Scenes of Grace 3

How do a beloved Christmas carol and the fall of man converge?  In the 4^th stanza of Charles Wesley’s “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” we find the musical version of the scene of grace that played out in the Garden of Eden in Genesis three.  Eve had been deceived by Satan and ate of the forbidden fruit.  Adam chose Eve over God and ate it with her.  God pronounced His judgment on Satan and man.  But then God demonstrated the wonders of His grace.

 Along with the curse to the serpent God gave a promise of hope for all mankind.  He said to the serpent, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed: He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”  This is the first promise of the Messiah given in Scripture and also the first promise of the Virgin birth.  Man had sinned and broken fellowship with God. God in grace would send a Champion for man, a Redeemer, a Conquering Seed to overcome the curse and set things right. 

Charles Wesley picks up this great doctrinal truth in “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”.  In stanza 4 of the carol he wrote, “Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed, bruise in us the serpent’s head. Now display Thy saving power; ruined nature now restore.”  This verse is missing in many hymnals today.  When it is inserted it omits the last part of Wesley’s 4^th stanza and mixes it with his 5^th stanza which reads, “Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface; stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above, reinstate us in Thy love.”

Wesley set forth the great doctrine of grace as demonstrated by God in Genesis 3.  Man had sinned and deserved death.  That was the penalty that had been forewarned.  Man did indeed die, or at least entered into the process of death.  But God in grace killed an animal instead of man and clothed them with garments of animal skin.  He made a substitute for them.  He also gave them the promise of One who would come and win their war with death and restore their original nature and fellowship with God.  Such great grace cannot be fathomed.  The pure and holy would die (have His heel bruised) for the impure and rebellious.  Not only that, but man could live in the constant hope of it happening.  God’s grace gave them both life and hope.  Surely we set our joyful hearts singing along with Charles Wesley, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”.  

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