CLOSED AND OPENED GATES

“I’m declaring war between you and the Woman, between your offspring and hers. He’ll wound your

head, you’ll wound his heel.” 

Genesis 3:15

Eve huddled under Adam’s sheltering arm, hiding her face in his shoulder, sobbing. If only she had never listened to that horrible serpent! But it was too late now for “if only’s.” She had. And she had given Adam some of the fruit, too, and now here they were.

The serpent would be sorry—God had just cursed it to crawl on its belly. No more would it be the wisest and most beautiful of the garden creatures. Eve held her breath to listen more clearly. What was God saying? “War between you and the woman . . .” well, that was for sure! She would never even look at another serpent! But . . . it must be more than that. “. . . between your offspring and hers. He’ll wound your head, you’ll wound his heel.”

Eve lifted her head. What did that mean?

We won’t know for sure until we can ask them in heaven just how much Adam and Eve understood at that point. It’s certain that they would soon learn, in the newly sinful earth, that head wounds were fatal, and heel wounds usually weren’t. Ellen White says God explained more to them, even telling them some of the history of the world yet to come.

Here is what we know: That day, a shining gate was closed, but not forever. That day a gate was opened, also not forever. The second gate was not so beautiful—it would involve the torture and death of the Son of God—but it would lead to salvation, and those who enter it would regain that lost garden.

As we consider the question, Who Am I?, we have learned that we are all children of God by way of creation—made in His image, intended to care for the world and all in it, intended to have a close friendship with God. That plan seemed to be derailed and in ruins that dark day in Eden. But God reclaimed it. He warned that care of creation (and of each other) would be harder now, but it would still be possible.

And He promised that, for those who chose it, the friendship was still possible, too! God Himself would come to us, in dreams and visions, in prophecies and oracles, in sanctuary services and miracles, and in a tiny baby who was really God! If we choose, we can be children of God in a deeper way—children by choice—children of the heart and spirit.

The gate is still open . . .

Creator of the open gate, take my hand. I want to walk through that gate with You. I want to walk in newness of life. I want to be Your close-following child by choice.

Thank You, Lord.