According to the Promise

Paul continues his exhortation and after speaking of David, he says;

"From this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior - Jesus -after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, 'Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.'



So, "according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior, Jesus." This promise was first announced in Genesis 3 after Eve and Adam disobeyed God and plunged all mankind into sin; enmity with God. The serpent deceived Eve, Eve fell for the deception, and Adam obeyed the voice of his wife; all forming an alliance against God, the Creator. God, the heavenly Father, makes a promise to His children, and tells them what to look for. To the Serpent (Satan), God said;

"And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”

God promises that the Seed of the woman would crush or bruise the serpent's head. The Seed is a child of the woman, a future child. The serpent did not know which child, only that some child in the future would be born to a woman of God, and this child would crush the serpent's head. The serpent did not really know which woman either, but probably assumed it would be this same woman, Eve. But God did not specify. This future woman is an individual, but also probably a symbol of the Seed's future bride, the Church, mother to Christ's people.

What will the serpent do having heard this promise? It is not hard to see; the serpent will try to destroy the Seed. This destruction is not merely through death, but through false teaching, leading astray into darkness and sin by various devices. What does a loving caring mother do when she understands someone is trying to destroy her children? Unfortunately, too many of us are unaware of what's up. We must ask God for wisdom, discernment, and help to thwart the fiery darts of the serpent.


DR