Genesis 3:14-15 So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,"Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 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."
I do not read Revelations - there, I've said it. I know that all scripture is important and we should be knowledgeable about it, but this book gives me anxiety. God promises that He will take care of His people - and I'm going to rest on that promise. As far as the rest of the Bible goes, how exciting to look at all that was prophesied and came true. J. Barton Payne’s, Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy (New York: Harper & Row, 1973) lists 1,239 prophecies in the Old Testament, and 578 prophecies in the New Testament, for a total of 1,817. Some already fulfilled, some yet to come.
God is giving us insight right here in the beginning of time. God begins to punish the serpent. Notice there is no object lesson here, no "why did you do this" - God lays right into the punishment for the serpent. Can you imagine the fear of Adam and Eve when they saw the serpent lose it's legs and crawl away on it's belly. Did they think that they too would lose their legs? Would they live the rest of their lives without limbs? It had to cross their minds.
Then, in all His power, in all His wisdom - He tells them (and us) the story of Christmas. Wh
o knew we could find the story of Christmas in Genesis? The latter part of verse 15 tells us that woman will have an offspring and He will crush the head of Satan and Satan will strike His heel. Jesus - the offspring - came as a little baby and gave hope to a lost world. Satan did strike at His heel and Jesus was crucified. Why is the crucifixion only a strike at His heel? Because He rose again and conquered death and Satan, it wasn't even a setback-it was part of the plan. I believe only half of this verse in Genesis has been fulfilled. Jesus is coming back and we will all get to see Him crush the head of Satan - and if perchance I'm standing next to Eve when it happens - I might say "now that's what He was talking about".
3 comments:
Great Christmas connection! (for helping with Revelation, can I suggest "John the Beloved" by Beth Moore...great, spoon-fed approach to introducing that VERY tough book!)
I hope you have a beautiful, christ-filled christmas!!
Hugs
HEY DOROTHY
JUST WANT TO CLARIFY...THE SPEAKER THAT WILL BE ON SEANS IS NOT ME...IT IS SOMEONE FROM 40 DAYS FOR LIFE...I COPIED AND PASTED THE EMAIL THEY SENT ME...THE "I" IN THAT EMAIL REFERS TO SOMEONE AT 40 DAYS FOR LIFE..I ASSUME DAVID BENEIT(SP) I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY MISUNDERSTANDING...I WAS JUST PASSING THE WORD ON...BUT PERHAPS WITH SO MUCH PRAYER GOING FORTH THE LORD WILL IMPROVE MY COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS AND USE ME IN THAT WAY...I WOULD LOVE TO BE USED TO STAND FOR LIFE...THE LIFE OF THE UNBORN, THE LIFE OF THOSE WHO STAND FOR CHRIST AND FACE PERSECUTION...TO BE A VOICE THAT THE LORD COULD USE...HOW WONDERFUL THAT WOULD BE...
IN HIS LOVE DEBRAH
YES!! Jesus is returning--we don't know when, so we must always be watchful and prepared.
Amazing isn't it--how God has it all planned out right from the beginning--and then when the time was just right--Jesus sent to us from Heaven.
When will the timing be just right again? One of God's mysteries.
As for Revelations--I've read through several times, and I have to admit some it seems rather frightening. I've come to the conclusion that the reason it seems this way to me is because I don't really understand what most of this means.
One last thought, and then I see that my devotions with you are finished for this morning.
While our God is merciful, full of grace and faithfulness--we must also remember that there is the justice side of God also. Just as with the serpent, justice will come to those who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior and repented.
When things happen in this fallen world that I cannot comprehend, cannot understand, I used to become so angry, so bitter over these things--particularly things in my own life.
I have come to understand that this is not the way God intends for me to live my life--in this angry-bitter state. That is why I have forgiven those who have hurt me in the past--totally forgiven. They were going on about their lives not even caring that I was hurt or in pain. I was only hurting myself.
So, we must remember the justice of God also. Justice is His to seek, not ours--and He will.
Wonderful spending devotion time with you this morning, Dorothy!!
Beth
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