The Expectation of the Seed

Abraham lived 175 years and yet we know little of his life. Almost everything deals with the expected seed. Although there has been previous announcements of the coming Redeemer these were in veiled form. But with Abraham, the expectation of the “seed” became the all-prevailing chief thought.

The prevailing thought of the Patriarch’s life “the expectation of the seed” which occupies scarcely little of his personal life, but almost exclusively, in nearly every chapter, with his expectation of the promised heir. The sight of Messiah’s day was the summit of his life.

The Lord Jesus in the New Testament

speaks of the joy of Abraham.  

“Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” (John 8:56)

What most remarkable point about Abraham’s faith is, that he looked forward to Jesus’ day  

 Hebrews reminds us Ch.11:13  

 “all these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance”

The sacrifice at mount Moriah was unique

Abraham had sacrificed Isaac to God (Heb.11:17) and yet had not killed him. The external completion of the act had been suddenly prevented by God. (Gen 22:12-13) Thereby was proclaimed the principle, that it is not the external performance that makes the sacrifice to be a sacrifice, but the intention of the heart, not the presenting of the gift, but the devotion of the soul.

Moriah is where later the temple stood - where upon the altar of burnt offering on which the sacrifices pointed to Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection, where also on Golgotha the veil between the holy and the holy of holies would be rent (see Mark 15:38)

The whole incident was fraught with deep spiritual meaning. Abraham prefigures the Father who spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all (Rom.8:32)

Isaac pictures Christ obedient unto death (Phil 2:5-8) The ram sets forth substitution atonement through Christ offered as a burnt offering in our place. (See Heb.10:5-10)

The life goal of Abraham

The life goal of Abraham lay not in himself but in the coming Mediator of Salvation. For this reason the sight of Messiah’s day was the summit of his life.

The Lord Jesus in John 8:56 says

“Your Father Abraham, rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad”

On Mount Moriah, the Mediator secured for us the entrance into a life of faith within the veil

Heb 10:19 reminds us.   

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say his flesh”

In Christ faith arrives finally at its goal, heaven and the heavenly city. Thus also Abraham. Lived as a stranger in the promised land dwelled in tents with Isaac and Jacob, co-heirs of the same promise; for he awaited the city which has the foundation walls, whose designer and master builder is God

To read a fuller account of Abraham’s story

click the link below  

 Living  in light of the Gospel message/ Abraham

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.

He does not say, and to seeds, as referring too many,

but rather to one, And to your seed, that

is Christ.  (Gal 3:16)

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