With Christmas only weeks away, let’s take a look at some of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah. We’re going to look not only at where the passage is found, but when it was written, and when it was fulfilled: The dates of the prophecies range from 1450BC to 430BC; the fulfillments date from 45 to 95AD. We begin at the beginning, in the book of Genesis.
“I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed. He will strike your head, and you will strike His heel” (Genesis 3:15, HCSB).
What’s happening when these words are spoken, and who’s doing the speaking? At the prompting of the serpent – that is, Satan – Eve ate the forbidden fruit of the tree of life and gave it to her husband Adam, who also ate it. They then realized they were naked and were embarrassed at their uncovered bodies, so they hid themselves.
Why? Because, according to Genesis 3:8, they “…heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden…” Can you imagine! The first two humans had such intimacy with the Lord that He literally came down and walked with them in the garden that He had created for them to live in!
And they traded that kind of fellowship for a bite of fruit. How foolish! And yet how often are we guilty of the very same sin? We’d rather read the newspaper than the Bible; we’d rather watch a sit-com than a sermon; we’d rather be done FOR than to do for others. And yet we know we’re to be like Jesus.
God Himself is speaking, talking to the serpent as He speaks the words of Genesis 3:15. He was saying that mankind and Satan would be continually at war with each other, but He was saying something far more specific:
“Your seed.” The “seed” of Satan – is rebellion, sin, which came into the world when Adam and Eve succumbed to the temptation of the serpent. Satan is the author of all rebellious behavior.
“Her Seed.” The Messiah would be born of woman, fully man and yet fully God. He would be attacked by Satan – “you will strike His heel,” (a wounding blow) but He would have the victory: “He will strike your head” (a death blow).
Eve was deceived and Adam along with her. Yet fallen humanity is redeemed by a Savior who is born of a human, a woman. How’s that for grace and mercy?
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