04. The Seed Motif
Scripture invites you into this story.
There is an epic battle going on around you right now. It’s been happening since the fall of man.
It’s a battle for allegiance — for whose voice you will obey.
Right after the fall of mankind, God made the first messianic promise of Scripture, declaring in advance the serpent’s defeat.
He says to the serpent:
“I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Genesis 3:15
Here Scripture introduces the conflict between the serpent and the woman, and as the story unfolds, this conflict develops into the pattern of two kinds of offspring.
Biblically, seed/offspring is not defined merely by lineage, but rather by likeness and allegiance.
Who is the serpent?
The serpent in Genesis is Satan.
Yet, Scripture doesn’t state that explicitly until Revelation, when it says, “…that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan…” (Rev. 20:2)
Who is the seed of the serpent?
Not physical descendants, but rather those who show allegiance to him by living in his likeness of deceit, murder, pride, and self-autonomy.
Who is the woman?
In the original context of Genesis 3:15, it is Eve. But as the unified story continues, we see it is not exclusively Eve, nor is it exclusively Mary.
Eve (Whose name means Mother of all living) begins this “woman”, and Mary is included in this “woman”, but neither by themselves complete or exhaust her.
As the internal narrative of Scripture progresses, God’s faithful covenant community is called:
- Bride (Isa. 62:5)
- Daughter (Zech. 9:9)
- Virgin (2 Cor. 11:2)
- Mother (Gal. 4:26)
- Woman (Rev. 12:14)
These images all describe the same reality from different angles:
Covenant people in relational union with God, throughout all generations, who show allegiance to God by living in his likeness, following his voice, and trusting him with obedient surrender.
Who is the seed of the woman?
Christ is the true Seed — the ultimate fulfillment and climax of this promise. And not only the Genesis 3:15 promise, but indeed,
“All the promises of God find their resounding ‘Yes’ in him…”
2 Corinthians 1:20
Paul himself says,
“The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.”
Galatians 3:16
It must be understood that Christ is the promised Seed; and,
“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Galatians 3:29
Believers share in the promises of God by union, not by replacing or adding to the Seed.
Immediately in Genesis 4, we see this enmity between the serpent and the woman revealing itself, and it runs throughout Scripture into our very lives today.
A few examples:
- Abel and Cain (Heb. 11:4 / 1 Jn. 3:12)
- Isaac and Ishmael (Gal. 4:28 / Gal. 4:29)
- Saul and David (1 Sam. 15:23 / Acts 13:22)
- Faithful Remnant Israel and Unfaithful Majority (Rom. 11:5 / Rom. 11:7-8)
- Wheat and Weeds - Revealed as people of the Kingdom, and people of the evil one (Matt. 13:38)
- Sheep and Goats - Revealed as those who lived with the compassion of Christ, and those who did not. (Matt. 25:31-46)
Biblically, it’s essential to understand that lineage does not determine identity — allegiance, faith and obedience do.
This is why John the Baptist tells Pharisees and Sadducees who were biologically children of Abraham,
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.”
Matthew 3:7-9
John the Baptist isn’t alone in this.
Jesus uses this same Genesis seed logic and language when he tells the unbelieving Jews,
“If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did… If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God…You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires…”
John 8:39, 42, 44
The apostles continue this same understanding with Spirit given language of “children of the flesh and children of promise”.
Paul is so bold to even say,
Romans 9:6, 8
Revelation also recapitulates the point over and over by revealing there are those who are allegiant to the Lamb and those who are allegiant to the Dragon.
Here’s good news: Since it’s not by physical lineage, all who repent and believe are welcome without partiality!
Any who do so can be born again, and be counted as part of God’s woman, and be joined in life union to the Seed, who is Christ, and share as a co-heir to all the promises of God.
Even now the battle rages on, and we see the tension — yet we know that the war has been won!
Christ, the true Seed of the woman, crushed the head (defeated) the serpent, even though it meant his heel was bruised (suffering).
There are those aligned with the serpent, and those aligned with Lamb.
The question is this: Whose voice will you obey?