The Threefold Sentence And The Seed Of The Woman -- By: S. Lewis Johnson, Jr.

Journal: Emmaus Journal
Volume: EMJ 17:2 (Winter 2008)
Article: The Threefold Sentence And The Seed Of The Woman
Author: S. Lewis Johnson, Jr.


The Threefold Sentence And The Seed Of The Woman

An Exposition Of Genesis 3:14-191

S. Lewis Johnson, Jr.

Lewis Johnson served as a teaching elder and regularly ministered the Word at Believers Chapel in Dallas for more than thirty years. At that time he was a guest speaker at conferences in Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Australia, Jamaica, and Europe. During his academic career he held professorships in New Testament and Systematic Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He also served as visiting Professor of New Testament at Grace Theological Seminary and as visiting Professor of Systematic Theology at Tyndale Theological Seminary in Amsterdam, Netherlands. At the time of his death in January 2004 he was Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies at Dallas Seminary. Both MP3 files and printed notes of Dr. Johnson’s sermons and theological lectures may be downloaded from the web site of the SLJ Institute «www.sljinstitute.net».

Introduction

In one of his books W. H. Griffith Thomas imagines a stranger who has never seen the New Testament coming into possession of a copy of the Old Testament.2 He opens the book at Genesis and begins to read. From Genesis 3:15 he learns that someone is coming who will fatally wound the serpent, crushing the serpent’s head. Reading on he finds the promise repeated and enlarged in Genesis 9, 12, 49, and throughout the Old Testament. It is clear from the fullness of Isaiah’s references that the Seed is a personal redeemer. Reaching Malachi’s last chapter, however, he sees that the promises have not been realized. Thus he has become conscious that the Old Testament is a book of unfulfilled promises.

Turning back and starting again at Genesis, he concentrates on the themes of sacrifices, offerings, and feasts, lingering over Genesis 4, Exodus 12, the book of Leviticus, and the history of Israel’s worship. Coming again to the last book,

he still has found very little clarification of the meaning of it all. Thus he is now conscious that the Old Testament is a book of unexplained ceremonies.

Once more he turns to Genesis and, concentrating on the many descriptions of the personal communion of the Old Testament saints with the Lord (Yahweh), he revels in the yearnings of the Old Testament men and women for fellowship with the living God. Particularly is he moved by Job’s longing and David’s cries for the experience of the presence of God. But again, when he finishes the book, there is no complete realization of their p...

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