Sunday
Sunday
A Descendant of Eve
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.
Genesis 3:15
However confusing this combination of warning and promise, of hostility and victory, certain truths may be affirmed. Firstly, God has established between the human race (Eve’s offspring) and the principalities and powers of evil (the serpent’s offspring) a reciprocal enmity. We must never come to terms with evil.
Secondly, although this continuous feud has been relentless, it will not be eternal. So it is not a case of “dualism,” for it will culminate in a final contest between Christ and Antichrist.
Thirdly, although the enmity is reciprocal, its outcome is not. For the head of the enemy will be crushed, that is, destroyed by the man Christ Jesus. At the same time, the victor will not altogether escape injury; he will suffer bruising to the heel.
This promise to Eve that one of her descendants would ultimately crush the serpent’s head is often—and rightly—called the protevangelium, that is, the very first proclamation of the gospel. It was, of course, fulfilled on the cross, for it was there that the devil was disarmed and overthrown at the cost of the Messiah’s suffering. Now all things have been put under his feet (Eph. 1:22), and we are confident (as Paul wrote) that “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom. 16:20). It may seem strange that in this context of conflict Paul should refer to “the God of peace,” since enjoying peace and crushing Satan do not sound altogether compatible with each other. But God’s peace allows no appeasement of the devil. Indeed, it is only through the destruction of evil that true peace can be attained.
For further reading: Ephesians 1:15–23