Seed

In Part 1, we looked at the word Lord and in part 2 we discussed steadfast love.

Now, in Part 3, we will look at the word seed. This little word not only represents God’s agenda for human history, but this word is used repetitively in Scripture to remind us how God is driving His agenda forward. 

Explanation of Seed

The type of seed that I am referring to is sometimes also rendered in Scripture as “offspring” (an individual or group of people).

In Genesis 3:15, God promises that Eve’s “seed” or “offspring” would eventually crush the head of the serpent:

“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.”

The word offspring moves from plural to singular “he” in Genesis 3:15 to point to the one seed that will come from Eve and destroy the serpent/enemy. From this point on in Scripture, humanity is on the lookout for how God will fulfill that promise to defeat the serpent. This is why the numerous genealogies in the Old Testament are so vital. It is God’s record of how a specific seed would come forth to battle the enemy, as promised. 

Examples and Implications of Seed

The word seed is used again (among other places) in Genesis when God makes a covenant with Abraham, the first of the patriarchs. God promised Abraham that his seed would multiply into a nation and that nation would bless all the nations on earth:

“I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (Gen 22:17-18)

Moses reiterated God’s promise to Israel when they were ready to enter the Promised Land in Deuteronomy 30:5-6. He reminded them of the unique role they were promised in God’s plan of redemption:

“And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” (Deut 30:5-6)

The Bible points us to carefully keep track of Israel’s offspring throughout the rest of the Old Testament, to observe how God fulfills His promise to Eve. The genealogies and history of Israel document God’s work. Consider how even the little book of Ruth ends by reminding the reader of exactly who Ruth’s offspring would be:

“Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.” (Ruth 4:18-22)

David would come forward as the greatest king of Israel and through Him, the greater David–the Messiah–would come.

“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-13; c.f. Luke 1:32-33)

And so it is no small coincidence that the New Testament majestically opens with another genealogy:

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matt 1:1)

In other words: “Look everyone! Look how Jesus came forth, from Abraham and David’s seed–just as God promised.”

As Paul says:

“Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.” (Gal 3:16)

The blessing of the world was to come through one man, Jesus Christ, who gave His own life to ransom sinful man (Mark 10:45) and will crush satan in the end (Rev 12:9).

Implications of Seed for Us Today

And this is good news for the world, not just to Abraham’s bloodline:

“For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.”(Rom 4:13)

In other words:

“…If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” (Gal 3:29)

This is not just some ancient genealogy then. And it is not a distant family tree. If you are a Christian, this is your family. And your story. We belong to the family of God because of Christ:

“So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Gal 4:7)

I love how JI Packer says it: 

“Do I know my real identity? My own real destiny? I am a child of God. God is my Father; heaven is my home; every day is one day nearer. My Savior is my brother; every Christian is my brother, too.”

For us today, we can praise the Lord that because of Christ we are part of His family and the offspring who benefit from God’s promises. Christ redeemed us through His work on the cross, and He will one day finally defeat satan just as He promised:

“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”  (2 Cor 1:20)