In Genesis

Jesus seen in the person of Melchizedek (Gen 14:18) The life of Isaac - the sacrificed son (Gen 22) The life of Joseph - the rejected brother (Gen 37)

Messiah would be born of the seed of a woman

For centuries there has been scholarly debate over our scripture reading today, but many see a “first gospel” in the last verse. Even Jewish scholars see the promise of the Messiah here in Genesis.

Let us HONOR the reading of God’s Word

Genesis 2:21–3:15 NIV

21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” 11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

THE WORD OF GOD, FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD

“This is the first gospel sermon that was ever delivered upon the surface of this earth. It was a memorable discourse indeed, with Jehovah himself for the preacher, and the whole human race and the prince of darkness for the audience.” (Spurgeon)

The serpent has received judgment for his actions. Now God also pronounced judgement on the woman and even more on the man and both were kicked out of the Garden of Eden. The Garden is guarded so that no human may reach the tree that caused all this trouble and fuss.

Sin (not mentioned by name) has entered into the story of God and mankind.

Eden was perfect, but mankind was not - or they wouldn’t have fallen for the serpent’s deceit. Not perfect, but mankind was sinless up to this point.

Sin is now a problem. How will it be dealt with?

Woman’s Seed

Not a man as normally represented

Enmity - Hatred - Conflict

Resolution comes from the serpent’s judgment:

A virgin birth - Mary

Hebrew - singular male pronoun

Isaiah 53:5 NIV

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

On the cross - “Strike his heel - Crush your head”

Mel Gibson’s “The Passion” - act visualized

Second Adam

Adam to blame (not Eve) - Dirtha McKinley loved this when we studied Romans on Wednesday evenings. “I knew it was a man’s fault!”

Because of Adam:

Sin entered the world (Romans 5:12).

Death came to all mankind (Romans 5:15, 1 Corinthians 15:22).

Death reigned over man and creation (Romans 5:17)

All men were condemned (Romans 5:18).

All men were were sinners (Romans 5:19)

Jesus comes to undo what Adam did

Romans 5:19 NIV

19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Romans 5:21 NIV

21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Promised Redeemer

The Satan and sin bruised Jesus as he hung on the cross, but He crushed sin and the serpents head when he arose from the grave - providing victory over sin and death.

Satan, the serpent, end-game was to overthrow God and take over. He thought he could do it by bringing down God’s prized creation. Man and woman, Adam and Eve, humanity.

The attempt to overthrow God brought us the plan of salvation. A promise of a redeemer who would pay the price of sin that came that fateful day in the Garden of Eden.

1 Peter 1:18–19 NIV

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Hebrews 9:12 NIV

12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.