Ep. 06 ”The Great Conflict” Genesis 3:15

Title: “The Great Conflict”

Text: Genesis 3:7-24

Theme: The Great Conflict between Good and Evil

Key verses: Genesis 3:15

Introduction:

The seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman

The first prophecy of the Bible

o Genesis 3:15 15And I will put enmity between thee (Satan) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it (Christ) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

o This verse promises a Redeemer would come, and that He would come from the Human Race (her seed).

o Galatians 3:16 16Now to Abraham and his seedwere the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

o Romans 1:3 3Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our LORD, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

o 1 Timothy 3:16 16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

o This verse also promises that there would be a constant struggle between Satan and Christ.

o “The most prominent thought is not the ultimate victory that would come, but the long-continued struggle. This verse reveals the fact that now there is to be a long struggle between good and evil. This is exactly what you will find in the rest of the Scriptures.” – Dr. J. Vernon McGee

o You want a classic story of Good vs Evil? (read the Bible!)

o Jesus made the distinction between children of God and children of Satan (The Devil)

John 8:44 44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

John mentions this conflict in 1 Joh 3:10

1 John 3:10 10In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

o This conflict of the Serpent and Christ, is typified in the story of Cain and Abel.

§ Abel – is a type of Christ, “the seed of the woman”

§ Cain – is a type of “the seed of the Serpent”

 

This takes place in the Garden of Eden, after the fall of mankind, in Genesis 3.

o What are the results from the fall? Evil thoughts, Fear, Excuses, Pain during child birth, Cursed ground, Labor and sorrow, Banishment from God, Death.

o Oh, but it doesn’t stop there, my friend. Let's go back for a moment to chapter 2.

o Genesis 2:4 “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,”

o Notice something special about Genesis 2:4. In Chapter 1, we saw the name “God” 32 times in 31 verses. The Hebrew name “Elohim” which we talked about being plural. (Trinity) The Father the Son and the Holy Spirit. A plural noun that is almost always used with a singular verb or adjective. Three distinct persons but one God. In verse 1 we see the first mention of LORD. (Jehovah God)

o Jehovah “A name for God used in the O.T. It refers to God as the One who keeps covenant and mercy with His People.” – Dr. David Cloud

“Here in the closing review of creation, the name Elohim is connected with the name Jehovah (LORD). Jehovah is the same God, only viewed as being in covenant relation with those He has created. The first appearance of the name Jehovah follows the creation of man, for pre-eminently it is God’s redemptive name. As Elohim, He tossed the worlds into space; as Jehovah, He plans man’s redemption before ever He fashioned Adam’s clay.” – Dr. John Phillips

o Go back to chapter 2, what is God doing? He’s resting because His work was perfect.

o Now, He is not resting. Once sin enters the picture in Genesis Chapter 3 there is nothing else in the Bible regarding God resting. The Bible tells us that the Triune God becomes involved in man’s redemption.

o After the fall, Adam and Eve try clothing themselves with fig leaves – Genesis 3:7-11

Before the fall, man did not have a conscience, now they do and they realized they were naked. Not only were they naked, but they were separate from God. That’s what sin has done; it separates us from God. He tries clothing himself but it does not get Him back in fellowship with God.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (illust. justifying anything)

So, what happens next?

1. God promises that there would be a redeemer – v.15

2. Adam comes to God by Faith – v.20

Genesis 3:20 “And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living”

Notice: “the mother of all living” God promised He would send a Redeemer through the seed of the woman. So, Adam named her Eve. By faith, He trusted that God would send a Redeemer. He could have called her many names at this point, but instead he decided to put Faith in his Father.

3. God clothes them – v. 21

This is the best part of the story by far. Adam comes to God by Faith, so blood is shed to cover his nakedness.

“There, in Eden, in paradise itself, blood was shed for the very first time. Adam and Eve must have stood there aghast as they saw the creature taken in their stead and slaughtered before their eyes – it’s bloodshed, its covering made theirs. It was the first dramatic illustration of the ultimate cost of Calvary, of the horror and dreadfulness of sin. Sin is a radical disease and it calls for a radical cure.” – Dr. John Philips

When Adam realizes he is lost and without hope (those fig leaves weren’t going to cut it!), he comes to God by Faith, and is clothed after the blood of an innocent was shed. God planned man’s redemption before ever forming Adam. He promised us a Redeemer, and that redeemer came. His name is Jesus Christ and He became sin for us. The day I realized I was lost, I came to God by Faith, and the Blood of Jesus Christ covered me, declaring me righteous.

Genesis chapter 3 can be summarized by Man’s Failure and God’s Grace

Man is a failure. Sin is sin! Certain sins don’t make us worse or better than others. The fall of man separated us from God. God knew that Adam would fall, but He sent us a Redeemer. May we never forget the Grace of God!

“Men go astray from God by nature, but they only return to God through Grace.” – C.H. Spurgeon

Romans 3:20-24 20Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

 

Outline:

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee (Satan) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it (Christ) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

I. The Struggle:

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed;”

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman”

· Enmity – the quality of being an enemy; ill will

· First off, it is evident that the serpent = Satan. This prophecy is not between snakes and woman, but Satan and mankind. SATAN, IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. This world is not your friend.

· 1 John 2:16 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

“and between thy seed and her seed”

· Constant battle of good verses evil. You have the seed of Satan vs the seed of the woman.

· Satan is the prince and the power of the air. He is the father of all sin, lies, deceit. He is here to destroy and devour. Jesus Christ came to seek and save that which is lost.

· Ephesians 2:1-3 1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

II. The Savior:

“it shall bruise thy head,”

Who is this? Christ, is bruising satan’s head. Let’s go back and read the verse up to this point.

And I will put enmity between thee (Satan) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it (Christ) shall bruise thy head,

This is best described in a commentary by Adam, Clarke

“The address is not given to Adam and Eve, but to Eve alone; and it was in consequence of this purpose of God that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin; this, and this alone, is what is implied in the promise of the seed of the woman bruising the head of the serpent. Jesus Christ died to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself and to destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the Devil. Thus he bruises his head – destroys his power and lordship over mankind turning them from the power of Satan unto God.” – Adam Clarke

1 Corinthians 15:55-58 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our LORD Jesus Christ. 58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the LORD, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the LORD.

III. The Serpent:

“and thou shalt bruise his heel”

Satan bruised the heel of Christ. God required that the salvation of mankind only be through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ through His death on the Cross.

Isaiah 53:5-8 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

1 Peter 3:18 18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Hebrews 10:10 10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

This also refers to the followers, spiritual seed, of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our heel is bruised by Satan because we are followers of Christ.

2 Timothy 3:12 12Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.