Week 5 - First Foreshadowing of the Gospel

As I was reading through the notes in my study Bible for this past week, I found something quite interesting pertaining to Genesis 3:15 - "And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heal." In the original Hebrew, "offspring" is translated "seed". Jesus is referred to as "the seed" many times in the Bible, and I don't doubt that this could very well be the first. A long way down the road, I know, but it makes sense. God caused hostility between Satan and the human race (Eve, the mother of all who live, v. 20), and ultimately between Satan and Jesus. "He will strike your head" could refer to the point at which Jesus rose from the grave - a death blow to Satan's power - whereas, "and you will strike his heal" refers to Jesus's death - excruciatingly painful, but not an end in itself, full of hope.

I thought that this was a very beautiful and poetic way to introduce the gospel at the very start of all life, right when the beginnings of the future were coming into play.

The first piece on the chess board of the gospel had been placed, and the story of Christ's redeeming love had begun. Here is  proof early on that God knows what he's doing, that he is sovereign, and knows what is going to happen. This is of great encouragement to me in my daily life - even if I completely screw everything up, he has got a redeeming plan because he loves the living daylights out of me. Hallelujah!