The Gospel, Part Four
A Devotional Series from Genesis
Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
3/28 Reading Portions: Exodus 39; John 18; Proverbs 15; Philippians 2
Listen to the audio devotional above, and/or read the written devotional below.
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.”
CRUCIFIXION
Today, we shift back to the English Standard Version to consider the victory over Satan through the crucifixion of Christ. Our meditation will come from the phrase, “He shall bruise your head.” The King James Version translates it in this way:
it shall bruise thy head
This phrase comes from the Hebrew, הוא ישׁופך ראשׁ (hoo y’sh-oof-KHA rōsh). The first word we’ll consider is הוּא (hoo). This word is masculine and can be translated either “he” or “it.” Therefore, the KJV translation is also correct to translate the word as “it.” Is the ESV correct, or the KJV? My answer: YES. The thing is, the KJV translation can only be possible when hoo is first translated as “he” (and we’ll examine the significant power of “it” in another devotional). First and foremost, it is the virgin-born Messiah to come who will bruise, snap, and overcome the head, or authority of Satan. Tomorrow we will meditate upon how the Messiah accomplishes this.
The second word we are considering is רֹאשׁ (rōsh). This word may be translated as a literal “head” on the body of a creature, or it may be translated “source” as the headwaters of a river (Gen 2:10); “top” as in the peak of a mountain (Gen 8:5); “first” or “beginning” as the start of the month or year, like Rosh Hashanah (Ex 12:2); “authority” as in power or position (Gen 40:13); among several other interpretations. It is certainly Satan’s authority (head) that is overcome through the death of the Messiah, because we understand that “head” represents “authority” since the New Testament speaks of “rebellion” as represented by the “tail” of Satan:
His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her Child he might devour it. Revelation 12:4
Now, here’s the wonderful part of that word, rōsh. It also carries those other definitions as it relates to the gospel truth of Messiah when “he” is translated “it.” Hallelujah! What a Savior! But we will look at that a little later. Tomorrow we will consider the bruising of the Messiah’s heel.