Good morning. Welcome to Trinity Reformed Baptist Church, Jackson, Georgia. It's Lord's Day morning, November 20th, year 2011. Join us now as Pastor Brandon Smith continues our Bible study on the covenant. Well, this morning, I want you to open up to Genesis chapter three. We're going to dive in a little bit more into the idea of this covenant with Adam. We kind of did this overview look of Genesis chapter three verses 14 through 19. And this morning, I want us to kind of dive in just a little deeper in looking at this this language here. In verse 14, we we we kind of got the broad picture of what had taken place. The serpent deceived the woman. The woman ate. She gave the fruit to the man and he ate instead of saying, no, dear, that's not what we do. And then they were ashamed and hid from the Lord, and he found them, sought them out and found them and began to ask them what had happened. They explained it. And so God now hands down a verdict on the actions that had taken place between the man and the woman and the serpent. Now, I don't think there's any. Strange idea here that we see first and foremost that God deals with the serpent first. You know, we have Serpent Eve and then Adam, and we'll get to him probably not today. We'll probably dig into Eve and probably won't even finish her out today. OK, but we know first that God deals with the serpent, and I think rightly so, because the serpent is the great deceiver. Right. And we notice here in verse 14 that it says the Lord God said to the serpent, because you have done this. So he's pointing directly at the serpent and saying, you have done this. This is where he's placing the first blame is on the serpent. He goes on, cursed are you more than all cattle and more than every beast of the field on your belly, you will go and dust you will eat all the days of your life. Now, first of all, what we see in verse 14 seems to be an action of curse toward the serpent in a physical sense. And we have to know that this is a portion of a physical curse put on the serpent. Now, this physical curse causes the serpent to be the lowliest of the lowliest. All right. How many of you honestly in the room, I mean, be honest, in some sense, there's even a small amount of distaste or fear of some sort for snakes? Raise your hand. Okay, quite a few people in the room. All right. Rightly so. I mean, most of what we know about snakes is what? Negative. On the phone the other day in my study, And if you've seen our house or been to our house, my study's in the basement. We have this daylight wall down there and there's a door outside. And so I kind of go in and out of my study out that door as though it were my office. And so I'd gone in that door and the kids were outside playing. And I'm on the phone and I'm getting some information about health insurance from this lady. You know, you wait forever to talk to health insurance people anyway. So I've waited, you know, I've actually put it on speakerphone and let the music go while I walked outside and did something, came back in and it's still going. She finally picks up. I'm on the phone with her. I'm getting this crucial information, you know, as it were at the moment for me. And then I hear these blood curdling screams. I literally thought. I didn't know what had happened, I thought my daughter and my son were being attacked by something. And I'm really not kidding. I mean, it really put this huge fear in me. And, you know, I opened the door to my study. I'm on the phone with this lady and I'm looking and Addison's just staring at this retaining wall. Just wow. I mean, this loud screams Frazier standing about five feet away going. I mean, it is just, you know, it's amazing. I'm sitting there and I'm trying to figure out, and all of a sudden Addison starts moving like this. I'm thinking, are there bees or hornets or what? And I'm trying to, you know, I go running out there and this lady, she's like, what's going on? I don't know. I don't know. You know, she's on the phone with me. So I'm talking to this lady and I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with my children. And you can only imagine what's, you know, in her mind. And she hears, I mean, that's how loud the screaming is. She hears it through the phone. And I get over there and I ask her, what's wrong? She goes, she's dead! Now, that's a real honest fear, isn't it? Okay. Well, this is the kind of fear that I think we have to recognize in the physical curse here. The serpent is really, I mean, no matter how much National Geographic tries to tell us that snakes are basically nice individuals. Okay? There's still something in us. I mean, I have an appreciation for snakes. I've picked snakes up. Robin and I have picked snakes up before. We like rat snakes around our house. I tell the kids, don't kill them. Leave the rat snakes, you know. We had a banded water snake at the house the other day, right next to the sidewalk. Never seen one before. And I thought, I called somebody to make sure, is this thing poisonous? What in the world? You know, I looked it up. But there's this fear, you know, that we naturally have. I think that really comes from this idea of the physical curse here. I mean, look at the words of the Lord to the serpent. Because you have done this. What is it that he did? You deceived my creation. And my foremost creation you deceived was this woman and this man. When I created them, I turned and said, it is good. And now look what you have done, Serpent. You've made them not good. So I curse you. This is serious stuff. It's a physical curse. Cursed are you more than all cattle. I think God's being serious here. And more than every beast of the field on your belly, you will go and just you will eat all the days of your life. It's created, I think, throughout all of history for most people, a real either hate, distaste or fear, or at least this. Real kind of questioning dislike of snakes. And there's just something about them that even if you can be around them, touch them, hold them, you still watch them go on the ground and there's something about that movement that you think, oof. I watched this show Infested one time. People bought a house that was built on top of a garter snake, literally, den. Thousands of garter snakes in the walls of their house under the They said they could hear him at night when they laid in the bed. You see what? Why? What's the big deal? Why are you so? It's just a snake, right? There's something here. It's given us this idea. This physical curse is real and we have to note the reality of this physical curse. Look at verse 15, though. Verse 15 takes this a step further. And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel. Palmer Robertson in his book on Christ of the Covenants. Portrays this thought here as something greater than the physical curse, he calls it the cosmic drama. He says the cosmic drama has been enacted. We're not just looking here merely at a physical curse that gives us the heebie-jeebies. OK, we're looking now at something that goes beyond that. Now, the physical curse is bad enough in itself, you need to see the reality of that, and we've made light of it a little bit to to get to the point. It's a real physical curse, but connected with it. Connected with it is the enactment of a cosmic drama that's being played out. What do you think Palmer Robertson means when he talks about that cosmic drama? That's the entire creation. All right. Think about. what that means for a moment. There's something that this serpent in his deception has done to the entire, not only did he deceive the woman, but all that God created said, he said, it is good. And now there's been an effect on all of creation. All of creation will be affected by the fallenness of man and woman. every single bit of it. Turn with me to Romans chapter eight, just a moment. In Romans chapter 8, Paul is describing what it means to no longer be condemned, but to have this great freedom in Christ. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Where did that law of sin and of death originate? The serpent, the garden where we're talking about it and Paul is going through all of these practical dealings with the spirit and the life of the believer. But as he's doing all of that, notice as he goes along, when he comes to verse 18. He says, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. What's Paul talking about there? He's talking about the reality of this physical curse, the reality of this curse put onto the whole of creation. And it's not just merely looking at one physical curse for one animal, but all of creation has been cursed because of Satan, the deceiver. This serpent is something greater. It's a cosmic drama unfolded. The cosmic nature of it is not only just the world in and of itself, but all of that that has taken place in the cosmos. We're not exactly sure how all of it took place, but at some point in time in the cosmos. Satan, as a created being, pridefully went against God and he fell. And there were some angels who followed with him and they fell and went with him. The reality of that is in the cosmos, it is a cosmic drama being played out. Now, I'm not using cosmic drama and I don't think Robertson is in the liberal sense of, you know, we're just watching, you know, this kind of cosmic play and And it's happening here in the Bible, and this is mythical understanding. No, no, no, no. We're talking about a real actual happening in all of the cosmos. Satan fell. Angels fell. They were now doomed forever. There's no hope. There's no hope for the fallen angels, the demons, there's no hope for Satan. This cosmic drama is so real and it's so purposeful that Satan will never win. Satan is always the defeated. This cosmic drama is something that is so purposeful. That it gives us the idea of a continued struggle. Notice the language here. And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. Genesis chapter three, verse 15. He shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel. It's as if we're seeing this continued struggle being put before us. But Satan will never win. He'll never win. Now, we have to understand that this continued struggle, although it has a physical side to it, because the earth is... I mean, how beautiful is God's creation? It's beautiful, isn't it? And we're seeing it in a fallen state. You ever thought about that? I love the season we call fall. I mean, I think it's just beautiful, the colors and the trees. And this year we saw, I mean, beautiful color. Just gorgeous. You know, to go outside or hunt or fish. You know, there's been times I'm out on the lake and get to see the sunrise and those beautiful fall colors. I mean, it's just gorgeous. And we're seeing it in a fallen state. That's amazing when you think about it. How beautiful God's creation is, even in the fallen state. And yet that creation, according to Romans eight, is groaning, waiting for what reconciliation. And the ultimate reconciliation between will be between God and man. But the creation will love that reconciliation because it will do what it will reconcile all of creation to God. So there's a real physical nature to this continued struggle, but is it material only? Turn to Ephesians chapter 6. In Ephesians chapter 6, Paul gives us an idea here at the reality of this struggle. It goes beyond just the physical nature. He's directing the church at Ephesus to put on the full armor of God, verse 11, so that you'll be able to stand firm against the schemes of who? And then he says in verse 12, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God so that you will be able to resist in the evil day and having done everything to stand firm. This gives us an idea that the struggle, this continued struggle is not just in the material world only. It's a spiritual struggle. It's a struggle for the soul. Do you realize that God has waged war against Satan for the souls of men and women? For Satan himself will have a place where he will reign in that deepest, darkest hell. And he is wanting and desiring to take the souls of men and women there with him. And God is saying, no. I will have my people and you will not win. It's a spiritual, real struggle. Now, certainly there have been things that have been written, I know, you know, books that have been written that, you know, take those verses and there's a demon behind every bush and all those kinds of things. I don't think we have to go there, but I think we have to realize that Jesus himself dealt with the demons. The demons are real. There is spiritual warfare taking place. I don't think we have to get crazy and walk around and, you know, call a demon out from behind everything that we don't like or doesn't go our way. And I know there are people... Yes, George, go ahead. Exactly. And there's deception there with us. We're deceived at times. And at the same time, we have to think, though, you know. I don't know how many demons there are legions, I think is the word that the scripture uses legions. Multiple, many, many, many. But I don't think there's a demon for every bad thing that happens in your life. OK. At the same time, though, I cannot take away from the fact that scripturally the both and cannot take away from the fact that this is a spiritual war. Satan and his demons are at war, enmity against God. When he is at enmity against God, it makes sense when you turn back to Genesis chapter three. that you see in verse 15, it says, and I will put enmity between you and the woman. If Satan and his demons are enmity with God, God created man and woman, so naturally the enmity, the best place to fight the battle, Satan knows he won't win a head to head battle. So what does he do? Naturally, he wanted to deceive the woman, so he did, and God said fine then. I will put enmity between you and the woman and the seat of the woman. Be a constant clash, I think this is where Paul gets his language, I think, of course, Paul was probably one of the best Old Testament scholars of his time. He knew Moses and the prophets, he had read them, he understood them, he grabbed hold of them. And I think we have to have a reality here. that this spiritual warfare in one sense is real. It's beyond us. We don't understand it all. I don't have the foggiest idea where these demons actually are. I think demons exist. But I don't know where they are. I can't walk around. There's one over there behind that tree here. I don't think it's like that, but you have to have a real understanding. This cosmic drama is a continued struggle and it's not material world only. It's a flesh and blood struggle and it goes to the very spiritual nature of every being. There is a fight going on for the souls of men and women. Now, we know. God is the one who places the curse here and places the enmity. So ultimately, even though this enmity is taking place, who's in charge of the enmity? God is. Just as Job, picture once again, the life of Job in Job chapter one, what did Satan have to do? He had to ask permission, he had to go before God. Satan could not do anything to Job that God himself would not ordain in Providence. And God set the limits, didn't he? So while in one sense, Satan is at enmity with man, ultimately, God is in charge of that enmity because he's the one that placed the curse of that enmity in the first place. And Satan will have no other power beside that which God gives him in the cosmic struggle or drama. That'll preach right there. That's good stuff. That'll be comfort for the soul of the Christian. Satan has no power over anything apart from that which he has gone before God and gained permission. Now, for some, that causes struggles because then they'll say, well, that means God's the author of sin. No, it does not. He's not the author of sin. In foreordination, he is allowing and using that sin to be a part of his world. with foreknowledge and predestination, working it out. He is not the author of it. It has been that which has been manufactured in the life of Satan himself and in that true free will which he gave to Adam and Eve before the fall. Adam and Eve condemned themselves. You want to talk about free will? They had it. And what did they do with it? Now, if we say, well, I don't like them being my representative. I think I could have done a better job. I think what God is is revealing to us in his word is there's not a one of us that probably wouldn't have had some moment of thought to say, well, you know, this little serpent, he's kind of making some sense. If I kind of eat of this fruit here, then I kind of have the same knowledge as God does. And God and I'll kind of be on the same level. I think you and I could have been easily deceived in thinking the same way. Exactly. We're always wanting to know more. J.L. Dagg, and we'll get to this in the systematic theology class, but when he's talking about man's desire for knowledge, he says, we were created with a curiosity and desire for knowledge. That's in us. I mean, I watch my kids all the time. These little minds are working, they're figuring it out. They're always wanting to know something, you know. When Frasier was a little bitty, he'd take the wheel of the stroller, if it was laying upside down in the house, and he'd sit by the wheel of that stroller and just stare at it and go. And watch it and be like, man, that thing's spinning. How is it doing that? I mean, you know, a little bitty, 18 months, 20 months old, you know. We're built for curiosity. If we think we would have done anything different than Adam and Eve, then we don't understand man and how man was created. Adam and Eve were good representatives. Of what the human being. Is capable of and thinking. Notice here. That. This Cosmic drama, this continued struggle, gives us an element of the physical struggle between the serpent and the seed. He shall bruise you on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel. I think there is a physical struggle here and we've seen it because our first inclination most times with a snake is to kill it. And the snake, sometimes unprovoked and sometimes provoked, its first inclination is to do what? Strike. And what region of our body do they most often strike at? The heel. Now, if you happen to be crawling along the ground and come face to face, it might be a different problem. My suggestion is to get up off the ground. But you see that real physical struggle. But we've noted here in Ephesians 6 that we have this idea also of the cosmic drama unfolded in the spiritual realm. This battle is going on. The curse here is giving us something greater. The reality of this continued struggle, spiritual battle on and on and on and on. We have to see that. This is a continuing warfare, and we see it even in Genesis chapter four in the life of Cain and Abel, what happens with Cain and Abel? Jealousy, all right, and what does that jealousy bring? What? Murder. OK, now. Eve was given birth. She gave birth in great pain, as God told her she would. She given birth twice, both times in great pain, as God told her she would. She gave birth to two sons. What do those two sons do? What happens between them? We know there's jealousy, but why? Alright, there's rebellion. What is that rebellion? And whose is it? So Abel looked to do what was righteous and Cain look to do what he wanted to do, which is rebellion. Turn with me to First John, Chapter three. Of course, you know, I'm preaching through First John. We will get to this passage, but I couldn't help but turn here. Because of what we were looking at. In First John, Chapter three, Verse 11. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, we've heard those statements before that we should love one another, not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil and his brothers were righteous. Now, notice here how John paints Cain. Cain is what? Who was of the. So there must be some idea that the New Testament writer here is gaining from the creation account. And from the covenant that's given to Adam and Eve, because what is being stated here is that Cain is of the seed of who? of Satan, the serpent. And Abel is of the seed of who? The righteous. The seed of the woman, and we're not going to have time to go through this this morning, we'll have to really dig in next week. to this idea of seed, because I want you to be able to see, even from Hebrew context, why we can call this the proto-euangelion, or the first gospel, or good news. It's the idea here that is being played out by John himself, that Cain was of the seed of the serpent, or Satan, and Abel was of the seed of righteousness. Yes, George. I mean, how does a man who grows up in, you know, now pop psychology has all kind of reasons, OK? So we're going to take the least common denominator most of the time and say, well, look at the background of this person. I mean, they grew up in poverty and they grew up in this and they grew up in that and they grew up in this and they grew up in that. No wonder they've gone to a life of crime. But how do you explain the person who grew up in a relatively middle class home, had most of what they wanted, or a person who grew up with a lot of money, how did these people turn out to be murderers? They can't explain that, can they? Then we get into some psychoanalysis. What we see is that the father was this man who was constantly doing this and blah blah blah. Alright, some of that makes some sense. I won't do away with the reality that there are some parts of that that can make some sense. But what's the reality in all of that that takes place? Why did the father do what he did so that the sons do what they do? Sin nature. Nobody wants to deal with the reality of true biblical understanding of sin nature. You cannot wash away the sin nature by pop psychology. You can't do away with it. You can't blame everything on your dad. You can't sit on Oprah's couch and blame everything on your mother. You can't say you're a homosexual because my dad did this to me or did that. That may be part of the struggle, that may be a piece of the puzzle, but at its core, the reason you and I do what we do apart from Christ is because we are sinners. The reason The reason Cain did what he did was because he was a sinner of the seed of Satan of the serpent. And when they're saying seed here, once again, we're speaking that spiritual understanding because we know that Cain wasn't actually spawned from Satan. But what they're doing is the New Testament writers are making a biblical connection for us That same core of deception and enmity towards God and righteousness that is in Satan, because the man and the woman, Adam and Eve, ate of that fruit and took on that deception and went against God, that same seed in nature is now established in mankind. And so, Apart from any work of grace in God, by God, man will be established and will continue in that seed of Satan by nature. And therefore, there will be a constant struggle, continued struggle in this world between God and man, man and Satan, man against himself. And why is that, because God, by grace, saves many. And there are some. Who are of the seed of righteousness, many, and Abel was one of those. We're seeing already the continuing understanding of the covenant in Genesis chapter four. in the distinctive between Cain and Abel. That which we see in Genesis three is being played out right before our eyes when we don't even turn the page. We don't even have to get to Christ yet, although we can through Genesis chapter 3. But you see the idea of the seed being worked out. The seed of righteousness is apparently being worked out even in the life of Abel. Why? Because Abel had a desire to do what God asked him to do. He wanted to worship God rightly. And so he went and did it. And his brother got mad at him because his brother wanted to do it his way. And he said, well, fine, I'll get rid of the righteousness. I'll kill you. Cain didn't understand you can't kill righteousness. All Cain did was do what? Condemn himself. So you see here this this struggle, this battle that's taking place, what what we read about in this enmity in verse 15 is even being played out when we get into Genesis chapter four, the life of Cain and Abel. All right, now we got to stop there. And we'll have to dig a little deeper next week. Are there any comments, other comments or questions at this time? OK. Well, let's close in prayer. Heavenly Father, you are merciful to give us your word So that we can see and know your truth. May your word be the light to our path each and every day. We praise you that your word tells us of the glories of your gospel through the person and work of your son, Christ. As we go on to worship, may we see the glorious person of Jesus lifted up so that we will know and understand true salvation and we will have an understanding of knowledge that brings eternal life. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen.