Kingdom Series: Serpent Crusher

The Search for the True King: From Eden to Eternity

Have you ever noticed how certain moments in life seem to echo others? As if history is repeating itself, revealing patterns woven into the fabric of reality. This resonance is particularly evident in the grand narrative of Scripture, where echoes reverberate through the story of redemption.

One such echo resounds in the tale of Israel's first king, Saul. As we explore this story, we're invited to listen for the echoes of old wounds, ancient enemies, and the deep longing for a leader who can guide us as God intended.

The story begins with a city under siege. Jabesh Gilead, an Israelite town, is threatened by Nahash the Ammonite. The people, desperate and afraid, offer to serve Nahash if he spares them. But Nahash, true to his serpentine name (Nahash means "serpent" in Hebrew), demands a cruel price – the right eye of every citizen.

This moment harks back to humanity's first encounter with the serpent in Eden. Just as the serpent tempted Eve with the fruit that was "pleasing to the eye," Nahash seeks to rob God's people of their sight. It's a stark reminder of how the enemy works – attempting to blind us to God's truth and goodness.

In this dire moment, enter Saul – newly anointed as Israel's first king. Filled with the Spirit of God, Saul rallies the nation and leads them to a decisive victory over Nahash and the Ammonites. For a brief, shining moment, it seems that Israel has found its long-awaited deliverer.

But this story is more than just a historical account. It's a chapter in the larger narrative of Scripture – the search for the true king who will crush the head of the serpent, as promised in Genesis 3:15. This promise, often called the "proto-evangelium" or first gospel, sets the stage for all of redemptive history.

From Adam to Noah, from Abraham to Moses, from Joshua to the Judges, Israel's story is one of waiting and watching for the fulfillment of this promise. Each leader, each judge, each prophet offered a glimmer of hope – could this be the one? But time and again, human frailty and sin revealed that the true king was yet to come.

Even David, the man after God's own heart, fell short of being the ultimate fulfillment of the promise. Yet through David, God narrowed the focus of His promise. The true king, the serpent-crusher, would come from David's line.

This expectation colors Israel's entire history. Through exile and return, through foreign occupation and fleeting moments of autonomy, the people of God waited for their true king. They longed for the one who would finally and fully defeat the serpent and its offspring – sin, death, and all that opposes God's good creation.

And then, in the fullness of time, He came. Jesus, son of David, son of Abraham, the long-awaited seed of the woman. As the author of Hebrews writes, "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14).

Jesus stepped into the cosmic battle that we could never win. He took the wound that we deserved, and through His death and resurrection, He broke the power of sin and death. The apostle John puts it plainly: "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work" (1 John 3:8).

But here's where the story takes an unexpected turn. The victory that belongs to Jesus is shared with His followers. As Paul writes to the Romans, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Romans 16:20). We who trust in Christ are invited to participate in His ongoing work of crushing the serpent's head.

This is our high calling in Christ. What we do matters – not just in the earthly realm, but in the heavenly realm as well. Every act of faith, every choice to hold onto good and reject evil, every moment we trust and serve our true King, we participate in the cosmic victory of Christ over the forces of darkness.

This truth should revolutionize how we view our daily lives. When shame whispers that we're disqualified, Jesus declares us chosen. When addiction claims we'll never be free, Jesus breaks every chain. When broken relationships seem beyond repair, Jesus rebuilds what has been destroyed.

The search for the true king that began in Eden finds its fulfillment in Jesus. But unlike Saul, whose moment of glory was fleeting, Jesus' reign is eternal. He invites us not just to benefit from His victory, but to participate in it.

So, what does this mean for us today?

First, it calls us to recognize Jesus as our true King. Not just in word, but in the way we live our lives. Are we allowing Him to reign in every area – our thoughts, our actions, our relationships, our ambitions?

Second, it invites us to live with purpose and hope. Our lives matter more than we often realize. Every act of obedience, every choice to love, every moment we resist temptation – these are not isolated events, but part of the cosmic story of redemption.

Third, it challenges us to see beyond the temporary leaders and solutions of this world. While we should engage in seeking justice and good leadership in our societies, our ultimate hope is not in any human leader or system. Our hope is in the King who has defeated death itself.

Finally, it calls us to action. We are not passive recipients of Christ's victory, but active participants in it. How can we join in Christ's work of bringing order out of chaos, of standing against evil, of bringing healing and hope to a broken world?

As we reflect on this grand narrative – from Eden to Eternity – may we be filled with awe at the faithfulness of God. May we be encouraged that the long-awaited King has come. And may we be inspired to live as citizens of His kingdom, joining Him in the ongoing work of redemption until the day when every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord.