Christ in all the scriptures Genesis 3

 Genesis chapter 3

The seed of the woman will bruise the serpent's head

Into the paradise garden of Eden entered the arch demon spirit in the body of a serpent.  This serpent is identified throughout the scriptures of truth as to who he is and what he is like.   The Bible is a homogenous whole and we are left in no doubt as to his identity.  

• Rev. 12v9 "The great dragon was cast out, that old serpent the devil and Satan."
• Rev. 20v2 "He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent the devil and Satan."           
• The link between the first and last books of the bible is decisive.  The use of the phrase "that old serpent" declares that Revelation 12 and 20 are referring to Genesis 3. 

The descriptions reveal his character: as the dragon he is violent; as the serpent he is cunning; as the devil he is slanderous; as Satan he is the adversary.  He appeared in the garden with malicious intent, and through creating doubt, and deceit, and denial, and dissatisfaction, and ultimately delusion, he succeeded in bringing the first human beings down.  This has been his intent and mode of operation all the way through.  However his intrusion would fail, and his demise was decreed on the very day of the fall.  God said the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent's head.  The word bruise means breaking, or crushing.  The bruised heel refers to the suffering of the woman's seed; the bruised head to the terminal crushing of the serpent.  

At no time in the narrative did God identify the seed of the woman, and, since the demon spirit behind the serpent was not omniscient, he would be kept guessing who the seed was, all the way through history.  Evidence of his frustration is marked in the narrative of scripture, where he made several attempts to destroy the seed whose identity he did not know.  At the birth of every baby, he would wonder, is this the one?  In Genesis 14 the abortive attack  on the land where nations were defeated by one man (Abraham) and his trained servants.  In Exodus 1-12, he made a futile attempt to destroy the nation of Israel. In the book of Job he tried and failed to negate the faith of a righteous man.  In 2nd Kings 11 he attempted to destroy all the seed royal, but one escaped.   He made various attempts to silence prophets and corrupt the people but to no avail.   Finally when Jesus was born, and the seed of the woman was known, he tried and failed to destroy Him, but He was ahead of him, and in the process slaughtered innocent babies.  Finally he confronted Him in the wilderness and was sent packing, thoroughly defeated by his adversary-the account is in Matthew 3, Mark 1, and Luke 4.  He attempted to destroy Him and His disciples on the boat on the lake of Galilee, but the majestic Son of God controlled the wind and waves-the account is in Matthew 8v23-27; Mark 4v37-41; and Luke 8v23-25.  All he achieved in this was to strengthen the faith of the disciples and enhance His reputation.  Finally at the crucifixion, when every injustice and evil maliciousness was poured upon Him, the devil met his doom, and the very instrument he used to destroy Him became the place of  Satan's end.  The declarations are incontrovertible, the future is clear.  We now know the identity of the seed of the woman who has set the seal on the destruction of Satan.  It is written in scripture that the serpent, the devil, and Satan will, in the course of time meet his end.

John 12v31-32 "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.  And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me".

Romans 16v20 "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly."

Colossians 2v15 "And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it."

Hebrews 2v14 -15 "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

Revelation 20v10 "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever."

The final crushing of the serpent was decreed in Eden, effected outside the walls of Jerusalem, and will be suffered in the lake of fire forever.  There is no doubt, it is only a matter of time.  All who have been deceived by him will suffer the same fate.  How encouraging is nit that at the outset of the bible the note of triumph has been struck.  The ongoing narrative unfolds the details.