genesis 3:15- the gospel

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall crush your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” – Genesis 3:15

Within moments of Man’s rebellion and the introduction of death and suffering to His creation God makes this promise. It is arguably the most pivotal verse in all scripture because it is both God’s foretelling of the future and His great promise to Mankind, from which the entire Bible is simply an outworking. This verse sets the context of Scripture, summarizes the content of the Gospel, and articulates the hope of all Creation. It may seem to 21st Century Americans to be confusing but with meditation and our understanding of Jesus it becomes simple and clear- God will send Man to destroy the works of Satan and restore all things.

Here is an unpacking of the verse-

“And I will put enmity between you (the serpent) and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring…”

The word “enmity” in the Hebrew (“aybaw”) means hatred and murder. All of those like Satan who rebel against God will hate God and His people. I will explain later why Eve and her offspring are seen as the children of God, but for now I will illustrate the difference between the children of God and the children of Satan. John is referencing Genesis and this division in 1 John 3-

By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. -1 John 3:10-13

John is portraying the sons of God and the sons of Satan in Cain and Able. Love and obedience to God will always mark a true child of God while hatred and murder will mark the children of Satan. Jesus makes this same distinction in the Sermon on the Mount-

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. -Matthew 5:44-45

Jesus goes further in this distinction by calling the Pharisees sons of Satan and Himself a son of God-

“I speak the things which I have seen with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.” They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you are Abraham’s children, do the deeds of Abraham (who is a son of God). But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. You are doing the deeds of your father.” They said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of liars.“ (John 8:38-44)

The phrase “Sons of God” is found all through the New Testament. They are all in reference to Genesis 3 and the ultimate reward of God’s children in the restoration of all things-

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. –Matthew 5:9

And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. –Luke 20:34-36

 

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become sons of God. -John 1:11-12

 

For if you live according to the flesh you will die (eternal judgment), but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live (in the resurrection of all things). For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (inheriting the reward of resurrection and eternal life with God), provided we suffer with him (enduring the hatred and murder of Satan and his sons) in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God (who will be resurrected and proven to be so)… that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God (the resurrection and restoration of all things). -Romans 8:13-21

 

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling… that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world… so that in the day of Christ (the day of judgment against Satan and his sons and the rewarding of the sons of God) I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. -Philippians 2:12-16

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:4-7)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure (to be a proven son of God). -1 John 3:1-3

 

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world (by loving his enemy and enduring the hatred, exemplified by Jesus on the Cross)… –1 John 5:1-4

The book of Revelation speaks of the adoption of God’s children and punishment of Satan and his children in 21:7 and 20:10-

“He who overcomes will inherit these things (21:1-6- eternal life on the earth in perfect paradise), and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death… And the devil who deceived them (his children) was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

 

“… and between your offspring and her offspring…”

As I said before, the The offspring of the woman are also the offspring of God. This is clear because the sons of Satan are his sons based on their rebellious hearts and wicked actions, thus the sons of God are those that are obedient of heart and righteous in their actions. Eve exemplifies the repentant heart that is asking for God’s mercy and help. In verse 13 of Genesis 3 God confronts Eve about her sin and she does not make excuses or deny what happened. She admits her wrong and accepts the consequences. She replies-

“The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

The Hebrew word for “deceived” (nasha) in this verse means to be put under debt, or usury . Thus Eve is giving something much more than just an excuse. It is a cry for help. She admits that she ate the fruit and is acknowledging that what she did brought a debt of sin. She knows what she did was wrong and that she is now under a debt she cannot pay. She is acknowledging her need to pay for ignoring God’s command. This is the universal heart-posture of the people of God throughout history. They are born into an eternal debt, deceived and lost concerning the way out, and needing help outside themselves to get right before God. This is being poor of spirit- having no ability to live on your own and completely at God’s mercy, relying fully in Him for life.

It is significant that those that receive God’s mercy and pardon are called blessed throughout scripture. God told Abraham the nations would be blessed through the coming Seed. David spoke often of forgiveness and redemption as the great blessing. And Jesus gave the beatitudes, saying that those who endure the enmity from the wicked will receive great reward-

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit… I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. -Psalms 32:1-5

O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults! You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. For you meet him with rich blessings… He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever. His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. -Psalms 21:1-6

For those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by him shall be cut off… Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you live forever. For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the earth and dwell upon it forever. -Psalms 37:22-29

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3-10)

Thus the sons of God are related to Him by emulating Eve,  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, etc. with Jesus as the great and first-born Son and our Head. If you are an offspring of Eve, maintaining the same heart-posture of being poor in spirit and looking to God to provide redemption, then you are a child of God. You are of the family of God, the offspring of Abraham by faith, with Jesus as the first-born among your many brethren. And you will know  the exceeding greatness of His power toward those who believe, which was exemplified in Jesus’ resurrection and glorification. Our living hope is Jesus. Our Father is His Father. And our future is with our family.

In this way Genesis 3:15 becomes, as I said at the beginning, the context for all scripture, the summarizing of the Gospel, and the hope of all creation. Genesis 3:15 summarizes the theme that is found all throughout scripture- Two kingdoms at odds with one another until a promised Man comes to destroy the works of the Serpent and restore all things. God’s children overcome the world through love and sacrifice toward the children of Satan, ultimately portrayed by Jesus being crucified on the Cross, and God finally judges the wicked and rewards the righteous. The great hope and end of the story is a renewed earth, back to the way it was in the beginning with God dwelling among His people- no more pain or sorrow or death, only eternal life and pleasure forevermore at His right hand.

This provides a beginning for processing and discussing the multitude of verse that relate to this great promise. I will post another page called “the kingdom” and list the verses about the promise being fulfilled.