Any one of Eve’s offspring is potentially the Seed of the woman we are looking for.
After the fall of man we find to main family trees, the offspring of Seth and the offspring of Cain. In Cain’s linage we find polygamy and murder, while in Seth’s linage we find righteous men who walked with God. It appears that Seth’s descendants sought after God, found grace in His sight and were again apportioned a measure of God’s Spirit. Cain’s descendants are later called the children of men while Seth’s descendants are called the sons of God. After the sons of God started to marry the daughters of men, it seems that even the descendants of Seth become corrupt and violent. They lost there position as sons, God withdrew His Spirit from man and sent a global flood. Noah a righteous man found grace in God’s sight and was saved with his family to begin to replenish the earth. As they increased they remained in one place and eventually began to build the city of Babel which had a tower reaching up towards heaven. (We will return to these interesting accounts at a later stage.)
After God confused the languages of the people of Babel and they began to spread out over the face of the earth, we see the Genesis story begins to focus on a specific man and his descendants.
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 show thee:
Gen 12:1 (KJV)
Abram had to leave his land, his people or nation and his father’s house, which is the place where he would have found his identity (being the image of his father.)
God then made a threefold promise to Abraham. This promise was firstly that he would become a great nation and that his offspring would be innumerable like the dust and like the stars. Secondly, the Lord promised to Abraham that he and his descendants would inherit the land. Finally God promised that Abraham and His descendants would be blessed and this blessing was far more than just material blessing, but included all the spiritual blessings of the heavenly realm.
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.
Genesis 12:2-3 (KJV)
And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there built he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
Genesis 12:7(KJV)
This threefold promise directly reflects God’s original intentions. The land or the earth which is to be inherited or possessed, relates to God’s original intention that man should have dominion over all the earth. The innumerable offspring refers to God’s intention that man must multiply and fill the earth and the blessing of Abraham is fully manifested when man is completely restored back into the image of God.
Although the promise is threefold and includes the inheritance of the land and the blessing, greater emphasis seems to be placed on the multiplication of the offspring. This is understandable since Abraham was alone at the time of receiving the promise.
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
Gen 13:16 (KJV)
And He brought him outside [his tent into the starlight] and said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars–if you are able to number them. Then He said to him, So shall your descendants be.
Gen 15:5 (AMP)
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:17 (KJV)
It is also interesting that the renaming of Abram to Abraham also emphasises multiplication.
Nor shall your name any longer be Abram [high, exalted father]; but your name shall be Abraham [father of a multitude], for I have made you the father of many nations.
Genesis 17:5 (AMP)
God promised that Abraham would multiply into innumerable offspring, but He also spoke of a single Seed through Whom the blessing flows. This is the Seed through which restoration will come.
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Gen 22:18 (KJV)
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.
Galatians 3:16 (KJV)
We are now no longer looking for just any seed of the woman, but we have narrowed down our search to the seed of Abraham.
