The Art & Benefit of Living Wisely

What has God done that enables us to live wisely?

Genesis 3:14-15 -  The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put ENMITY between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

What is ‘enmity’? To understand what it means, we need to simply notice some passages where the word is found, and then notice the contexts.  This will enable us to understand how and why God acted in accordance with His eternal purpose when He put enmity as He did.  We will also learn how this enmity enables man to live wisely.

The Hebrew איבה ('eybah), occurs 5 times in 5 passages in the O. T. [KJV]

Gen. 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.

Numb. 35:21 - Or in enmity smite him with his hand , that he die: he that smote [him] shall surely be put to death; [for] he [is] a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth  him.

Numb. 35:22 - But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

Ezek. 25:15 - Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy [it] for the old hatred;

Ezek. 35:5 - Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed [the blood of] the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time [that their] iniquity [had] an end:

The Greek (echthra) from the adjective echthros (see ENEMY) is rendered "enmity" in the following passages:

Luke 23:12 - And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

Rom. 8:7 - For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile (enmity) to God...

Eph. 2:15-16 - by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility (enmity)

Jas. 4:4 - Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Gal. 5:20 – enmity; or ‘hatred’ (KJV)

From these texts, we see what it was that God put: ~ hatred; the opposite of love.  Enmity is the opposite of love (agape).

Notice further from the text of Genesis 3.

The Purpose: punishment for the devil for his actions in causing man to disobey God.

The Parties: between “you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.”

The Results: “he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

HOW did God place (put) this enmity?  I submit that the way in which God put this enmity is also the means by which we are enabled to live wisely.

Do you know how God did this?  He gave something which results in enmity (i.e., hatred) between Satan and Christ; between Satan’s seed and Christ’s seed.

God gave commandments! 

Are we not told that in the beginning, Satan sinned? (1 John 3:8 - The one who commits sin is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the Devil's works.)

Is not sin disobedience?  Disobedience to WHAT?  Notice elsewhere, what is said of commandments as they relate to living wisely and to enmity:

1 John 2:5 - but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:

1 John 3:24 - Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

1 John 5:2 - By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.

[Jesus identified a disciple as follows: one who HEARS and FOLLOWS His teachings. To them He will give eternal life. Eternal life is their reward for hearing and following His teachings, not what makes them a disciple. One becomes AND remains a disciple by following the Shepherd's instructions. Hearing and following the Shepherd is NOT EARNING eternal life! - John 10:27-28]

Notice also from John 17:6, 8, 14, 17: 

6 - I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

8 - For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them

14 - I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

17 - Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Commandments were given to distinguish God’s children from Satan’s.  The keeping of them differentiate between the two.  The one who has no respect or regard for those commandments will naturally hate those who do.  They cannot walk together!   They cannot agree!  There can be NO fellowship!

As long as God’s children walk in the light (Psalm 119:105) he will be protected by the source of that light.  He will thus walk in wisdom (Col. 4:5). 

 Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments". (John 14:15)

RDB