Genesis 3, verses 14 and 15, the serpent punished

 

Genesis 3:14 ¶  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 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.

This magnificent serpent, this dragon, this worm whose image is revealed in the passage in Ezekiel previously mentioned, is condemned to this existence. As Matthew Henry wrote, “The devil’s instruments must share in the devil’s punishments.” Human beings, as well, who choose to be instruments of Satan’s deception and scheming and who trust in his lie that by our disobedience we have become gods ourselves, suffer what is set for his destiny.

Revelation 19:20  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Revelation 20:10  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 for ever and ever…14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Their suffering shall be eternal.

Isaiah 66:24  And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

In verse 15 is a great prophecy that Satan has struggled against throughout generations. Between Satan and the woman will be great enmity. Among other things Satan is the enemy of women. He is the villain in movie and story where the woman represents, in a greater narrative than what is portrayed or understood, the Christians as the church, the bride of Christ. The woman is always in danger but saved by God and Christ, in the form of the hero. Truthfully, in the last fifty years this story has become muddled with the villain having a good reason for being bad, or being misunderstood, or just reacting to rejection, and the hero being either a simpering milquetoast or almost a villain himself. The woman is often simply empty of moral power and not much better than either of the other two, if not worse. But, the story has been the same through history until now.

The woman triumphs through Christ. Mary is that example, a second Eve, so to speak, but with an obedient heart and not disobedient.

Jeremiah 31:22  How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

Luke 1:30  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

The seed of the woman and the seed of Satan are opposed and the seed of the woman shall triumph and destroy Satan and his seed.

Romans 16:20  And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Revelation 12:1 ¶  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Revelation 20:10  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 for ever and ever.

Satan bruising the heel of the seed of woman is a reference to the fact that he wounded Christ on the Cross but the wound was not final as the Resurrection came later while Christ’s crushing Satan’s head is a mortal blow.