Hope in the Promise: The Promise of the Messiah

Introduction:

In the turbulent times of the late 18th century, a charismatic and audacious leader emerged on the world stage, setting the course for an era of upheaval. Napoleon Bonaparte, with grand ambitions, ignited a rebellion against established powers, forever reshaping the landscape of European history. As the echoes of this cosmic struggle unfolded, Napoleon meticulously plotted to overthrow the ruling monarch, leaving an indelible mark on the pages of human history.

In the history of Genesis, a celestial rebellion mirrors this historic upheaval. Just as Napoleon strategically maneuvered to subvert earthly powers, the serpent along with Adam and Eve became the unsuspecting pawns in Satan's cosmic rebellion against the divine order. Causing a ripple affect through time culminating in the Advent of the promised Seed who would bring correction to the world.

The Story of a Serpent and Fruit:

In order to grasp the weight of Genesis 3:15, we need to understand what has happened. The story of the serpent and fruit isn’t about a snake and a fruit tree. Rather it is about a cosmic rebellion that has been waged against God by Satan the fallen angel.

Unknown to Adam and Eve, Satan by inciting the snake was using them to strike at God, it was Satan’s next move in his rebellion. And he chose to attack Adam and Eve, because they were the pinnacle of God’s creation and the representative image bearers of God. Therefore, by striking at God through the image bearers, Satan could make a critical blow against God.

For context, Satan’s rebellion against God began in Heaven, we read in Revelation 12:7–9 “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

This passage is describing an event where Satan stage an insurrection, seeking to overthrow the rule of God. This rebellion resulted in a heavenly war, leading to the expulsion of Satan and his followers from God’s presence.

It is from this event of rebellion that this angel recieved the name Satan, which means Adversary. And we need to understand that Satan is God’s Adversary first not man’s, and in his fury he strikes at God through man.

The story of the serpent and fruit signifies then the ongoing defiance of Satan. And driven by his animosity towards God, Satan directs his assault at God's creation, intending to thwart God by orchestrating the downfall of humanity.

Therefore when we read in Genesis 3:15 “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.””

It is crucial to grasp that Genesis 3:15 does not allude to the literal reptile or humanity itself. Instead, it points to the enmity between the Accuser, who initiated a rebellion against God in heaven, and the promised seed of the woman who was destined to counteract the activities of Satan.

That is the Hope in the Promise, that the activities of Satan which lead to Eve sinning against God and leading her husband to do the same, bring death and destruction to humanity, will by the work of the Seed be corrected!

The Divine Verdict upon Humanity:

When the Adversary struck at God through humanity, he became the Destroy by inciting Adam, the Federal Head of humanity, into open rebellion against God.

In Genesis 3:1 we read “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

The serpent plants doubt in Eve, convincing her of two core beliefs: that God is neither good nor trustworthy, and that her husband, like God, is hiding something from her, eroding her trust in God and her husband. Convinced, Eve decides to define her own truth, by eating the forbidden fruit. She persuades her husband to do the same, leading both into rebellion against God.

Now Adam was given one rule or law the follow, Genesis 2:17 “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.””

God had given Adam a covenant condition by which he was to live in the Garden with God, and if Adam kept that covenant condition or Law he would be able for all his days to dwell in the presence of God. God had given clear expectations and boundaries for a life of peace and joy.

But Adam as the first and unique human, serving as humanities representative before God, meant that his actions in obedience or disobediences would have a cascading effect for the rest of humanity. For the sinning of Adam in this instance was unique because as the first sin it would set the path by which all those who came from Adam would tread.

Romans 5:12–13 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.”

Romans 5:14–16 “Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.”

Romans 5:17–19“For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”

The insidious nature of the Destroyer inciting Eve and Adam to sin was such that it was not simply Adam and Eve that fell, but rather that through the sin of the one man Adam as the federal head or representative of humanity, sin and death was spread to all humanity.

This is what Paul means in 1 Corinthians 15:22 “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”

As Adam sinned, we all died and by God are counted as rebels and shown to be rebels by our actual sin. Thus by one act Satan was able to destroy all the generation to follow. And this reality of the total depravity and inability of man, the reason why the promise of a savior Seed from Genesis 3:15 is so powerful, because God does not end the story there.

The Story of a Son:

A holy and righteous God demands that his Laws be followed in order to have fellowship with Him. For God had given Adam a law of obedience and if Adam out of faith in God would keep that Law he would enjoy the fellowship of God.

What is meant by Law, is that expressed in the 10 commandments, these are the moral laws given by God, written on the heart of every person. The first four commandments contain our duty to God and the other six our duty to humanity. And further summed up by Jesus as loving God and loving your neighbor.

But with the rise of sin and the total depravity and inability of man, humanity is left to wallow under the condemnation and wrath of God. Because, the condition of man makes it impossible for man to please God by works of the Law.

Galatians 3:10 “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.””

James 2:10 “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”

The reality is that because of sin we are in a dire conditions, and this condition is what makes the promise of Genesis 3:15 so power and glorious. Because in the promise is contained the hope of a new life. For as Adam represented us in the garden and failed, the Seed is the new representative, who through his perfect and unfailing work brings about our redemption.

For the Seed of the women is not simply another human, born in the likeness of Adam, but he is the promised and long awaited Messiah, send by God for the purpose of crushing the head of the serpent, destroying the works of the Destroyer, and removing the power sin and death.

We read of this promise in the following passages:

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Micah 5:3 “Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.”

Matthew 1:23 ““Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”

(JOYFUL TONE) The season of Advent is centered around the reality, that although my heart is bent toward sin, leaving me enslaved to it, all is not lost. Even though the Destroy in his wickedness used humanity to strike at God, bring death, disease, and destruction through sin. God in his infinite wisdom and goodness has used the results of that wicked act bring about something beautiful, the salvation of humanity and defeat of the Adversary.

Because John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Conclusion - The Story of Hope Realized:

Thus the story of Hope is that though darkness seems to rule the day, the Light has shone into the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. For regardless of how dire things seem God’s plan for history and salvation cannot be turned aside in the world or in your life.

This Advent season as the world seems to be on fire and our generation experiences hardships and the increase of sin in the world, all is not lost for the King has arrived, bring us Hope of a life with God freedom from the power of sin and death.

For Hebrews 2:14 “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,”

(JOYFUL TONE) For as the new Federal Head, Christ Jesus has gone before us living the perfect life to God on our behalf, he has died a death under the Law of God because of sin, enduring the wrath of God on our behalf, thus imputing to us His righteousness, so that when we stand before God today and for all eternity those who are in Christ are declared righteous!

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

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