SEED OF THE WOMAN

Summer and her friends are bright and early the next day.   They travel through the Great Nebula of Orion, walk through the gates of pearl and along the river to the tree of life. 

Jesus greets everyone with a smile, ‘Good morning children and Oma. 

'Today we are going to another garden to learn about the Seed of the woman.   Follow Me.’ 

We walk along the streets of gold and breathe in the lovely fragrance of the flowers.  The angels now have happy smiles on their faces. 

‘It is good to see the angels smiling again’, comments Summer. 

‘Oh yes’, replies Jeannette. 

Soon we arrive at the garden where Jesus will teach us. 

‘Oh, look at the flowers’, says Jeannette.  ‘Heaven really is a beautiful place Jesus.’ 

‘Children, the Garden of Eden was created like this.  One day the whole earth will be like the Garden of Eden.’  

‘Oh when’, ask the girls. Jesus  explains.  

‘After the second coming, there will be a judgment, and then the earth will be renewed.’ 

‘Will we be able to watch it happen?’ asks Kevin. 

‘Yes, you will’, He replies. 

The children reply in unison, ‘That will be wonderful.’ 

When we are settled on the lawn, Jesus begins to tell us about the children of Adam and Eve. 

‘After settling in their country home, Adam and Eve begin to raise a family. They call their first child Cain.  He is the first baby they have ever seen.’ 

‘Eve  thinks  Cain  is  the  Promised  Seed  of  the  woman,  but  she  is mistaken.     God’s Son would not go down to earth for a long, long time.’ ‘Can I ask a question?’ asks Jeannette. 

‘Yes my dear’, answers Jesus. 

‘If you were going to save the people on earth, why didn’t you go down to there straight away?’ 

‘It is a very good question Jeannette. You see, the rebellion of Satan was such a strange event in heaven that some of the angels were still not sure if God was right.’ 

Jesus then asks the children. ‘Do you remember that some angels who stood in the grand hall sat down again?’ 

‘Yes, Caph was one of them’, says Kevin. 

‘Yes, we were all glad he did,’ replies Jesus.  

‘But many of the angels who did not stand were not sure.  They were loyal,  but they needed to see what type of government Lucifer would rule if he was given the opportunity.’ 

‘Is our earth the government of Satan?’ ask the children. 

‘Sadly it is’, answers Jesus.  

‘You can see what Satan’s rule is like.  All the loyal angels in heaven had been watching earth’s history, and very quickly began to realise that Lucifer’s rule was not good.  When their beloved Commander was put on the cross, they were totally convinced Lucifer’s government was evil.’ 

‘Satan killed you, didn’t He?’ says Summer. 

Jesus speaks gently.    ‘No, my dear.  Satan thought He had killed Me, but no one can take the life of God’s Son.   It was given up as a gift to the human race.  Do you understand?’ 

‘I am not sure’, replies Summer. 

Jesus explains further.   ‘You can’t make that choice because your life is on loan from God.  An angel can’t make the choice either.  Only God’s Son can make that choice because he has God’s life in Him.’ 

‘Oh, I remember’, says Kevin. ‘You told the angels only God’s Son could save us.  Is this part of the answer?’ 

‘Yes, you have remembered well son.   The Son of God went to earth to pay the penalty of death for your sins?  

We will speak of this again at another time’, smiles Jesus. 

                                                     ****************

As a small child, Cain was taken by his parents to the gate of Eden for worship.  Adam put a lamb on the altar and explained why the animal had to die. 

A year or so later, Eve had another baby boy.  His name was Abel.  

His father taught him the plan of redemption, telling him that sin could only be forgiven by the shedding of innocent blood. 

Eventually the boys grow up and erect altars of their own.  

Both young men offer sacrifices of an animal. Abel loves the sheep and becomes a shepherd.  It is his responsibility to provide warm clothing for the family from the wool of the sheep. 

Cain is responsible for growing vegetables for the family table.   He takes pride in producing lovely big potatoes, carrots, beetroot, onions, turnips, silver beet, kale, and many other varieties. 

Both boys look after the fruit trees, making sure they are pruned in season. 

One day Cain has an idea.  

‘Why should I kill a lamb when I can offer some of my vegetables?’  

As he thinks about it, the more he likes the idea.  ‘I am going to offer some vegetables.’  

One day, instead of taking a lamb to his altar, Cain takes a basket of fresh vegetables.  He puts them on the altar ready to sacrifice. 

When Abel walks past Cain’s altar, he wonders what his brother is doing.  Is it a thank offering?   But where is a lamb to go with it?  ‘Cain’, asks Abel.  ‘Are you going to offer a lamb as well?’ 

‘It’s none of your business’, he replies. 

Abel says no more.   He prepares his sacrifice and kneels down to pray. Cain also kneels before his altar. 

While they are praying, fire falls from heaven and consumes Abel’s sacrifice. 

Cain waits, but nothing happens.     

No fire comes from heaven to consume the vegetables on his altar.  He is angry and yells at Abel.   ‘You think you are always right don’t you.’ 

‘Cain, I am a sinner and need forgiveness.   All I did was obey God and sacrifice an innocent animal.   The death of our sacrifices reminds us of the terrible nature of sin, and why we are not allowed in the garden.’ 

‘Ha, it’s our parents fault.  If they hadn’t eaten the fruit, we would still be there’, snaps Cain. 

‘We can’t blame our parents my brother.’ 

‘Well, it is their fault isn’t it?’ continues Cain. 

‘No  Cain,  we  are  offering  sacrifices  for  our  own  sins,  not  theirs’, explains Abel.   Mother and father repented and were forgiven through the sacrifice of a lamb in Eden.   We can be forgiven too, but we need to shed the blood of an animal.’ 

‘These vegetables are good enough’, says Cain as he kneels to pray again. ‘Cain, vegetables don’t shed blood.   The sacrifices are symbolic of the death of God’s Son one day.   That is why it is important you offer a lamb. Your vegetables can be a thank offering if you offer a blood sacrifice with it.’ 

‘Keep quiet.  You always bother me.’ 

Abel leaves the altar and returns to his sheep.   Cain is very angry, but remains at his altar. 

Soon he hears a voice. ‘Why are you angry Cain?’    

He knows it is an angel of God.   

‘If you do well you will be accepted.     Sin lies at your door, and it will rule over you.’ 

Cain becomes even more angry. 

He goes into the field where his brother is tending the sheep and in a fit of rage, hits him very hard on the head. Abel falls to the ground.  

When he doesn’t get up again, Cain realises he has killed his brother.    He is horrified and buries him in a rough grave in the ground. 

Then he hears the angel’s voice again.   

‘Cain where is Abel your brother?’ 

Cain tells a lie. ‘I don’t know.  Am I my brother’s keeper?’ 

The angel of God knows Cain’s sin, but asks, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother cries to me from the ground.’ 

Cain hangs his head.   He knows he is guilty. 

The voice of the angel continues.    ‘Cain, in future your garden will not produce big vegetables like you have been growing.  You will now have to work harder, and you will be a wanderer in the earth.’ 

Adam’s firstborn is very upset. 

He moves away from his family to another part of the earth on the east of Eden. 

‘Oh, it is so sad’, say the children. 

Adam and Eve lost two sons in one day -- Abel was dead and Cain went away. 

‘You can imagine how sad Adam and Eve were when they found Abel buried in a shallow grave in the ground’, says Jesus.  

‘They blamed themselves for eating the fruit in the garden.’

‘That’s what Cain told Abel’, puts in Jeannette. 

‘That’s right’, says Jesus, ‘but Cain was wrong.  Adam and Eve just felt bad because they had committed sin in the garden.    It wasn’t their fault that Cain killed Abel.’ 

‘It was Cain’s fault, wasn’t it?’ says Summer. 

‘Yes, Cain made the decisions.   He was the one who was listening to Satan.’ ‘Jesus, something I’ve noticed’, observes Kevin. 

‘The people who listen to Satan talk like he talks to his angels.  He is angry and argues with them.’ 

Jeannette adds, ‘Yes, and he calls them bad names too.’ 

Jesus is happy the children are noticing little clues that reveal who is listening to Satan.  

‘Children, you have to be very careful because you can fall for Satan’s trap and talk like that to your Mum and Dad, or your friends.’

The children look at each other. 

Jesus continues.      

‘When you suddenly realise what you have said, apologise, then go to a quiet place and ask God to forgive you.’ 

‘What about the blood?   Do we have to sacrifice an animal?’ asks Summer.

‘No’, explains Jesus. 

‘Sacrificing animals has finished because God’s Son has already died on the cross.  When you pray, thank God that the blood of Jesus was shed, and He will forgive you.’ 

Satan had won this battle and killed the son who was to be the second in line to bring the Seed of the woman into the world. 

‘Who will be the one now?’ ask the children.

‘You will find out-----’ 

Kevin interrupts.  ‘I know ---- tomorrow.’ 

Before our feet leave the beautiful sea of glass, Jesus reminds us, ‘We won’t be meeting tomorrow as it is the Sabbath.   Spend the day with your family and come back early on the first day.’ 

‘We will.’