Sermon Tone Analysis

Tuesday August 30, 2005

Genesis: Genesis 3:20-21-Epilogue-Salvation Beyond the Fall

Lesson # 18

Turn in your Bibles to Genesis 3:15.

This evening we will study Genesis 3:20-21.

In Genesis 3:20-21, Moses records that the Lord clothed Adam and Eve with animal skins that is picture of their salvation, which took place when they exercised faith in the promise of a Savior in Genesis 3:15.

Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Genesis 3:15 records the first pronouncement of the gospel of God’s grace as found in the Person and Work of the Last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The phrase “your seed” refers to the Antichrist who will be the ruler of a ten-nation confederacy constituting a Revived Roman Empire, during Daniel’s 70th week, which is also called by theologians as the “Tribulation Period.”

“Her Seed” refers to the Lord Jesus Christ who is the “Last Adam” (1 Cor.

15:45).

“He (Jesus Christ) shall bruise you (Satan) on the head” is the first prophecy concerning the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ would defeat Satan at the cross by being obedient to the Father’s will with His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross on behalf of all mankind.

This first prophecy regarding the Lord Jesus Christ, as the future Deliverer from the bondage of sin and the devil is further developed throughout the rest of Scripture.

The prophecy of Genesis 3:15 is the “seed plot” of the Virgin Birth and Incarnation of the Son of God (Isa.

7:14; Mt. 1:23; John 1:14; 1 Tim.

3:16).

Galatians 4:4, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law.”

Galatians 4:5, “so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

The prophecy of Genesis 3:15 is the “seed plot” of the Redemption and Salvation of mankind as well as the defeat of Satan, which is developed in further detail in the rest of the Bible (Gal.

3:13; Eph.

1:7; Col. 2:14; Heb.

2:14-15; 1 Jn.

3:8).

“You (Satan) shall bruise Him (Christ) on the heel” is a symbolic or a figurative reference to the Lord’s suffering and death on the cross, which the Father used as the instrument to destroy the works of the devil.

What Satan did to the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross was only temporary and did not defeat the Lord but what the Lord did to Satan at the cross was to achieve total and complete victory over Satan since the Lord’s death on the cross demonstrated the love of God for all men, which refutes Satan’s argument that God does not love His creatures.

This first announcement of the gospel of grace through faith in “the Seed” of the woman, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Last Adam was couched in a warning of conflict.

This prophecy teaches that Satan and his armies will oppose the work of salvation and the salvation of mankind.

This prophecy of Genesis 3:15 is God’s guarantee to mankind and the angels that Satan would be defeated at the cross by the obedience of the Last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:15, “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”

Hebrews 2:14, “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.”

Hebrews 2:15, “and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

1 John 3:8, “the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.

The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”

In Genesis 3:22-24, we see the Lord driving Adam and his wife out of the Garden of Eden but although Adam and his wife had lost this “temporal” Paradise, they had gained through their faith in the promise of Genesis 3:15 of a Savior an “eternal” Paradise with God in the new heavens and new earth and new Jerusalem.

Though they were under a curse for their disobedience that curse would ultimately be lifted because of their faith in Christ.

We saw in Genesis 2:3 that God completed His work of restoring the heavens and the earth by the seventh day, which typifies the millennium and eternal state.

In Genesis 3:15, we read of God beginning a new work on the day that Adam and his wife sinned, namely, the work of salvation, which began with the incarnation of the Son of God and His death, resurrection and session.

Genesis 3:15 is the first prophecy concerning the new creation.

The old creation, the old heavens and the earth that have been marred by the sin and rebellion of both Satan and Adam will be destroyed and a new heavens and a new earth will be created by God that will be permeated by God’s holiness (Rev.

21-22).

This work of salvation and the new creation will culminate in the creation of the new heavens and new earth.

Genesis 3:20, “Now the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.”

In Genesis 2:23, Adam calls his wife, “woman,” which is the noun `ishshah (hv*a!) but in Genesis 3:20, Adam gives his wife a new name, “Eve,” which is the Hebrew proper name chawwah (jw{j) (pronounced: khav-vaw), “life.”

Adam’s faith in the Lord’s promise of Genesis 3:15 to provide him a Savior was expressed in his designating the name “Eve” to his wife, which is the Hebrew proper name chawwah (jw{j) (pronounced: khav-vaw), “life.”

Adam not only had faith that he and his wife would have children but also through this means God would send “the seed of the woman,” the Last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ to provide salvation, eternal life.

1 Corinthians 15:45, “So also it is written, ‘The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.’

The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

The name chawwah, “life” looks forward in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ who is the eternal life of God incarnate.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

Adam has passed out of real spiritual death and into eternal life through faith in the Lord’s promise of a Savior in Genesis 3:15.

Hebrews 11:1 defines faith for us.

Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Biblical faith is trusting in the promises of God regardless of the circumstances or consequences and resting in them.

Adam trusted in God’s promise of a Savior in Genesis 3:15 even though his circumstances were adverse and was under a curse.

Genesis 3:21, “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”

The fact that the Lord made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them foreshadows the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.

The Lord God clothed Adam and Eve with skins and in order to provide these skins, animals must have been slain, an animal’s life must have been taken, and blood must have been shed.

In this manner, the Lord provided garments to cover their nakedness and shame due to their sin.

Later, in Old Testament Israel, animal sacrifices were used as a teaching aid for Israel to teach them about the future sacrifice on the cross of the Lamb of God (Jn.

1:29).

The animal had to be without spot or blemish portraying the impeccability of the human nature of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The shedding of the animal’s blood portrayed the spiritual death of the impeccable human nature of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:18, “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers.”

1 Peter 1:19, “but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

The killing of the innocent animal portrayed the fact that the impeccable human nature of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was our “Substitute” meaning He died in our place.

Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for all of us as a Substitute.”

So as Adam and his wife watched the Lord shed the blood of innocent animals to provide garments to clothe their nakedness, they were being taught as to the manner in which their salvation would be provided through the promise “Seed of the woman.”

Adam and his wife were taught that forgiveness of sins is provided through the shedding of the animal’s blood, which portrays the voluntary spiritual death of the impeccable human nature of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as our Substitute.

Leviticus 17:12, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.”

Hebrews 9:22, “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”

The garments that clothed Adam and his wife’s nakedness portray the believer’s salvation and the righteousness of Christ that was imputed to him the moment he trusted in Christ as his Savior.

Isaiah 61:10, “I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

Romans 3:21, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.”

Romans 3:22, “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction.”

2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

1 Corinthians 1:30, “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”

Now, if you recall in Genesis 3:7, Adam and the woman provided loin coverings for themselves apart from God, which portrays human self-righteousness.

But here in Genesis 3:20, the Lord is providing clothing for Adam and his wife, which was procured through the sacrifice of an innocent animal, which portrays God’s perfect Son and His death on the cross as our Substitute.

This taught them about grace and that they could not earn their salvation or ease their problem of guilt and sin through their own devices but rather it would have to be provided through Another, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Ephesians 2:9, “not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Titus 3:5, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”

Titus 3:6, “whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Titus 3:7, “so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Adam and his wife were given a graphic and horrifying picture through the shedding of the blood of an innocent animal that their salvation and deliverance from Satan and spiritual death would come at a great price, namely, the death of God’s perfect Son.