Tonight, I continue the series on the 3:16’s in the Bible. In my first post on this subject, we looked at John 3:16. John 3:16 is perhaps the best known verse in all of the scripture. That verse is known by believers and unbelievers alike. It is the central theme of the Bible. That God loved man so much that He sent His only son to die for the sin of the world. I’ve looked at verse 3:16 in other books of the Bible as well as the surrounding verses to read them in context. As I’ve studied this, I’ve seen some amazing consistency throughout the scripture. God’s Word is repetitive enough, that if a man will seek Hi, he will find Him. So let’s go to the beginning of the Bible and look at the 3:16 of Genesis.
These verses immediately follow the “fall of man”. Adam and Eve were in the garden. They had free reign. But, they did have one rule. Don’t eat of the tree in the center of the garden. Enter satan, The serpent! Satan did not like Adam and Eve and he does not like you either. Satan knows his final destination is the lake of fire. His goal now is to take as many with him as possible. He tempted Eve and she ate. Then she also gave some to her husband. Man’s eyes were opened. So Adam and Eve hid from God. When God found them, he pronounced judgment on all three saying:
The LORD God said to the serpent,
14 “Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”16To the woman he said,
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be for your husband,
and he shall rule over you.”17And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”Genesis 3:14-19 (ESV)
God pronounces judgment first on the serpent, then on the woman and finally on the man. Did you catch it? In Genesis 3:14, God says to the serpent, “he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” This is the first prophecy of a coming savior! The rest of the Old Testament provides clearer and clearer description of who this savior would be. Eventually, the savior is born in Matthew 1:23:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us).
I hope you’ll check back as we continue to walk through the 3:16’s of the Bible.
