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Pastor Wade Burleson
The Gospel in the Garden
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Genesis 3:14-15 (KJV)
- And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed
above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt
thou eat all the days of thy life:
- And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it
shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
"The Gospel in the Garden"
Genesis 3:14-15
The gospel is the good news that we have forgiveness of sins through God's work for us.
"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which
also you received in which also you stand, by which also you are saved . . . that Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures. (I Corinthians 15:1-4). Where do we find the
good news? In the scriptures.
Our text is called the protoevangelium. "This is the first gospel sermon that was
ever delivered upon the surface of this earth. It was memorable discourse indeed, with Jehovah
himself for the preacher, and the whole human race and the prince of darkness for the audience. It
must be worthy of our heartiest attention." C.H. Spurgeon.
- There is a curse because of man's sin . . . "thou art cursed" (v.14).
The judgment revealed in verse 14 is upon both the serpent and the devil. Satan took possession
of the reptile and sought to bring mankind into a state of rebellion against God. We must
remember that thought the language in v.14 is directed to the literal serpent, Satan is the object of
the curse himself . . . "that old serpent, called the Devil" (Revelation 12:9). The curse is
nothing short of God's wrath upon Satan.
- God makes no provision to remove the curse from Satan . . .
Redemption is a work of God on behalf of mankind. God makes no movement toward removing
the curse (the wrath of God) from the head of Satan himself. This should be a sobering reminder
that God is under no obligation to redeem.
- God's curse brings both humiliation and shame to the rebel . . .
"Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat" (Genesis 3:14). The serpent
literally crawls on its belly, but the literal is a visual reminder of the spiritual. The serpent, and
Satan, both once glorious, are now despised and destroyed. Some focus too much on the literal
(snake handlers) and miss the spiritual.
- There is a conflict because of God's mercy . . . "and I will put enmity"
(v.15).
God places division and strife between the woman (mankind) and Satan, and the woman's seed
and Satan's seed. It is God who places this "enmity" between the two.
- There is a natural fear in mankind of both snakes and Satan . . .
God Himself places this "fear" or "enmity" in the heart of man. It was always the desire of Satan
to have confederates, not enemies. God is merciful to us.
- There is a natural animosity between the saved and the lost . . .
The "seed" of the serpent refers to those "who are of your father the devil" (John
8:44). The world of unbelievers is at odds with the people of God.
- There is a supernatural war between the Messiah and Satan himself . . .
Revelation 12 seems to be a New Testament parallel to Genesis 3. The Apostle John says,
"There was war in heaven" (Revelation 12:7). Satan fights God Himself.
- There is a crushing because of God's grace . . . "it shall bruise thy head"
(v.15). Notice that the Messiah has his heal "bruised," but Satan has his head "bruised." "(Christ"
was bruised for our iniquities" (Isaiah 53:5). The term bruised means "crushed." What
power has Satan over you? None. He is crushed by the cross.
Questions? Comments?
Pastor Wade
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