The Beginning

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."

—Genesis 3:15

While still in the nursery of life, the creation is perfect. Man and the world itself are in right relationship with the Creator. But the bliss of the moment was to be short lived. Man, as the head of creation, took of the forbidden fruit. A pulse. The divine song of redemption begins with just that, a small pulse. From all appearances that one small act, seemingly insignificant against the backdrop of time, brought forth such a consequence of epic and monumental proportions that the world is still recovering.

Man had fallen. Sin, death, and destruction now arrived in full force. Creation itself passed through the fall because of man. Tragedies and terror came as a result of that one decision, leaving in creation such longing, such unfulfillable longing that it groaned under the heavy load placed upon it (see Romans 8:20-23), waiting for the one day when it might be restored to its glory once again.

As our parents’ feet tread over the forbidden fruit, God, the divine Maestro, steps to the broken podium of creation, cueing the instrument of prophecy. One instrument in God’s grand symphony begins to play. The note hangs in the air, softly…faintly, as if by mistake, a single note piercing the dark night brought about by the fall, hanging there, unwavering. The song of redemption begins with that one note. In Scripture the note is found in Genesis 3:15 when God says to the serpent which is Satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman.” God tells Satan that there will be an eternal fight between him and the descendants of Eve. But one of those descendants would come and crush Satan’s head, although Satan would bruise or bite His heel. It is apparent from the passage that there is something amazing going on. For, the descendant of Eve would crush or defeat the Satan, but in doing so would be bitten by the serpent. In other words, He will defeat Satan by His death.

The symphony of redemption begins with a note of hope. From the ashes of sorrow, God gives hope. The first note of redemption, hope played by the instrument of prophecy falls to all of us who come from Eve.

Today is the beginning of the Advent season, which simply means, coming. The Advent season then, marks the coming of the Savior, when the song of redemption plays the melody of God’s love in time, visiting the fallen creation with a song of hope, forgiveness, love, peace, and inexpressible joy.

So today, as Advent begins, let’s pause to hear the beginning of the song started in the Garden. May we pause to hear God speaking peace to our hearts through Jesus Christ. And may the song that was begun in the Garden, live in and through us, allowing others to hear of the wondrous sure melody of our coming Savior, both now and forever more. Amen.