B’resheet (In the Beginning)
Torah: Genesis 1:1-6:8
Haftorah: Isaiah 42:5-43:10

Long ago, the Jewish sages created reading calendars to be read annually throughout all the synagogues every sabbath. They are the Parsha (from the Torah, the first five books of the Bible), and the Haftarah (selected readings from the prophetic books of the Old Testament). Today, I continue my series exploring the Messiah in each of these portioned readings that was planned and scheduled in ancient days and appointed for our present days. For October 18 this year, the readings are cited above. I would encourage you to read those passages first before you read my post, or at least read them in tandem. I missed posting on this reading during the week it was scheduled, but I don’t want to skip it. So here it is late. The passages are still applicable for any day of the year.

This series I’m doing is about finding Jesus in every weekly reading of the Torah and Prophets, so that is what I will focus on with my exegesis. The Very first prophecy we have of the Messiah comes immediately after the first sin was committed. Eve ate the fruit she was told by God not to eat, and she shared with Adam. The serpent’s deception had worked. The first idolatry was committed. Eve’s desire for the fruit was placed above obedience to God, and anything we put ahead of God is an idol. Sin entered the world, and nothing would be the same. Most of all, Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden, the place they communed and walked with God daily. They could not remain in His presence with that special intimate relationship anymore.

But God gave the first prophecy of Messiah, and it actually wasn’t addressed to the people, but to the serpent: “I will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” A blow to the heel can maim, but a blow to the head is fatal. In paraphrase, God tells the serpent, “You will win a battle here and there, but the Messiah will win the war.”

In Deuteronomy chapter 29, Moses warns the Israelites against idolatry:

“You know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed. And you have seen their detestable things, their idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them. Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit” (16-18).

In the ESV, the words translated “root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit” literally mean “a root bearing a head and wormwood.” The fruit the serpent offered to Eve turned out to be poisonous and bitter, for her body and Adam’s body became corruptible unto death (Gen. 2:17) and life became bitter in many ways (Gen. 3:16-19). It’s like Moses is telling the Israelites who were newly called out of slavery, “Be careful, because the serpent will try to come after you again.”

The serpent did crush the heel of the Messiah, Eve’s seed, on the cross, literally. A huge nail went through his heels or feet. But Jesus, on the cross, crushed the serpents head. He defeated sin and death through His suffering and death. He crushed the serpent’s power.

In Revelation, John reveals to us that the serpent is Satan (Rev. 12:9, 20:2). He is also called a dragon in Revelation chapter 12. The terms in Hebrew and Greek are basically interchangeable. Then something happens with this serpent or dragon. He has seven heads. Some say seven is a Biblical number symbolizing completion, others say it means holiness. In this case, it does not mean holy in a good way for sure, but the antithesis to holiness. Perhaps the seven heads represent complete and absolute evil, a world saturated with idolatry, a sequence of powers that set themselves up as the exact opposite of anything holy and godly. There is more than one beast or monster in Revelation with multiple heads, and I won’t get into those particulars here, but I think it’s safe to say that anything in Revelation, serpent or dragon or beast, with multiple heads represents something not good. Why do I bring all this up when we’re supposed to be talking about Genesis? That same serpent we saw at the beginning of the Bible shows up again at the end. He was always there, actually, and he is rearing his ugly head (or heads). That’s a convenient English idiom for this context.

But God told us Eve’s seed (the Messiah) would crush his head. Jesus defeated death on the cross, the curse that the serpent introduced to the world through deception. Revelation 20:1-3 tells us the serpent will be bound in a pit for 1,000 years, during which time Jesus and His resurrected saints will rule the earth. Revelation 20:10 tells us this battle will be finally completed when God takes the serpent and throws him into the lake of fire forever. So is the prophecy of Genesis 3 fulfilled? Yes, and not yet.

Revelation 12:17 says, “Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.” This is still going on, and I believe will culminate in a future great persecution. Maybe we are entering it. Christians in Nigeria are certainly enduring great persecution right now. More Christians are persecuted globally now than any time previously in history. Remember, Genesis 3:15 says, “I will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.” In Genesis, there is a woman. In Revelation, there is a woman. In Genesis, enmity is between the woman’s offspring and the serpent’s offspring. In Revelation, the dragon wages war on the woman’s offspring, the saints (Daniel 7:21). Those are some pretty strong parallels to me.

God made this world just like Genesis 1 says, and one day, Jesus will make all things new with a new heaven and new earth (Rev. 21:1, 5). God is making believers new right now (2 Cor. 4:16, 5:17). Just as He separated light from dark, the water from the land, and the kinds of plants and animals according to their kind, so he separates believers from the rest of the world. Holiness means set apart, different. “Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you.” (2 Cor. 6:17). I believe we can set ourselves apart by choosing to abstain from worldliness, but we can also be set apart by the world’s rejection of us because we choose to follow God. This rejection comes through persecution. This persecution refines us like precious metals in a fire. When you are set apart, God is making something new. God made the world by separating things from one another. The Haftarah for B’resheet, from Isaiah, says,

“But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.
³ For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior (43:1-3).

Until all things are made new by the One who crushed the serpent’s head, if you are a believer, embrace the renewing of your own soul through sanctification and being set apart as holy. If you are not a believer or aren’t sure, think about these things, and choose the One Who crushed the serpent’s head, the head of the bitter root that grows poison and idolatry and death, Satan, the dragon.

In the Haftarah, Isaiah tells Isreal that they were

Until next time, God bless.

Holiness

You spoke into nothing, "Let there be light!"
You separated it, and called it good,
Split heaven from earth by ethereal hood,
And gathered dry land from waters just right,
Set stars above to guide and give earth sight,
Made holy the Sabbath to rest, and would.1
You created a nation by Your might
To be a holy priesthood, Your delight2
And set them above all; Mount Zion stood.3

So this day You speak light into my heart4
Where there was nothing but darkness and death
And call me out from sin to be holy,
By persecution or my will depart
Their midst rejoicing with my breath
That I counted to suffer as worthy.5

1. Genesis 1:3-2:3
2. Exodus 19:5-6
3. Deuteronomy 26:19, Joel 3:17
4. 1 Peter 2:9
5. Acts 5:41