The Promised Seed - the Voice
“‘Is not My Word like a fire?’ says HaShem, ‘And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?’”
Jeremiah 23:29
Introduction
- In the progression of revelation, we have previously learned that G-d created speaking.
- We have learned that Messiah was the Speaker.
- We have seen that Messiah was always there and is distinct from creation. He is G-d.
- From the first letter of Scripture, it is clear that G-d reveals Himself in finite ways to His creation. Messiah is somehow the overlapping of the Infinite and the finite, the invisible and the visible – the visible bet inside the mouth of the invisible pay.
The Voice
- Even without directly mentioning the Voice in Gen 1:1, we know that the creative power of the Almighty was spoken. When we connect that thought with this passage and the Voice of G-d walking in the Garden, we know that the Voice must be very important.
- Along with idea of a Voice ‘walking’, we know that Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of G-d.
- A Voice with a face? Hiding from a Voice? Note: this Voice was recognizable to Adam.
The Voice in Deuteronomy 5
- This is a recount of Mt. Sinai. xRef Ex 20:18 (saw the Voice?)
- Deut 5:4: A ‘face to face’ meeting.
- The Voice and fire: verses 4, 5, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26.
- The Voice, darkness, and cloud: verse 22.
- 5:22: The words of the Voice were recorded on Stone Tablets (xRef Jer 31:33-34: the only ‘change’ was the medium of transmission: i.e. the Voice spoke, and it was to be written on the tablet of the heart).
- There is always a direct connection between the Voice and ‘fire’.
- Jer 23:29: The Voice is connected to the Word [Davar].
- 5:24: What did the people see?
- 5:24: What did they marvel at? 5:25-26: What did they think would kill them?
- 5:27-28: What did the people ‘suggest’ and what was G-d’s response?
- 5:29: How did G-d’s expect them to respond to His Voice?
- Deut 18:15-19: The promised ‘Prophet’ was going to speak since they could not bear the Voice speaking from the fire. Obedience was still the expectation (xRef John 10:27-30: ‘hearing’ is synonymous with obeying in Hebrew. Compare to Deut 5 and Jer 31:33-34).
- There is always a direct connection between the Voice and obedience.
- How does this account give insight into Gen 3:8-15?
The Voice / Memra / Logos
- p17 in workbook,
- The Targumim felt a need to insert a word between the Voice and the people in Gen 3. The translators know that the Voice is the Voice of G-d Himself. They are attempting to find a way for the “Infinite” to project Himself into the finite. This is a greater theological difficulty than we understand – but the answer is not to explain it away).
- How does the Aramaic word Memra relate to the Voice in Onkelos’ version of Gen 3:8?
- Memra is the same as Logos when rendered in Greek. We looked at John 1:1-18 last week in relation to the word Logos.
- Voice and Memra are directly connected.
The Promised Seed
- Gen 3:15: Enmity between seed of Serpent, and Seed of the Woman.
- The contest between them will have the following results:
- Seed of Serpent will bruise/crush/strike the heel of the Seed of the Woman.
- Seed of the Serpent will bruise/crush/strike the head of the Serpent.
- The site of the blow shows one to be worse than the other.
- Romans 16:20: Crushed by Whom?
- Heb 2:14-15: One is destroyed – the other had fear. Who is who, and which is worse?
- This Seed would come through woman – and would be a Warrior of some sort.
- Gen 4:1: Eve knows far more of the implications of this Promised Seed that we normally give her credit. This verse literally says, “I have acquired a man: HaShem.” She thought Cain was the Promised Seed – and that he was more than a Man – that He was the Man. ‘Cain’ comes from a word that means ‘spear’ – was the Warrior here?
- Gen 4:25-26: Eve understood – the Seed was not Cain or Abel. Maybe it would be Seth [English: ‘compensation’]?
- After Enosh [English: ‘man’], it becomes more clear, the Seed would come through a G-dly line which would come through Seth etc. They began to call themselves the by HaShem’s Name: i.e. they recognized theirs was the G-dly line of the Promised Seed.
Summary
- We are presented with two problems in Genesis 3:8-15.
- The problem of the Infinite G-d fellowshipping with finite man. The problem was resolved by understanding the Voice walked in the Garden – and that Adam knew G-d in that way.
- The problem of the breach in fellowship between G-d and man – and how the infinite G-d could no longer fellowship (dwell) with man because of the breach of sin had shattered the overlapping of the eternal and the finite.
- We are presented with an answer to both problems immediately after Scripture makes us aware of them: The Promised Seed. We will have to watch how this Promised Seed is progressively revealed to us as we continue our study.