Genesis 3:14 records the first curse of God on Satan, the ancient serpent, who beguiled man (and woman) to fall from the glory of God, but God in his infinite wisdom, announces his masterplan of Salvation for the very first time, following the first curse. This in other words is the first mention of the cure for the fallen state of man. Genesis 3:15 states that God will put enmity between the serpent (Satan) and the woman and between his seed and the seed of the woman and while Satan can merely bruise the heel of the seed of the woman, this God ordained seed will bruise the head of Satan. This announcement of God is often referred to as proto-evangelium, which means, the first Gospel.
Enmity here means – no friendship one with another – for friendship with one is in essence enmity with the other (James 4:4) and the Bible makes it clear that there can be no communion between righteousness (light) and unrighteousness (darkness) (2 Corinthians 6:14). Those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, who have believed in him, are the light of the world and they belong to the church (the bride (woman) of God). Enmity between the serpent and the Church (woman) has been thus announced, implying that those who belong to the church of Jesus Christ can have no friendship with the world or its god, which is Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4).
The seed of the woman here is speaking of The Messiah, who in God’s appointed time, will be made of a woman. This is a direct and explicit prophecy of the first coming of Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:4).
The bruising of his heel is in one sense reflective of the nails that pierced the heels of Jesus, when he was crucified and in the other sense could be looked at how the devil impedes the progress of the Church but it can never prevail completely against it (Matthew 16:18).
Since the devil does not have any physical progeny, who could the seed of the serpent be indicative of? The seed of the serpent is reflective of the spiritual descendants of Satan, who refuse to believe in Jesus (John 8:45-46) whom Jesus himself referred to as children of the devil (John 8:44).
The bruising of the head of the serpent (Satan) is the prophecy of how Jesus will completely destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) – for when you strike the head of a serpent (and not its tail), it will be killed (2 Timothy 1:10; 1 John 3:8). By Jesus’ first coming (manifestation) and his shedding of blood, death and resurrection from death, he destroyed the power of sin and death (works of the devil) and upon his second coming Jesus will forever destroy the devil himself in the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:10) and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain for these former things will pass away (Revelation 21:4).
Points to ponder:
The cure for the first curse was announced as the first Gospel by God himself. Have you heard this Gospel of Jesus Christ as to how he has destroyed the works of the devil and will eventually destroy him (crush his head) forever. When we believe in him, we will no longer be children of the darkness (or the devil), but children of God and we can address God as Abba Father. Can you address God as Abba Father?
Genesis 3;15 (KJV)
15 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.
