God will dwell in the tents of Shem. (Genesis 9:27)

Walter Kaiser Jr., in his book Toward an Old Testament Theology, traces what he calls the "Canonical Theological Center," which is the revelation of the promised seed throughout the Old Testament. He shows how Noah's cursing and blessing of his descendants in Genesis 9, provides further revelation about the promised seed.

The structure of Genesis 9:25-27 is a heptastich which is divided into three parts by the repeated refrain of Canaan's servitude, a son of guilty Ham:

And he said
Cursed be Canaan;
a servant of servants will he be to his brothers
--verse 25

And he said,
Blessed be the Lord God of Shem;
Let Canaan be a slave to him.
--verse 26

God will enlarge Japhet,
But He will dwell in the tents of Shem;
Let Canaan be a slave to him.
--verse 27

Now the key issue is this: Who is the subject of the verb "he will dwell" in Genesis 9:27? We concur with the judgment of the Targum of of Onkelos, Philo, Maimonides, Rashi, Aben Ezra, Theodoret, Barumgarten, and Delitzsch that the subject is God. Our reasons are these: (1) the subject of the previous clause is presumed to continue into the next clause where the subject is unexpressed; (2) the use of the indirect object of the previous line as subject ("Japhet") would require strong contextual reason for doing so; (3) the context of the next several chapters designates Shem as the first in honor of blessings; and (4) the Hebrew phrase weyiskonbe'ohole sem, "and he will dwell in the tents of Shem," hardly makes sense if attributed to Japhet, for Japhet had already been granted the blessing of expansion.

The plan of the whole prophecy appears to devote the first strophe only to Canaan, the second to Shem and Canaan, and the third to all three brothers. On balance, then, the best option is to regard God as promising to Shem a special blessing. He would dwell with the Semitic peoples. The word for "dwell" is related to the later concept of Mosaic theology of the Shekinah glory of God wherein the presence of God over the tabernacle was evidenced by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Hence, the man Shem would be the one through whom the "seed" promised earlier would now come. Had not God said, "Blessed be the Lord God of Shem" (Gen. 9:26)? And why did He use this distinctive form of address? Could it be that the blessing and indwelling were linked? And could it be that they were God's next provision to earths's latest crisis? (pp. 81-82, Toward an Old Testament Theology, Kaiser)

The promised seed of Eve can be traced through the line of Adam's and Eve's son, Seth. The seed then can be traced through Noah and then through Shem (father of the Semitic tribes). Abraham is from this tribe. This line of descendants can be tracked through David and thus to Christ. God gives us hope through his meticulous planning and care of the line of David. This gives us hope and comfort because we, through the Church, are adopted into this holy family.
The concept of dwelling with man is central here. God promises to dwell with Israel (Exodus 29:45). God through His Spirit promises to dwell within the Church (1 Corinthians 3:16), and individual believers as well (1 Corinthians 6:19). In Revelation, God the Father promises that the dwelling place of God is with man.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. (Revelation 21:3, ESV)

We have God in Revelation restoring the relationship with Man that Man lost in Genesis 3.