the garden. God fashioned for them garments of animal skins instead of the paltry fig leaves they started with, which meant that something had to die to cover over themselves. The more we understand our sin, the more grateful we can be that God arranged for the offspring to come and crush its head.