In the Garden of Eden, when God asked Adam, “Where are you?”(Genesis 3:9), the man replied, “It’s the woman’s fault… she made me do it!”
When God asked Eve, “What have you done?”(Genesis 3:13), the woman responded, “It’s the snake’s fault… he made me do it.”
At this, God had harsh words for each of them. The Almighty cast judgement upon the serpent (Genesis 3:14-15), then upon Satan (Genesis 3:15), upon the woman (Genesis 3:16) and man (Genesis 3:17), and finally upon creation itself (Genesis 3:18-19). His words were just. His judgments always are.
God spoke first to the serpent, the snake, the viper, the one used as a most-capable tool in the hands of the master-manipulator, the father of lies, Satan. Mind you… when the serpent first appeared, he probably didn’t look like a snake. He might have been a very handsome creature. The Bible only says: “The serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made” (Genesis 3:1).He was “crafty”(ESV) or “clever” (The Message).
At the Word of God, the most cunning became the most cursed. “The LordGod said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than any livestock and more than any wild animal. You will move on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life”(Genesis 3:14). It’s likely that the serpent once danced among the trees. Now he crawls in the dust to be stepped upon by every foot, hoof, paw, and claw.
While still speaking to the serpent, God also spoke to Satan himself. “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel”(Genesis 3:15).
As prophesied, there is a near universal hostility between man and the creeping, crawling creatures. The prophecy came true.
But there is something far more important here. Speaking to Satan, God promised that there would come a day when “her offspring”(that’s a prophecy of the virgin birth), would be wounded. “Satan, you’ll nip at His holy heel. But, the Virgin-born Son of God will stomp on you! He’ll crush your ugly head!”
At Calvary, two-thousand years ago, it appeared that Satan had won the battle. Jesus died... Nope! Satan only nipped at Jesus’ heel. Three days later Jesus burst out of the grave, alive and victorious!
Satan… you’re through!
“… think on these things”(Philippians 4:8, KJV). |
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