In our study of Gen 3; where we see Satan's propaganda that leads to the deception of the woman and the fall of mankind last time in Gen 3:15; we saw that God provided the grace solution before he pronounced judgment.
This is the principle of grace before judgment. God turns the curse into a blessing because before the fall man was a perfect creation but did not have the irrevocable relationship with God that was made available after the fall by faith in TLJC.
This means that in spite of all of the evil things that happen as the consequence of the fall the best thing to happen to mankind was the condemnation that occurred as a consequence of the fall; Rom 5:16; This makes it possible to be born into to God's family and share His very own life. Gal 3:26;
God made His gracious promise to mankind as He sentenced the serpent. And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, (Cursing; can be turned to blessing) And between your seed (Satan's) and her seed; (Christ; and believers) He shall bruise you (Satan) on the head, and you shall bruise Him (Christ) on (Or with) the heel." Gen 3:15; Psa 41:9; John 13:18;
This is the greatest example of the integrity of God, His righteousness, justice and love, being deployed through his grace. Man had just sinned. Man had fallen. Man had turned the planet over to Satan but God offers the grace solution for restoring man to a relationship with God.
Because man deliberately went against God's command, Satan had won a major round in his appeal. It appeared as though the situation had reached a stalemate not only for man but also for the entire angelic conflict but God provided hope through his promise.
Because man used his free will in negative volition, Satan had won the first round. Man had forfeited his relationship with God and he was helpless and hopeless apart from God's intervention.
This makes Gen 3:15; one of the key passages for understanding the entire Bible, because God's grace provision was the God-Man-Savior who would come to earth and provide the solution to the problem of man's sin. Satan understands this even though many people do not.
When God committed Himself to this promise, the whole destiny of the human race, the ultimate result of the battle between fallen and elect angels, and the perfect character and integrity of God, were put on the line.
In this verse, God is setting up another tree, the Cross where God himself would resolve the issue of the sin that has infected mankind since the fall. The question was "could God keep His promise?" because if God cannot keep the promise, then He is not God, His character is challenged, and there is no hope for mankind or for any other creature.
When God set up the Cross Satan began his attempt to negate the cross and began his attack on the "seed of the woman" because if Jesus Christ did not become true humanity, there could be no salvation.
Throughout human history people have believed this promise and they demonstrated their faith by offering animal sacrifices to God. The blood of bulls and goats could not save man from even one sin. Heb 10:4;
Every time a person offered an animal sacrifice, even if it was only a dove or pigeon, Lev 1:14; they were saying, "I have believed in the coming Messiah" Gen 3:15;"
Today, when you accept Christ, you are saying, "I believe in TLJC John 3:16;" This is the volitional test today. Anyone who puts his faith in Jesus Christ is eternally saved from the Lake of Fire because God did fulfill his promise. John19:30; Rom 5:8; 2Cor 5:18-21;
Although God made the promise to come and pay the penalty for sin, which is Spiritual death, deity is not subject to Spiritual nor to physical death. As eternal God, He cannot die; as immutability. He cannot change. How, then, can this conflict ever be resolved? How can man be brought to God?
The answer is that God must reduce Himself to true flesh and blood in order to fulfill the Father's plan by clothing Himself with a human body. Phil 2:5-8; Heb 2:9-14;
We will see that when it became apparent that the "Seed of the woman" was to come through the line of Abel, Satan inspired Cain to murder his brother.
This first attempt to prevent the fulfillment of, Gen 3:15; was thwarted when the line of Christ was transferred to Seth, but there were numerous other attacks aimed at preventing our Lord's First Advent.
There are actually four reasons why God became true humanity in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.
First, to be the Savior and go to the Cross.
Second, to be the Mediator. Before man can have fellowship and a family relationship with God, there must be a go-between who is equal with both the Godhead and with man. The Mediator, then, must be God and Man in one Person. 1Tim 2:5-6;
Third, He had to become our High Priest. Since man became a sinner, he must have an acceptable Priest to represent him before God, and that Priest must Himself be a man. Therefore, in order for Jesus Christ to fulfill this function, He must be a true human being.
Fourth, in order to reign as the Son of David. Luke 1:31-33;
As the genetic line of the "Seed of the woman" was more defined, God would make some promises to king David regarding a Son who would reign forever. 2Sam 7:8-16; Acts 2:29-32;
We see from this that it was absolutely imperative that Jesus Christ be vested with a human body. But it would be impossible for Him to become a man if Satan was successful in destroying the genetic line that he would enter. This becomes the focus of Satan's attack for the next several millennia of human history.
Gen 3:16; To the woman the Lord said, "I will greatly multiply your pain in your pregnancy; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire ("teshuqa") shall be to usurp your husband's authority; yet he shall rule ("mashal") over you."
In the first phrase the word "pain" is used twice. The first use is with the Hiphil infinitive absolute of " rava". This emphasizes an intensity of pain related to pregnancy and childbirth: "I will greatly multiply your pain …" Net note 47
The next phrase "Your desire "teshuqa" shall be to usurp your husband's authority; Net note 48 yet, he shall rule "mashal" over you." Net note 49
We know from Genesis 3:1-6; that the woman violated the prohibition of Genesis 2:16-17; This was a rejection of God's authority.
Satan was able to solicit from the woman a lust for power when he said to her in Gen 3:5; "God knows that in the day you eat from it (the forbidden fruit) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
The implication was that God had a fear that the woman would be like God.
The woman was motivated to acquire knowledge that would enable her to break free from God's authority that would also result in breaking free from Adam's authority.
This means that the woman was arrogant. Arrogance is the opposite of humility. Humility is oriented to true authority. When a humble woman identifies her right man she has true love for him and her true love is manifest by respect for him. Eph 5:33b;
Loss of humility destroys the woman's respect for her husband and in arrogance she has a desire to usurp the power and authority of her husband that was delegated by God as part of Divine Establishment.