Read Genesis 3:15: "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."
Man do I hate snakes!! Reading about them always gives me the creeps, even in this passage. This particular verse is part of the curse God gave to the serpent after Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden. I decided to discuss this particular verse this morning, because I want to point out the profound implications of this curse. Why is this verse significant? What does it mean? Theologians call this verse the "protevangelium." That is a long fancy Latin word that literally means "the first preaching of the gospel." You're probably a little confused at this point, and for good reason! What does this curse for the serpent have to do with the gospel message of Christ? Well, I'm glad you asked!
If you know the story of the fall of mankind in Genesis, you know that this cursed serpent was no ordinary snake. It was actually Satan in disguise, who deceived Eve and tempted her to sin. The first part of the curse applies to the actual animal (he would move on his belly), but the second part of the curse refers to the Satanic power within the serpent. When God talks about enmity between Eve's seed and the serpent's seed, he is referring to the struggle between Satan and mankind. From that point on there would be a continuous battle between humans and the demonic realm.
However, we see hope for mankind in the phrase, "He will crush your head." This refers ultimately to Christ's victory over Satan. Jesus would come from the seed of Eve (born of the virgin Mary) and would triumph over Satan. Therefore, if we are in Christ, we share in this victory and need not fear the demonic forces.
This verse marks the very first reference to the coming Messiah. This is significant, because we see that it was always God's plan to send His Son Jesus, even from the very beginning. This was not a plan B or a backup plan. It also shows us how the Bible all fits together. The Old Testament is not just a bunch of stories strung together and isolated from the New Testament. Rather, all of the Old Testament points to the New Testament, and the New Testament fulfills the Old Testament. We must learn to see the Bible as a cohesive whole, all centered around the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
I hope that this devotional changes your perspective on the Old Testament, and opens your eyes to the centrality of the gospel message in Scripture. Knowing this will change the way you view Scripture!
