The story of salvation, on earth, starts with the words of God to “the serpent” in Genesis 3:15: “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.” Though this verse is not quoted by any New Testament writer, nevertheless, Jesus did tell the eleven after his death, as recorded by Luke: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Genesis; thus, chapter three is at the very beginning of the writing of Moses and though Jesus’ words may not directly point to the Genesis prophesy; Moses is the writer of the book of Genesis and the door is opened for Jesus’ words to include the Genesis’ prophesy.
It also stands to reason, sin having been injected into this world, the first series of sins having been committed, that God would address his plan of salvation; thus, the beginning of the story of salvation on earth. Noticing the words of the text is important, if we are to gain some understanding of the prophesy. God spoke to “the serpent,” telling him, that he would, from this point in time forward, put “enmity between thee and the woman.” This is a bloodline enmity between “the serpent” and the woman, as she would give birth to the “seed,” the bloodline. Her next “seed,” who would be Seth, would be the first in this bloodline. Without naming all those in this bloodline, it reaches Abram (Abraham) to whom God would say: “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: (3) And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Gen. 12:2-3). The “nation” which God promises Abram would continue the bloodline; as God would say to Abram at a later time: “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee” (Gen. 17:7). The “seed,” the bloodline would go through Isaac and Jacob, who would be the father of the nation of Israel; his name being changed to Israel. However, this bloodline would not run through the whole of Israel, but through Judah. But, God also promised, that through the seed” of Abram, “shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3, the same promise is stated elsewhere). The apostle referring to this promise wrote: “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ” (Gal. 3:16). Therefore, there is no room for doubt as to the “seed” promise made to Abram; this “seed” is Christ and it reaches back to the “seed” of woman.
Now going back to the Genesis three prophesy, and noting the “enmity” would also be “between thy (serpent, FRW) seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This is the conclusion of the bloodline “enmity!” The “seed” of the serpent would “bruise” the “heel” of the woman’s “seed;” while the woman’s “seed” would“bruise his head.” Clearly, there is a great victory on the part of the “seed” of the woman; as bruising one’s “head” is a death blow to his power, while the bruising of the “heel,” through most uncomfortable, it is much less. So, to what do these words point? In order to get at the larger point of the Genesis prophesy; the power of the “serpent” must be clarified. From the first sin committed, satan (the serpent) held mankind in bondage. There was no way of forgiveness! This was even true all the way through the history of the nation of Israel; yes, they offered, beginning with Adam and Eve through the nation of Israel, animal sacrifices, but as the Hebrew letter states: “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). The “blood” of all those sacrifices was, in fact, pointing to the blood by which sins could be forgiven! This brings us to the bruising of the “heel” of the “seed” of woman! The language allows us to see what looked like a victory for the “serpent” when the “seed” of woman was nailed to the cross, but it was a victory for the “seed” of the woman; as the power of satan was destroyed in the blood of the “seed” of woman. Through the blood of the sinless Jesus, the means of forgiveness was finally realized! The apostle Paul wrote when speaking of Jesus: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7). Satan’s head had been bruised; a death blow to the long held power of satan was defeated.
The Greek word used by Paul (apolutrōis) expresses “a releasing effected by payment of ransom.” The blood of Jesus is the ransom payment, worthy to free mankind from the bondage of satan; and the story of salvation is realized!
— Frank R. Willams