Seed vs Child and Abraham's Altar

God turned away from the wandering error he had learned from his father, and then revealed himself to the holy one for understanding, following the instruction from hearing, which occurred in the command, 'Go out from your land and from your kindred' (Gen 12:1). But the hearing of the soul should be considered the persuasive assent of those being brought under, and the eye the result of progress and the most certain grasp of the instructions. For it is to be understood that to know the same things differently is more introductory, progressing, and having progressed closely in the understanding of God.

It is also promised to the seed that he will give the land, that land about which the Savior said, 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth' (Matt 5:5), and in the Psalms, 'Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land' (Ps 37:35), and it is clear that not this land which we plow and sow—of which he was king—but the heavenly one, which is the most perfect knowledge of God; this 'the righteous shall inherit and dwell upon it for an age of ages' (Ps 37:34), but it shall not be upon the sensible land. This, therefore, God promises to give to the seed of the holy one, and 'seed' in this place he calls the child. For a difference is often found between seed and child; for if someone has become a child of someone, to him he has also become seed, but not, because it is seed, does a child become; for it happens not to be formed or to be completed or to be made like, as the Scripture says. Just as in bodily things there is seed not becoming a child, and a child being and seed, so also in the things according to soul and intellect. The Savior therefore says to those saying, 'We have Abraham as father' (Matt 3:9): 'If you are children of Abraham, do the works of Abraham' (Matt 3:9); for from these one becomes a child. These whom he said are not children of Abraham, he says are his seed, claiming: 'I know that seed...'

You are the seed of Abraham, so it is clear that it is not both seed and child, but rather they have received seed according to the succession from Abraham and have borne fruit from his nourishment, but they did not imitate his practice, though it was possible for them, using the appropriate means, to become children. Therefore here, since a promise is given to the seed, we take the seed to mean child. In the Psalms, indeed, it is said: 'The seed of Abraham are his servants, the sons of Jacob his chosen ones' (Ps 105:44). But as for that which is sometimes declared as not both seed and child, Paul writes: 'not all are children' (Rom 9:7); for not all those of Israel are Israel (Rom 9:6), but rather that one about whom the Savior said: 'Behold a man Israelite in whom there is no deceit' (Rom 7:7); but not these about whom it has been said: 'See Israel according to the flesh' (2 Cor 1:3). These things are regarding the difference between seed and child; let us return to what was explicitly set forth.

Abraham, therefore, builds an altar, moving in a thankful manner, spiritually offering sacrifices, even though he was making the symbol regarding those about whom it has been said: 'offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God' (2 Cor 8:13), and 'sacrifice to God a sacrifice of praise' (Heb 13:15), and 'sacrifice a sacrifice of righteousness and hope in the Lord' (Ps 37:3). 'It is necessary, indeed, that the patterns in the heavens be purified by these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves are superior to these sacrifices' (Heb 9:23). Such an altar is built by the one making progress and having followed the one who called him, having become as a remnant outside the land and the kindred and the house of the father, as to be worthy to see God, him having made him worthy to appear to the saint. Genesis 12:8. And he departed from there to the mountain toward the east of Bethel, and he set up his tent there, toward the sea, and the Annaites toward the south. What the explicit word signifies is not unclear; but for instruction, it signifies that he crossed over to a higher progress and state. It is signified through the mountain, and not simply 'into...