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.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his work, Creation and Fall - Temptation: Two Biblical Studies,
describes Adam (man) as living after the fall between a "curse and [a] promise." Cursed because of the judgment that God has placed upon him and Eve for their sin of eating from the forbidden tree. But promised is because the victory is assured even before we leave the first book of the Bible.
And even though I disagree with where Bonhoeffer takes his analogy, I do see all mankind as living between a curse and a promise. For while we are born in sin (Romans 5:12), we do have the hope of the promise of eternal life (John 3:16) and that is what Genesis 3:15 is all about - bringing the victory of promise from the curse of defeat.
Protevangelium - the first gospel - is how many theological scholars describe the promise of Genesis 3:15. For just as the burden of the curse upon Adam and Eve seem overwhelming and relentless, God turns to the serpent, which Rev. 12:9 and 20:6 state is Satan in disguise, and curses him for his deception. However, inside of this curse lies the hope, the gospel, for all mankind.
The serpent will for a time seem to gain dominion over mankind but ultimate victory is assured when the seed of the woman crushes Satan's head. So a couple of questions must be asked - who is the seed of the woman and when will this seed crush Satan's head?
First, the phrase "her seed" goes against biology. It is the seed of man who "fertilizes" and brings about life. However, this individual who defeats Satan will not be born through a biologically understood birth but through something which goes against the ordinary, perhaps as was prophesied in Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." There are legends such as in Greek mythology which tell the story of a virgin giving birth to a son but only in Scripture (Matthew 1 and Luke 1-2) do we find a real person who testifies to such a unique birth - Jesus.
Second as it relates to the crushing of the Serpent's head and the bruising of the seed's heel, Isaiah 53 describes suffering but ultimate victory (see Isaiah 53 - parts one and two) for the servant of God. He suffers and is "bruised" but 53:12 tells that through this suffering he "made intercession for the transgressors." Matthew 27:51 recounts a visual illustration of the crushing of the serpent's head when the veil which stands between God and man is torn from top to bottom when Jesus dies and the penalty has been paid.
This examination of the first biblical prophecy has been a cursory glance but it is important to begin the examination of Scripture and to encourage the reader to follow through on your own personal study. So go forth, check on what was written here today and check to see if there is anyone else who could be the seed of woman who brings hope and redemption for humanity. I don't believe you will and I hope that this short Tzedakah Moment either strengthens your faith in Jesus or brings you closer to acknowledging that Jesus is the Messiah foretold from the very beginning.
