- Seed numbered as dust
Genesis 13:16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
God promises Abraham that He will make his seed as the dust of the earth (and also as the stars of the sky). Of course, over a period of 4000 years there will be many descendants of one man, perhaps too many to count. But that kind of promise can be true for any number of men who lived 4000 years ago. The only physical wonder of this obvious promise is that Abraham and Sarai are old and past childbearing age. This is the miracle of Isaac’s birth. Although it should be remembered that Abraham also fathered other children and nations later on after the age of 100.
The real promise is that the “seed” of Abraham is physically Jesus of Nazareth, who is the God-man that will bring billions into the kingdom of God. Therefore, the promise is to be taken spiritually: every person who has the faith of Abraham is included in his seed. The faith of Abraham is to believe in the Promise of God; the promise of God is that there will be born of his seed a Savior who is God. This human birth of God is the impossible wonder that requires faith. Thank God, the Lord grants this faith through the Word of Gospel. That’s the real miracle: that I believe in Jesus Christ as my God and Savior.
The promise is spiritual, for by faith we are children of Abraham, and this promise says that we, the seed, the believers in Christ, will be an innumerable host. We are a part of something really big, beyond our ability to comprehend. We may feel as insignificant as one grain of sand, one particle of dust, one star in the sky, but added together we make a huge kingdom of God. And the kingdom in which faith places us, the kingdom that lives inside us, the kingdom that is eternal, is so great and huge that all we can do is respond with resounding thanks for His goodness and praise of His Grace. This response defines our life: our life in Christ is one of thanksgiving and praise. We are always thankful and grateful, and we live in that kind of spirit. We are a part of something that exceeds our imagination. We have a big God, for greater than my temporary problems and fears.