Monday, June 22, 2009

CHAPTER IV: The Revelation of the Promise

We constantly believe that God, after the fearful and horrible departure of man from his obedience, did seek Adam again, call upon him, rebuke and convict him of his sin, and in the end made unto him a most joyful promise, that “the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent,” that is, that he should destroy the works of the devil. This promise was repeated and made clearer from time to time; it was embraced with joy, and most constantly received by all the faithful from Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to David, and so onwards to the incarnation of Christ Jesus; all (we mean the believing fathers under the law) did see the joyful day of Christ Jesus, and did rejoice.

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I used to read the passage about woman bruising the head of the serpent as meaning that women would step on snakes when they saw them. I didn't see the big picture, all that God was preparing to do. I wasn't able to expand my vision wide enough to recognize that even then God was pointing to Christ. What joy we have in God, that from the very moment of our fall was God planning our redemption. How great, how gracious is our God that despite the pain and agony of our sin, the love of God conquers and destroys our sin, striking it in Christ Jesus, who was fully God and fully human, and giving us new life. We are so blessed. Thanks be to God!

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