Post 10 Two Verses to Note

From Chapter 3 there are two verses which can carry one through the Bible if running references and they create a sort of vein in scripture to be followed:
Verse 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 verse is a reference to the conflict between Satan and the Lord Jesus Christ. There is conflict all through the old testament and continues into the new testament. The prophecy is that while the serpent would do harm "bruise his heel", the ultimate outcome would be a head blow to the head of the serpent "shall bruise thy head" which would result in his demise. My thought is that it seemed to be a win for Satan when Christ was crucified yet because of Christ's victory over death the cross was only a bruise and the means for ultimate victory over the sin brought into the garden by the serpent.

Verse 21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them. Here is the first shedding of blood by the innocent for the guilty and depicts or foreshadows the suffering of Christ on the cross for the sins of the multitudes.

We have entered the subject of the blood and some find it a difficult subject. Maybe the question will be asked: Why the blood? We should jump over to the third book of the Bible for a moment and read Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. The book of Leviticus is a discourse on the sacrifices.

It is important to understand that man's blood is no longer pure but is contaminated by sin. His offspring's blood is also contaminated. So the process of teaching about a substitute offering for that sin is begun. All through the old testament it is indicated that the sacrifice was offered as a covering for sin and not a cure. Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.It was not until the gospels that a cure was finalized. God can, of course do anything that is not against His nature. One thing he cannot do is look upon sin, Habakkuk 1:13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity:a Yet he could have just cast all humanity from his sight. He chose not to do that. It is the love of God for man even in his fallen state that no doubt prompted another plan.

So these two verses are very important in the study of the Bible. It gives us a reference point from which to branch out into the many other verses that deal with the subjects of sin and the seperation it caused between God and man. Then it carries us through the Bible as we see how man learned that life is in the blood and that sin contaminated that life giving substance and finally the teaching of a substitute for the sinfulness of man: the innocent sacrifice. Which points us to the final sacrifice and redemption of man.

I hope when you finish this study that you will be able to look down at your open Bible and see the connection between the cross and the covering of Adam and Eve. Of how, we became unacceptable to be in the presence of God but were made acceptable by an innocent substitute upon whom all our trangressions were placed. Or course, as Christians, we know it was the Lord Jesus Christ. For many, we need to be more indepth in explaining the path that led to Calvary. First, we must travel through the pages of the old testament and see the master teacher at work, the Lord Himself.

Note: We live in a time in history when the Bible has been explored from many different angles. It has been dissected and studied by the individual words it contains and even the various combination of numbers in its pages. It has been studied in its original languages and translated into everyday language. Then there are the movie versions of the stories. None of these can be a substitute for sitting quietly and reading through the pages and letting God speak to your heart. Push aside what 'they' said and see what He said. A Psalm or some other verse will speak directly to our personal needs if only we allow them to. This study is not to reveal some secret. It is to prompt a love for the scripture. It is reality in its purest sense. It is the study of humanity on the grandest scale. It is a battle for the soul of man where ultimately, as in the garden, man may choose his path. I believe we are in the last chapter of history.