“The First Pursuit of the Fallen” (Gen 3:8-15)

Genesis 3:8-15

Pastor Tom Johnson, June 7, 2015

Before Adam and Eve’s disobedience they were not ashamed of their bodies. They never hungered. They enjoyed perfect fellowship with their Creator. There were in marital bliss. They enjoyed perfect communion with God’s creation. But all that ended. They ate the forbidden fruit. And the one who tempted and deceived them was the serpent of old. John writes in his Revelation that the “ancient serpent” is “the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world” (Rev 12:9). The Devil’s fall from grace preceded ours. And yet, we do not know when Satan and his demons began their rebellion. Satan and his demons will lose the war. But there will be many battles. The Devil will not tolerate one righteous generation of humanity. And so he tempts Adam and Eve to throw all of God’s blessings away for a lie—the lie that they can become gods themselves.

But the Lord God doesn’t waste any time either. He pursues Adam and Eve immediately. He does not pursue them as a police officer to arrest them. He does not come as a lawyer to prosecute them. He does not come as judge to condemn them. He does not come for the righteous but for sinners. He comes to seek and save that which has been lost. God walks in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve are the ones who run away and hide. And here is really a hilarious thing. God is willing to play hide and seek. “Where are you?” he asks. Adam says he is now afraid of God. Adam and Eve feel exposed now. They feel vulnerable. They are ashamed of their bodies that God created himself. But God continues to play along and asks, “Who told you that you were naked?” “Did you eat from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Adam blames his wife Eve. Eve blames the serpent. And God holds them all accountable. But for Adam and Eve he issues a promise. And this promise is attached to the seed—or offspring—of Eve. This son of Eve “shall strike [Satan’s] head, and [Satan] shall strike the son of Eve’s heel.”

This makes a lot more sense to us on this side of the cross than it did perhaps to those before. The death-blow to the serpent’s head is a prophecy of Satan’s ultimate defeat. The striking of the Son’s heel is a reference to the crucifixion of Christ. Paul makes this clear when he encourages believers at the end of his letter to Rome. He writes, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom 16:20). From the very beginning God pursues the fallen. He seeks and save his people through Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. Generation after generation, God builds on his promise to send the Son. We live in a period of this promise. Adam and Eve lived the rest of their lives with God’s promise. And like all humanity, it is a promise which has not yet been fulfilled. We still live in a time of struggle between good and evil. 

Until Jesus comes in his fullness, there will continue to be times of strife, pain, doubt, temptation, and death because evil has not yet been finally done away with. But we know that good and evil are not equal opposing forces. this son of Eve “shall crush [Satan’s] head, and [Satan] shall strike his heel.” The Son will rise from his mortal wounds. For us he is risen indeed. But for the serpent there will be a day when he will never rise again. But what I really want us to see and celebrate in this passage is the love of God and his relentless pursuit of the fallen. And it is bound up in one little question: “Where are you?”

“Where are you?” he asks. For a time God may let us think that we can run and hide from him. But he knows he is not speaking in vain. “Where are you?” “Can you tell me where you are? Can you be vulnerable and let me into your world?” “Where are you?” he asks. He knows that we can sometimes be in a dark and shameful place. But then we hear him call, “Where are you?” And we can be assured he is coming for us. He is coming for us. “Where are you?” he asks. He calls us to stop pretending that we can hide from him. “Where are you?” he asks. He invites us to stop trusting ourselves and taking ourselves so seriously as if we can pull a fast one over God. “Where are you?” he asks. He initiates a relationship and gives us courage to be vulnerable to him—to know that we are accepted and worth being pursued by his amazing grace. “Where are you?” he asks. He opens our world up to forgiveness. “Where are you?” names the battles we have lost. “Where are you?” reveals the victory we have in the promised Son who was born, lived, died, and rose again for our salvation.

Watch against yourself, my soul,
Lest with grace you trifle;
Let not self your thoughts control
Nor God’s mercy stifle.
Pride and sin
Lurk within,
All your hopes to shatter;
Heed not when they flatter.

But while watching, also pray
To the Lord unceasing.
God protects you day by day,
Strength and faith increasing,
So that still
Mind and will
Shall unite to serve Him
And forever love him.

(LSB hymn 663 "Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray" vv. 4-5)