“And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, [said she], hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.” – Genesis 4:25
Appointed by God
Seth means “appointed”. He was appointed by God as another seed of the woman (a shadow of Christ) that should bruise the head of the serpent and it was from his generation that the promised Messiah would come.
He was appointed by God to continue His purpose brought forth by Abel on Earth and to contend for the faith of Jesus (the object of Abel’s faith). Abel’s faith in God shook his world before the devil used Cain (a religious elder brother) to untimely terminate his life.
However, for Seth to achieve the purpose of God for his life he accepted the condition of God at his birth – appointed “in the stead” of Abel. His appointment was neither by himself nor of man but of God and for God. He had no personal ambition or interest but God’s interest. He was a nameless man! Before we can experience the move of God we must not seek to label God’s work with our name, we must not seek our personal interest, we must be behind the scene and we must not tamper with His glory. Who has appointed us? God or man? Are we contending for the faith of the saintly fathers that was once delivered to us or we have compromised the faith?
Abel’s sacrifice was the forerunner of “Christ the Passover lamb” (1 Cor 5:7). Abel’s was a shadow of the blood of the passover redemption which was hid and buried by Cain but was crying from the ground (Gen 4:10). This blood speaks even after Abel was dead (Heb 11:4).
Seth was born in a society with growing civilization; people were discovering new things and inventing great things, but they were increasingly becoming void of the knowledge of God. The devil made enormous attempts to ensure that future generations would loose the knowledge of God completely; but thank God, the appointed seed had to go back to revive the works and faith of the fathers which was almost completely lost.
“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.”
Gen 4:26
The challenge with many so-called “servants of God” is that they are not contending for the faith that was delivered unto the saints, but rather, they are starting something new. To start something new outside the faith of the fathers of faith will not only mean you are opposing the works or revival of God but it might lead to both spiritual and physical death. They pursue after their personal interests and ambition in ministry just to make a name for themselves.
When Seth gave birth to Enos, “then men began to call upon the name of the Lord” – Here is salvation. This experience was similar to the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down and many believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. This experience occurred because Christ the Passover Lamb, foreshadowed by Abel’s sacrifice, was raised and delivered to the next generation.
Today, the blood of Jesus cries out for sinners to be redeemed and for the perfect redemption of believers in all nations. His “blood speaks better things than the blood of Abel” (which was only a pointer to the ultimate sacrifice or atonement Jesus will make centuries later). Can we receive the burden and contend for the faith that was delivered unto the saints (and by extension, to us) and do away with this compromised faith that many in our day are spreading?
May our faith find a resting place in Christ alone, and not in devices and schemes of men. May we not seek our own interests but that of the Kingdom of God only.
