The Prophecies Concerning Jesus Christ Part 2

In the previous message, we learned about the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, especially about Genesis 3:15 being Protevangelium (the good news). We have learned that the " seed " concept is critical to the narrator and God’s redemptive plan.

Genesis 3:15 teaches us that the seed is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

Genesis 4 implies that the woman's offspring was probably linked with Abel. But that was not so; his brother killed him. On the other hand, Genesis 4 clarifies that Cain or his descendants would not qualify for this “seed” who would crush the head because of the rebellious hearts and sin his descendants committed (Gen. 4:17-24).

Genesis 4:17-24 tells us that the seventh generation was concluded with Lamech, who was a hopeless person in Cain’s lineage, a polygamist who killed a young man, married multiple women, and praised himself to be greater than Cain.

Genesis 5 gives some hope to this “seed” theme. Seth was born; Eve says the Lord has granted her another child (Zera, offspring) “in place of Abel” (Gen. 4:25). That hope was expressed in Gen. 4:26

Genesis 4:26 KJV 1900

And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.

Seth’s genealogy from Chapter 5 gives a little hope that through Enoch (seventh generation), things might change; there might be some relief to humanity from God’s curse through Noah (Gen. 5:29). But this is also not the “seed” of Gen. 3:15.

Noah played a vital role in the narrative as well. He was found righteous in the eyes of the Lord; he was obedient to the Lord, so the LORD spared his family when sin defiled the earth, and the Lord caused the eradication of every living thing except some spared creatures and Noah’s family.

But through Noah came Shem, from Shem to Terah, from Terah to Abraham.

The covenant God made with Abraham is a very important one. Through Abraham and his descendants, God would bring that “seed” of Genesis 3:15 to this world.

Today, we will learn how Genesis 12:1-3 plays a key role in the “seed” concept in the OT narrative.

Genesis 12:1–3 KJV 1900

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

The Abrahamic Covenant

Genesis 12:1-3 is known as the Abrahamic Covenant. God made a covenant with Abraham; He told Abraham to leave his father’s place and go to a land He would show him.

Abraham “obeyed” the LORD and left with his family. However, this may not be a smooth experience.

Abraham and his wife Sarai(h) had problems to begin with – they did not have offspring (Seed). Why is this important? Because, in the covenant context, God made a promise that He would bless Abraham’s descendants.

The “only” condition to this unconditional covenant is that Abraham must obey the LORD, and he did. Therefore, that “condition” was met. After this ONLY condition, there are no more conditions for the fulfillment of this covenant because it is God who is making promises to bless Abraham and his family.

The Abrahamic covenant was reiterated with Isaac and Jacob. The blessings were associated with Isaac, Jacob, and his great-grandson, Joseph.

We know the story of the deceiver, Jacob, who stole the birthright from his brother Esau by his mother's influence.

For a bowl of soup, Esau lost his birthright – he, in fact had no regard for it (Gen. 25:29-34). However, this episode also played a crucial role in the “seed” concept.

Isaac blesses Jacob by saying that people will serve him and the nations will bow down to him – Gen. 27:27-29

Genesis 27:27–29 KJV 1900

And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed: Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, And the fatness of the earth, And plenty of corn and wine: Let people serve thee, And nations bow down to thee: Be lord over thy brethren, And let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: Cursed be every one that curseth thee, And blessed be he that blesseth thee.

The concept of “bowing” to someone indicates a prominent role, a kingship concept through the lineage of Jacob.

“Additionally, the prospect that peoples will serve and nations will bow down to Jacob reinforces the expectation that the family line will produce a unique king. Previously, God informed Abraham and Sarah that kings would be among their descendants (Gn 17:6, 16).”

Now, look at the language of Genesis 17:6-8

Genesis 17:6–8 KJV 1900

And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

The kingship motif is evident in this verse. In fact, God will even make the motif clear with the expectation that there will be a king for Israel in Gen. 36:31.

In Genesis 31, there was a king for Edom but no king for Israel. The narrator's purpose for bringing this topic forward is that there will be a king for Israel in the later days. In other words, kingship will be established.

Moving forward, the narrator creates an expectation for the kingship motif that continues from Abraham to Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

We know the story of Joseph, sold by his brothers, not thinking his dreams would come true one day. Joseph was so dear to his father, Jacob. Chapters 37-50 were written primarily about Joseph’s life.

In spite of having ten brothers, the narrator focuses on Joseph receiving special attention from his father, Jacob. On the other hand, Jacob gives him much privilege by creating a robe for him.

Ruben was Jacob’s first son, but he lost that privilege. 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 points us to the understanding that Joseph replaced Ruben as a firstborn son. So, we can see how God is orchestrating that kingship motif.

Joseph also had two dreams, which his brothers did not like at all. Genesis 37:5-10 says:

Genesis 37:5–10 KJV 1900

And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

To this, his brothers reply: “Are you really going to rule us?” (Gen. 37:8).

So, how did the narrator create the expectation of kingship? The expectation provided by the writer was that God would bring blessings through the lineage of Joseph.

The story of Joseph tells us this beloved son of Jacob lost everything from being the pampered son to a slave, then to second in command – to a prominent role in a foreign land.

This clearly indicates God’s sovereign control in the life of Joseph and how God used him to “save” not only his family but thousands of them from famine.

Joseph himself recounts how God used the evil done by his brothers to do good (Gen. 50:20). The “saving” work of Joseph with God’s help projects an expectation that even a greater “savior” or “salvation” would come as a royal King from the offspring of Abraham.

However, in the middle of Joseph’s story (37-50 chapters), we see an abrupt change in the flow by introducing Judah. At least, we might think this is an unrelated issue, and someone might have added this story to the narrative.

This is not the narrator's mistake. If we recall from our study from the previous one, we were talking about the “seed” or “offspring.” This seed/offspring concept we have been seeing from Genesis 3:15 is very important.

Chapter 38 concludes with two sons as well. However, the younger one comes out first and the firstborn later.

Through this family line, Perez was born, and through Perez, King David would be born (Ruth 4:18-22). And with this King David, God made a covenant that his offspring will rule forever (2 Samuel 7).

Later on, we would learn that though Joseph’s line was blessed, Psalm 78:67-72 states that God rejected the “tabernacle of Joseph” during the life of Samuel and chose David from the tribe of Judah.

Although the future king should have come from the tribe of Ephraim, that privilege was passed on to the tribe of Judah because of God’s rejection.

Coming back to the Abrahamic covenant, the promise to bless the seed of Abraham is clearly God’s commitment to Abraham and his children, Isaac and Jacob.

How is God going to bring this promise to fulfillment? Through the matriarchs – Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel.

These women were barren, but God intervened and made the impossible possible. In Gn 11:30; 25:21; 29:31, their barrenness is addressed, whereas in Gn 21:1–2; 25:21; 30:22–24, God’s blessing and intervention is acknowledged.

However, this intervention of God in Abraham’s life and the fulfillment of promises depend upon Abraham's obedience, as we have stated before (Gen. 22:16-18).

God called Abraham to go to another location (Gen. 12:1) and told Abraham to “be a blessing” in verse 2.

It is interesting how the Hebrew phrase is given in verse 2b. The last part of the text says, “I will make your name great.” But the last part of this verse could also be understood as “You be a blessing!”

How does Genesis 22:16-18 play its role in this covenant and God's divine plan? The call to Abraham provides us the direction of the narrative that in Abraham and through him, God would bless all those who bless him.

Through chapter 22, God promises the future fulfillment of this divine covenant based on Abraham’s faith in the Lord. Abraham was willing to offer Isaac, his only son, as a sacrifice. And the Lord says this in Gen. 22:16-18

What a blessing to be obedient to the Lord! Not only would Abraham and his descendants be blessed, but the benefits would be extended to all the nations of the earth.

In Gen. 22:17, God stresses that blessings will come from his “seed” (singular). In the first call based on Gen. 12:1-3, the only condition is that Abraham must obey.

In the second call (Gen. 22), it is God who made the promise; nothing hinges upon Abraham anymore; it is God who promised to fulfill based on Abraham’s prior obedience.

Who is the seed, then? It cannot be Isaac, even though “the Angel of the Lord” called from heaven and later promised blessings. Isaac died, Jacob died, Joseph died, and many others died.

But the text of Genesis 12 and 22 creates an expectation of future fulfillment, that there will be a king through whom the nations of the earth will be blessed.

In Acts 3:25–26, Peter made it clear of this hope. For Peter, Jesus Christ is the promised offspring.

Acts 3:25–26 KJV 1900

Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Paul identified the offspring as Jesus Christ based on Gal. 3:16

Galatians 3:16 KJV 1900

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

For Matthew, it is also important to state that Jesus is the “Davidic King” promised generations prior to his people.

Who is the Seed? The Lord Jesus Christ.

What can we learn from this study?

God is faithful.

His promises remain forever.

He promised a “Seed” that would bring blessings and hope, and He fulfilled it.

The New Testament reveals that Jesus is the “offspring.”

We must praise and thank God for providing Salvation (Jesus Christ) for us to receive that gift of Salvation and eternal life.

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