The Strand Study Bible

GENESIS GENESIS of Caesarea 20 , Ambrose of Milan 21 , Jerome 22 , Sulpicius Severus 23 , and Augustine of Hippo 17 ) all understood the expression “ sons of God ” as referring to angels (Job 1:6 & 2:1 & 38:7). According to Jude 6, certain angels (which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation) cohabited with human women and thus produced mighty men who became a hybrid race. This angelic intrusion, of course, has been memorialized in the legends and myths of every ancient culture on earth. This forced entrance by Satan’s imps created a “gene pool” problem that God had to solve by destroying the earth with the Flood (Jude 6, Job 4:18 and II Pet 2:4 ). It must have been popular in those days for women to enter into this corruption, for the Bible says that the fallen angels took wives of all, which they chose. If it hadn’t been for Noah and his wife (Gen 6:8-9), Satan would have succeeded in corrupting the lineage to Jesus. * His third recorded attempt was through the tower of Babel (Gen 11) Around seventy-five years after the event of the Flood, Noah and his descendants traveled southeast toward the ancient pre-Flood temple towers (ziggurats) of Babylon (Gen 11:1 - c. 2268 B.C.). For the next twenty-five years the descendants of Noah would begin building a tower in an attempt to build a united world society from which God was to be excluded. Satan was at work once again trying to destroy and/or corrupt the children of God and thus prevent the birth of the promised One. * His fourth recorded attempt was through Abraham and Sarah (Gen 16 & 20:1-6) * His fifth recorded attempt was through Jacob and Esau (Gen 27:34-46) Satan provoked a quarrel in Isaac’s family and moved upon Esau to do as Cain had done to Abel, but God in His sovereignty delivered Jacob and saved the line to Christ. * His sixth recorded attempt was through Amram and Jochebed (Exo 2 and Heb 11:23) * His seventh recorded attempt was through Jehoram (II Chro 21) * His eighth recorded attempt was thro ugh Esther (Esther 3-4) * His ninth recorded attempt was through Herod (Mt 2:13-18 and Rev 12:4) 3. To persecute the people who proclaim the Gospel of CHRIST (Acts 4:1-31 & 5:17-33,40-42 & 7-9, Rom 1:13 & 15:20-22, I Thess 2:18 and Rev 2-3,12). IN CONCLUSION – The opposite of perverting the Gospel is “presenting” it in its simplicity; the opposite of preventing the promised MESSIAH from fulfilling the Gospel is “proclaiming” His return without apology; the opposite of persecuting the people of God who proclaim the Gospel of Christ is “providing” for them. Therefore, those who wish to practice the Christian view must learn to “present” the Gospel in its simplicity, “proclaim” it without apology, and “provide” for those who do. However, if you’re not presenting the Gospel of Christ to others, not proclaiming the coming of Christ again, and not providing a local church with your time, your tithe, and your talents, then you haven’t the Christian view, even if you claim to be a Christian. 3:15 b Roy E. Anania explains the term “ her SEED ” in Defending The Virgin Birth . He notes: 65 Although the same was true of Eve (she too had no father or mother), her creation, while it was a special creation, was not a biological miracle, for she was made, according to the account, from living matter already in existence (Adam’s rib) 2. The virgin birth of CHRIST ( her SEED ) (Isa 7:14 and Jere 31:22) To have a child born which could be scientifically spoken of as the “seed of its mother” would be contrary to the known laws and facts of biology, for there is no such thing as the “seed of a woman.” All seed is masculine, as life is in the seed of the male, not the egg of the female (I Pet 1:23). 3:15c The phrase “ IT shall bruise THY head ” means that CHRIST THE DELIVERER ( IT ) delivered the deathblow ( bruise ) to Satan’s authority ( head ) when He finished the payment for our sin on Calvary (Rom 16:20, Heb 2:14 and I Jn 3:8). 3:15d Notice the statement, “ and THOU shalt bruise HIS heel .” Satan bruised CHRIST , when he caused him to suffer, by trying to kill Him before He ever got to the cross (Isa 53:5). Randy Alcorn in Heaven notes: HIStorical Note There is a difference between HIS story and history. Whereas history is an unbroken record of the failure of man, HIS story is the record of the success and salvation of man via JESUS CHRIST . Kyle Idleman in gods at war notes: Christianity offers a view of God that is strikingly different from any other. In Christianity, there is one God... His most striking feature is not anger or power or transcedence or even creativity but instead is his relentless, all- consuming love. No one would have just made up such a God. The idea is too outrageous. 25 3:16 Because Eve allowed Satan to appeal to her strengths (her mental capabilities and intelligence - Gen 3:1a ), man’s “better half” became man’s “weaker half” ( I Pet 3:7 ). She was now condemned to two states of “ sorrow ”: 1. A state of suffering whenever she bore children ( in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children ) 2. A state of subjection ( thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee ) Notice the word “ to ” It is the same Hebrew preposition that is translated “ against ” in Genesis 4:8. Because Eve chose to sin, a Genesis 3:15 is the first of many passages anticipating a suffering servant who would battle Satan and redeem God’s people (e.g., Isaiah 42:1-4; 49:5-7; 52:13-15; 53). That suffering servant would be Christ, the Messiah, who came to make all things new. 24 Notice that this is the first and only time the words “ her seed ” are recorded in the Bible. The reproductive “seed” of man and beast is always presented by the male of the species, but in this case it becomes clear that the offspring of the woman would redeem man and eventually would crush Satan’s head at some cost to “ his heel. ” This seed would be of human form from the woman’s side only. The Saviour is of no way a product of mankind except by way of the woman. 10 NOTE – There are only two biological miracles recorded for us in the Bible: 1. The creation of Adam (Adam had no earthly father or mother)