Zera

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. Genesis 17:7  NASB

 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.” Genesis 28:13-15 KJV

In the verses above, descendants and seed are the Hebrew word Zera.  

Strong's #2233: zera` 

from 2232; seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity:--X carnally, child, fruitful, seed(-time), sowing- time.

Zera means those born through pregnancy; Abraham’s promise is foremost a physical, natural family line promise. Those not of the physical line can enter into Abraham’s family, but in a different way. Paul talks about this in Ephesians 2: 

11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

 

Thankfully, those not of Abraham’s physical bloodline can be part of the promise in a similar way to how adopted children become part of the bloodline in their new family. Zera reminds us that adopted children (gentiles grafted in) don’t get to make up their own family rules after joining in – this is a family already in progress. Also thankfully, His offer of family is for everyone, as He is no respecters of persons, as Peter said:.

“I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him”. Acts 10:24-34

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery, leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God Romans 8:14-16