Slides: Promised Offspring

Promised Offspring: The Gospel in Genesis 3:15 
by David Feddes

Offspring at War 

“I 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.” (Genesis 3:15)

Serpent seed strikes

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” And again, she bore his brother Abel… Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him… Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. (Genesis 4:1-16)

Serpent Offspring

We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. (1 John 3:12-13)

Generations of serpent offspring

Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. And Lamech took two wives… Lamech said to his wives: … I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. If Cain's revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold.” (Genesis 4:17-24)

Godly offspring

4:25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.

Godly generations

This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth… Enosh… Kenan… Mahalel… Jared… Enoch… Methuselah… Lamech… Noah (Genesis 5)

Offspring at War

“I 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.” (Genesis 3:15)

Promised Offspring

• Unchanging gospel: From the beginning, God gave the gospel. Salvation has always been through faith in the promise of a victorious offspring.

• Intergenerational plan: God’s salvation plan stretches across history from generation to generation. (Biblical genealogies matter!)

• Continual warfare: Satan and his offspring try to destroy the woman’s offspring by exterminating or adulterating.

1. Unchanging gospel

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” … Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. (Galatians 3:7-8, 16)

2. Intergenerational plan

•Adam’s offspring

•Seth’s offspring

•Noah’s offspring

•Shem’s offspring

•Abraham’s offspring

•Isaac’s offspring

•Jacob’s offspring

•Judah’s offspring: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah… and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” (Gen 49:10)

•David’s offspring

2. Intergenerational plan

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1)

Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,… the son of David… the son of Abraham… the son of Shem, the son of Noah… the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. (Luke 3:23-38)

3. Continual warfare

“I 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.” (Genesis 3:15)

Dragon Against Woman’s Offspring

The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. (Rev 12:4)

3. Continual warfare: exterminate or adulterate

•Cain against Abel

•Intermarry godly & godless before flood

•Infertility of Sarah and Rebekah

•Pharaoh: wipe out Israelite baby boys

•Saul: moved by evil spirit against David

•Intermarry David’s line & Ahab’s line

•Athaliah: wipe out David’s royal line

•Haman: massacre all Jews

•Intermarry Jews with pagans after exile

3. Continual warfare: Satan vs. Jesus

• Herod: sought to kill newborn Messiah and all babies born in the city of David

• Wilderness temptations

• Poisoning Peter’s words

• Entering Judas’s heart

• Corrupting Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate

• Striking Jesus with sin and death

• Jesus paid the full price of sin, rose from the dead, and crushed Satan’s head


Promised Seed Succeeds

She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. (Revelation 12:5)

 
Defeated Dragon

The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world— he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:9)

Why was Jesus born?

To destroy the devil.

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. (1 John 3:8)

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

Born to defeat a deadly dragon (Revelation 12:1-5)

Promised Offspring

• Unchanging gospel: From the beginning, God gave the gospel. Salvation has always been through faith in the promise of a victorious offspring.

• Intergenerational plan: God’s salvation plan stretches across history from generation to generation. (Biblical genealogies matter!)

• Continual warfare: Satan and his offspring try to destroy the woman’s offspring by exterminating or adulterating.

The story continues

• Unchanging gospel: Jesus fulfills God’s promises, and salvation comes through faith in Him.

• Intergenerational plan: God’s promises are for believers and their children from generation to generation.

• Continual warfare: Satan, mortally wounded and doomed, still tries to exterminate or adulterate God’s people.

War on other offspring

Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (Revelation 12:17)

Satan’s special targets

• Jews: Satan hates the group that gave birth to the Messiah.

• Babies: Satan hates each new baby that reminds him of the promised offspring who was born as a baby.

• Christians: Above all, Satan hates God’s elect, who stand against him and carry on in Christ’s victory.

The world often excuses attacks on Jews, babies, and Christians.

Victory for woman’s offspring

“Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. (John 12:31-33)

“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Hated by the world

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:18-20)

Warning to Serpent’s Offspring

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. (John 8:44)

“You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34)

“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?” (Matthew 23:33)

Promise to chosen offspring: Stomping on Satan

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. (Luke 10:19)

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (Romans 16:20)

Destroyed Dragon

The devil was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. (Revelation 20:10)