As we go looking for Christ in the writings of Moses we find him … 

HIDDEN AWAY IN THE PREDICTIONS OF A FATHER FOR HIS SON 

As A Person Coming To Rule Over All People 

When Jacob became aware that his life was drawing to a close “… he called together all his sons and said, ‘Gather around me, and I will tell you what is going to happen to you in the days to come.’ ”[1] For his son Judah, Jacob could see a leadership role ahead when he said of him … 

   Judah is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down. Like a lioness—who will dare to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, [Shiloh] the one whom all nations will obey.

   He ties his foal to a grapevine, the colt of his donkey to a choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine because his harvest is so plentiful. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk. (Genesis 49:9-12) 

Can you see a picture of Christ revealed in this prediction? Paul may well have had that picture in mind when he wrote of Christ … 

   … God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9b-11) 

Also John, as he describes the vision given to him … 

   Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The whole world has now become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15) 

And even in the description of his vision of Christ we are reminded of some of the expressions Jacob used in his reference to the coming of Shiloh … 

      When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven golden lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were bright like flames of fire. His feet were bright as bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance. (Revelation 1:12-16) 

In another of the scenes shown him there is a direct link with Jacob’s prediction in a reference to ‘the Lion of Judah’. 

   Then I wept because no one could be found who was worthy to open the scroll and read it. But one of the twenty four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne has conquered. He is worthy to open the scroll and break its seven seals. (Revelation 5:4-5)

Alfred Edersheim[2] refers us to the many Jewish commentators who also see their coming Messiah in this prediction that Jacob offers of his son Judah. He writes for example …

   On Genesis 49:9. The expression ‘young lion’ is explained of the Messiah in Yalkut 160 (vol. 1, p. 49 c) no less than five times.

   On Genesis 49:10. This well known prediction—‘the coming of the one to whom it belongs’—is in Yalkut, u. s., applied to the Messiah, with a quotation of Psalm 2:9. The expression ‘Shiloh’ is also applied to the Messiah, with the curious addition, that in the latter days all nations would bring gifts to him. Alike, the Targum[3] Onkelos, Pseudo-Jonathan, and the Jerusalem Targum, as well as Sanh. 98  b, the Midrash[4] on the passage, and that on Proverbs 19:21, and on Lamentations 1:16 where it is rendered shelo, ‘whose it is’, refer the expression ‘Shiloh’ and indeed the whole passage , to the Messiah. 

In Jacob’s prediction we have seen Christ as the one coming to rule but … 

What About Now? 

When deep in discussion with the philosophers and religious thinkers in Athens on one occasion Paul remained certain that the Lord was ruling now in world affairs as he declared to them … 

   He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth and everything in it, he doesn’t live in man made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need there is. From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand which should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. (Acts 17:24-26)[5] 

Solomon also acknowledged the Lord as the one who was really in charge when he says …

   The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD. He turns it wherever he pleases. People may think that they are doing what is right, but the LORD examines the heart. (Proverbs 21:1-2) 

Not only does he rule over the nations but in our personal lives as well. David assures us of the Lord’s personal care for us today, in sickness and in health, in troublesome times and good times. Speaking of the Lord he says … 

   For you are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

   Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the LORD. So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure! (Psalm 32:7-11) 

Exploring further in the books of Moses we come to situations in which we find Christ … 

PRESENT IN PERSON 

But before looking at those situations, firstly a reminder! 

Jesus Always Was 

Jesus did not come into being with his birth to a virgin mother in Bethlehem. Because he is God, he always was, is, and will be. In answer to questions about his identity he explained not only that he had also existed but he also revealed, for those who would accept it, that he was in fact, God. Listen carefully to his answers as the people question him. 

   “Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

   Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day. He saw it and was glad.”

   “You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and you have seen Abraham.”

   “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” (John 8:53-58 NIV)

Did you notice the name Jesus gave himself?—‘ὲιμι’ (I am.) The name is from the Greek verb ‘to be.’ It is the same name that the Lord gave of himself to Moses. To see this connection we need to go back to the objections Moses raised when called to lead his people out of their oppression in Egypt. 

   But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they won’t believe me. They will ask, ‘Which god are you talking about? What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?

   God replied, “I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” God also said, “Tell them, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This will be my name forever. It has always been my name, and it will be used throughout all generations.” (Exodus 3:13-15) 

In his reply to Moses the Lord declares his name to be ‘I AM’. This is the Hebrew verb ‘to be’. The name ‘Jehovah’ (signified in the English translation as meaning ‘Jehovah’ when ‘lord’ is printed in capitals like this, LORD) is derived from the Hebrew verb ‘to be’. 

The writer of the Hebrews treatise reflects the I am-ness of Christ when he writes … 

   Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. (Hebrews 13:8-9a) 

In the writings of Moses we find Christ present in person, firstly … 

As The Angel Of The Lord … 

Following her unfair treatment by Abraham’s wife Sarai, later to be called Sarah, Hagar ran away. But she was not left alone in this greatly stressful time of her life. We read of the help provided for her … 

   Sarai treated her harshly and Hagar ran away. The angel of the LORD found Hagar beside a desert spring along the road to Shur. The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

   “I am running away from my mistress,” she replied.

   Then the angel of the LORD said, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” Then the angel added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.” (Genesis 16:6b-10) 

From the rest of the story we know that the son born to Hagar, as the result of Abraham’s lack of faith and patience to wait for the son promised to him and his wife Sarah, was Ishmael, and that from Ishmael’s descendants have come the Arab nations and from them the religion of Islam. But that is a subject to be followed at some other time. Just now our attention is focused on the reference to ‘the angel of the LORD’. Who is this? Look at Hagar’s response for our first clue. 

   Thereafter, Hagar referred to the LORD who had spoken to her as “the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have seen the One who sees me.” Later that well was named Beer-lahairoi, and it can still be found between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. Abram was eighty six years old at that time. (Genesis 16:13-15)[6]                          

It is clear from Hagar’s response that she understood him to be God himself. But as these Biblical scholars point out, there is something more to be seen in the appearance of this ‘angel of the Lord.’ In the Bible Knowledge Commentary[7] we find this helpful comment. 

   This is the first reference in the Old Testament to ‘the Angel of the Lord’ (lit., ‘the Angel of Yahweh’). This angel is identified with Yahweh in Genesis 16:13, as well as in 22:11-12, 31:11-13, 48:16, Judges 6:11, 16, 22, 13:22-23, Zechariah 3:1-2. And yet the Angel is distinct  from Yahweh. (Genesis 24:7, 2 Samuel 24:16, Zechariah 18:1-2, 19:1, Numbers 22:22, Judges 2:1-4, 5:23, Zechariah 12:8.) 

Henry Morris[8] sees the reason for the Angel being distinct from Yahweh as being in his understanding that this ‘angel of the Lord’ is none other than Christ. In commenting on the angel’s appearance to Hagar, he writes … 

   This is the first occurrence of this phrase in the Bible, and the context (vs. 13) indicates that this ‘angel’ was indeed God himself, that is, another pre-incarnate appearance of the Messiah. 

In looking back to God’s deliverance of his people from the oppression in Egypt Isaiah refers to Christ as ‘the angel of his presence.’ 

   I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised,  according to all the LORD has done for us—yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.

   He said, “Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me,” and so he became their savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. (Isaiah 63:7-9) 

Let’s just pause here for a moment to recall that while Messiah Jesus came to the side of his people then as ‘the angel of the Lord,’ he makes himself real to us today in the person of the Holy Spirit. Notice carefully the shift in the phrases Jesus uses in his teaching regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit—from “he will give you another counselor” to “I will come to you.” 

   If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognise him. But you do because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.” (John 14:15-18) 

Now, he is present with us in the person of the Holy Spirit. At a time of the Father’s choosing, he will again be present with us in person, for as he left planet earth after completing his mission, we read that … 

   As they were straining their eyes to see him, two white-robed men suddenly stood there among them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. And someday, just as you saw him go, he will return!” (Acts 1:9-11) 

But remember though, until we see him again in person, he is with us now in the person of the Holy Spirit. “And be sure of this,” he says to us, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b) 

And now we come to see Christ in the writings of Moses … 

As A Man 

Jacob is on the way back to his home country after his years of service on his father in law’s farm in Paddan-Aran. He is anxious as he considers the future. He is fighting a battle within himself. At the heart of his struggle is his relationship with God. Will he take that final step of a total surrender of his life, his ambitions, his family and all that he possesses, to the Lord. While camping overnight by the River Jabbok the battle comes to a head. The story of that night begins … 

   But during the night Jacob got up and sent his two wives, two concubines,  and eleven sons across the Jabbok River. After they were on the other side, he sent over all his possessions. This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until dawn. (Genesis 32:22-24.) 

Who is this man who Jacob was fighting with? As is so often the case, the Scriptures themselves provide us with helpful commentary. We turn to Hosea as he draws lessons for his nation from Jacob’s encounter. 

   Now the LORD is bringing a lawsuit against Judah. He is about to punish Jacob[9] for all his deceitful ways. Before Jacob was born, he struggled with his brother, when he became a man, he even fought with God. Yes he wrestled with the angel and won. He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him. There at Bethel he met God face to face, and God spoke to him—the LORD God Almighty, the LORD is his name! So now, come back to your God! Act on the principles of love and justice, and always live in confident dependence on your God. (Hosea 12:2-6) 

Notice how Hosea identifies ‘the man’ Jacob struggled with—‘he wrestled with the angel.’ And then goes further as he identifies the angel as God. Jacob also recognised the one he was struggling with as God as he says, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”[10] But we have already come to understand ‘the angel’ as being Christ. 

Putting it all together can we see in this situation God making himself known to Jacob in the person of a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus the Messiah in the person of a man? This is the way that Henry Morris[11] sees it. He writes of ‘the man’ Jacob struggled with … 

   That this was indeed an angel is indicated in a commentary by Hosea on this passage (Hosea 12:2-6). Apparently in Jacob’s evaluation, his combatant was more than an angel. It was none other than the angel, the pre-incarnate Christ, because, according to Jacob’s testimony, he had “seen God face to face.” 

We think of another appearance of ‘the man’ when he came to give his life ‘as a ransom for many.’[12] 

   Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on his head, and they put a royal purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, and they hit him with their fists.

   Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty. Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Here is the man.” (John 19:1-6) 

We have seen Christ in Jacob’s predictions for his son Judah, we have seen him present in person as the angel of the Lord and as a man. Now we come to see him … 

ANTICIPATED IN THE LIFE OF MOSES 

A Prophet Like Moses 

Perhaps it was this reference in Deuteronomy that Jesus talked about to those disciples on the Emmaus Road as he “quoted passages from the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining what all the Scriptures said about himself,” when Moses said to the people … 

   The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites, and you must listen to that prophet. For this is what you yourselves requested of the LORD your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You begged that you might never again have to listen to the voice of the LORD your God or see this blazing fire for fear you would die.

   Then the LORD said to me, “Fine, I will do as they have requested. I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will tell that prophet what to say and he will tell the people everything I command him. (Deuteronomy 18:15-18) 

This raises the question: In what ways can Christ be compared to Moses? 

Christ May Be Seen To Be A Prophet Like Moses … 

-    In the awesome deeds he did. It is written of Moses that … 

   There has never been another prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. The LORD sent Moses to perform all the miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and his entire land. And it was through Moses that the LORD demonstrated his mighty power and terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12) 

And speaking of Jesus, Peter said to his people … 

   “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus of Nazareth by doing wonderful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know.” (Acts 2:22) 

-    In his role as mediator. Paul explains how Moses acted as a mediator, between the people and the Lord. His mediation was imperfect however because it was based on law. It was to Timothy that Paul speaks of how Christ perfectly fulfilled the role. 

   Well then, why was the law given? It was given to show people how guilty they are. But this system of law was to last only until the coming of the child to whom God’s promise was made. And there is this further difference. God gave his laws to angels to give to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. (Galatians 3:19)
 

   For there is only one God and one mediator who can reconcile God and people . He is the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:5-6) 

-    In his humility. In the books of the law we read this comment regarding Moses … 

   Now Moses was more humble than any other person on earth. (Numbers 12:3) 

And then in the New Testament writings we read … 

   Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God , he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing. He took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus  every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)

   Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly and the burden I given you is light. (Matthew 11:28-30) 

-    In the integrity of his leadership and ministry. Moses makes reference to his leadership as he challenges the people to renew their covenant relationship with the Lord … 

   Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them, “You have seen with your own eyes everything the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants and his whole country—all the great tests of strength, the miraculous signs, and the amazing wonders. But to this day the LORD has not given you minds that understand, nor eyes that see, nor ears that hear! For forty years I led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes and sandals didn't wear out. You had no bread or wine or other strong drink, but he gave you food so that you would know that he is the LORD your God. When we came here, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan came out to fight against us, but we defeated them. WE took their land and gave it to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh as their inheritance.

   Therefore, obey the terms of this covenant so that you will prosper in everything you do.” (Deuteronomy 29:2-9) 

Moses led his people with the qualities he learned as an experienced shepherd, for this was his occupation when the Lord called him to lead his people. 

   One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he went deep into the wilderness near Sinai, the mountain of God. Suddenly, the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a blazing fire in a bush. Moses was amazed because the bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn’t burn up. “Amazing!” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go over to see this.”

   When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses’ attention, God called to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

   “Here I am!” Moses replied. 

It is Jesus himself who teaches us about his role as shepherd/leader … 

   “I assure you, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! For a shepherd enters through the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognise his voice. They won’t follow a stranger. They will run from him because they don’t recognise his voice.”

   Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them. “I assure you, I am the gate for the sheep,” he said. “All others who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. Wherever they go, they will find green pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

   I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:1-11) 

Notice the reference to Moses’ ministry as the writer of the Hebrews treatise, compares his ministry with that of Christ. 

   And so dear friends who belong to God and are bound for heaven, think about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s Messenger and High Priest. For he was faithful to God who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully and was entrusted with God’s entire house. But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a fine house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder, but God is the one who made everything. (Hebrews 3:1-6) 

-    As God’s spokesperson. Called to speak for God before the ruler of Egypt, Moses was reluctant to go and kept offering excuses as to why he couldn’t do it 

   Then the LORD told him … “The cries of the people of Israel have reached me, and I have seen how the Egyptians have oppressed them with heavy tasks. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You will lead my people the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

   “But who am I to appear before Pharaoh?” Moses asked God. “How can you expect me to lead the Israelites out of Egypt?”

   Then God told him, “I will be with you. And this will serve as proof that I have sent you. When you have brought the Israelites out of Egypt, you will return here to worship God at this very mountain.”

   But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will not believe me. They will ask, ‘Which God are you talking about? What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?"

   God replied, “I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them, ‘I AM has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:7, 9-14) 

Jesus on the other hand did not protest. He fulfilled his calling willingly. We hear him speaking to the people … 

   “If you trust me, you are really trusting God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the darkness. If anyone hears me and doesn’t obey me, I am not his judge—for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged at the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me gave me his own instructions as to what I should say. And I know his instructions lead to  eternal life, so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.” (John 12:44-50) 

It was because of that prediction of a prophet being raised up who would be like Moses, that in the centuries to follow people looked expectantly for the coming of that prophet. So that when John the Baptist began his teaching he was asked if perhaps he might be the prophet foreshadowed in the life of Moses. 

   This was the testimony of John when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John whether he claimed to be the Messiah. He flatly denied it. “I am not the Messiah,” he said.

   “Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?”

   “No,” he replied.

   “Are you the Prophet?”

   “No.”

   “Then who are you? Tell us, so we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?

   John replied in the words of Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare a straight pathway for the Lord’s coming!” (John 1:19-23) 

If they had gone to Philip however, those questioners would have heard who the prophet actually was. Listen as Philip rushes off to tell others about his discovery … 

   Philip went off to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” (John 1:45) 

Others like Philip were quick to recognise Jesus as the promised Prophet. Those who were there on the hillsides above Lake Galilee, where Jesus provided a hearty meal for them, when all that could be found among them was a young boy’s lunch packet containing ‘five barley loaves and two fish,’[13] could see who he was. 

   When the people saw this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely he is the Prophet we have been expecting.” (John 6:14) 

And then there were others who were not certain. But after hearing him teaching at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles they knew that he was no ordinary person. 

   When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “This man surely is the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” So the crowd was divided in their opinion about him. And some wanted him arrested, but no one touched him. (John 7:40-44) 

The two on the Emmaus Road however had no doubt about his identity. It all became clear to them at home that evening. 

      By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus would have gone on but they begged him to stay the night with them since it was getting late. So he went home with them. As they sat down to eat, he took a small loaf of bread, asked God’s blessing on it, broke it, then gave it to them. Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognised him. And at that moment he disappeared.

   They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts feel strangely warm as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us.” (Luke 24:28-32) 

Both Peter and Stephen when preaching to the people after Pentecost identified Jesus as the Prophet Moses spoke of and as their long awaited Messiah.[14] 

And now if we look carefully we will see him … 

PICTURED IN … 

The Prediction Of Satan’s Downfall—‘Your Seed’ by ‘Her Seed’ 

The disobedience of Adam and Eve created a problem for their descendants in that they would inherit the corrupted nature that resulted from their fall. But the Lord already had a plan for such a contingency. And it included judgment for the one who had brought them down. Moses by special revelation from the Holy Spirit recorded for us the first mention of that plan in his account of creation. 

   And the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field. On your belly you shall go and dust shall you eat all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel. (Genesis 3:14-15) 

Who is meant by ‘your seed’ and ‘her seed’? Henry Morris[15] understands ‘your seed’ as referring in one sense to Satan, and ‘her seed’ to Christ. He explains his thinking for us … 

   Specifically, it appears that Satan’s seed consists of those who knowingly and willfully set themselves at enmity with the seed of the woman. They partake in a very specific sense of the character of the adversary (John 8:44, Ephesians 2:2-3) and seek to oppose God’s purposes in creation and redemption.

   The ‘seed of the woman’ on the other hand , would refer in the first place to those in the human family who are brought into a right relationship with God through faith, children of the Father. The prophecy forecasts the age long conflict between the children of the kingdom and the children of the wicked one, beginning with Cain and Abel (Matthew 13:37-40, 1 John 3:8-12), and continuing to the end of the age. (Revelation 12:17).

   There is obviously another meaning as well, in addition to the above plural and corporate  meaning of the two seeds. There is one primary seed of the serpent and one primary seed of the woman. The former is the soon coming ‘son of perdition’ (2 Thessalonians 2:3), the anti christ, to whom the Dragon gives his power and throne and authority (Revelation 13:2)

   The primary seed of the woman is, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is not the seed of the serpent, but Satan himself, who battles and is destroyed by this seed, according to verse 15. 

Jewish scholars also see the Messiah in this reference. Edersheim[16] tells us that … 

   This well known passage is paraphrased, with express reference to the Messiah, in the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan and the so called Jerusalem Targum. Schöttgen conjectures that the Talmudic designation of ‘heels of the Messiah’ (Sot. 49 b, line 2 from top) in reference to the near Advent of the Messiah in the description of the troubles of those days (compare Matthew 10:35-36) may have been chosen partly with a view to this passage.

The bruising of Messiah’s heel would occur as the nails are driven through  his feet. Isaiah writes of the excruciating pain he would experience on the cross … 

     Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6 NIV) 

See now, the sacrificial death of Christ in … 

The Clothing Provided For Adam And Eve 

Following their fall and becoming aware of their sinful state Adam and his wife devised a way of covering themselves. They chose for their atonement, the covering of leaves taken from a fig tree.[17] We pause to note here that the Hebrew word translated ‘atonement’ a concept introduced later in the Scriptures,[18] is the word for a covering of some sort. 

But God’s plan for atonement involved the shedding of blood. This is what he explained later to Moses. 

   “ … for the life of any creature is in its blood. I have given you the blood so that you can make atonement for your sins. It is he blood, representing life, that brings you atonement.” (Leviticus 17:11) 

That atonement is pictured in the Lord’s provision of clothing for the couple. It involved the death of an animal so that clothing could be made from its skin. 

   Then Adam named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all people everywhere. And the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. (Genesis 3:20-21) 

Isaiah enlarges the picture for us. 

   I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10) 

Paul pictures our salvation as being clothed with Christ. 

   You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26-28 NIV) 

But before we leave this picture let’s remind ourselves of the new body in which we will be clothed someday, because of the ‘clothing of salvation’ that we are now covered with. Paul speaks of this in one of his letters to the church in Corinth. 

   I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”[19] (1 Corinthians 15:50-55 NIV) 

Our Lord Jesus is also to be seen in … 

The Priestly Ministry Of Melchizedek 

We first meet Melchizedek when Abraham had just returned from a military victory in the Siddim Valley. Melchizedek met him with a blessing from God and Abraham offered him a tenth of the spoils of victory. 

   Then Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought him bread and wine. Melchizedek blessed Abraham with this blessing:

 “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has helped you conquer your enemies.”

   Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered. (Genesis 14:18-20) 

The author of Hebrews paints the picture for us. 

   The change in God’s law is even more evident from the fact that a different priest , who is like Melchizedek, has now come. He became a priest, not by meeting the old requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. And the Psalmist[20] pointed this out when he said of Christ, “You are a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 7:15-17) 

Henry Morris[21] presents us with some thought provoking comments as he considers the possible identity of this non-Levitical priest and his priestly order. He writes … 

   Although there is no doubt that the great majority of sound, conservative commentators, both on Genesis and Hebrews, consider Melchizedek to be an ordinary man who was used merely as a type’ of Christ, it does seem that this interpretation cannot adequately answer all the questions and does not do real justice to the exalted language of the three passages[22] dealing with Melchizedek …

   The one other possibility is that Melchizedek was not only a type of Christ, but was actually Christ himself, in one of his pre-incarnate appearances. Although this interpretation is not without its own difficulties, it does seem to harmonize most naturally with the doctrine of verbal inspiration and the principle of literal interpretation. The only person of whom the statements in Hebrews 7:3 could be literally true as they stand, without addition of other words supposedly implied, would have to be none other than the Second Person of the Godhead …

   The student should consider the evidences for each possibility on their own merits. However, it does seem that the most Christ-honoring interpretation, the one most consistent with Biblical literalism, and the one with the fewest difficulties is the recognition of Melchizedek as a glorious manifestation to Abram of God incarnate, the eternal priestly Mediator between man and God. 

In The Story Of The Testing Of Abraham 

In this story we find two connecting pictures of our salvation. 

-    God’s love in Abraham’s love for his son but willing to offer him up as a sacrifice 

   Later on God tested Abraham’s faith and obedience. “Abraham!” God called.

   “Yes” he replied. “Here I am.”

   “Take your son, your only son—yes Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burn offering on one of the mountains, which I will point out to you.” (Genesis 22:1-2)

   For God so loved the world that he gave his only So, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal live. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. (John 3:16-17) 

-    Christ’s sacrificial death in the substitution of the ram 

   When they arrived at the place where God had told Abraham to go, he built an altar and placed the wood on it. Then he tied Isaac up and laid him on the altar over the wood. And Abraham took the knife and lifted it up to kill his son as a sacrifice to the LORD. At that moment the angel of the LORD shouted to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!”

   “Yes,” he answered. “I’m listening.”

   “Lay down the knife ,” the angel said. “Do not hurt the boy in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld even your beloved son from me.”

Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a   bush. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering on the altar in place of his son. (Genesis 22:9-13)

   For God decided to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return. (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

   When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:6-8) 

In The Passover Lamb 

The final judgment to convince the Pharaoh of Egypt to release the people of Israel from the oppression of their lives under his rule was to be the death of  the first born son in each Egyptian family. But for their protection during this time of judgment each Israelite family was to choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice. The Lord then gave these instructions for them to follow. 

   “Take special care of these lambs until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then each family in the community must slaughter its lamb. They are to take some of the lamb’s blood and smear it on the top and sides of the door frame of the house where the lamb will be eaten …

   Wear your traveling clothes as you eat this meal, as though prepared for a long journey. Wear your sandals and carry your walking sticks in your hands. Eat the food quickly, for this is the LORD’s Passover. On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and kill all the firstborn sons and firstborn male animals in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD! The blood you have smeared on your doorposts will serve as a sign. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. You must remember this day forever. Each year will celebrate it as a special festival to the LORD …

   Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of Egypt on this very day.” (Exodus 6-8, 11-14, 17) 

It is in the offering of that lamb at the time of Israel’s deliverance from oppression in Egypt that Jesus is so clearly pictured. Jesus chose a Passover meal with his disciples to move the focus of the celebration to a memorial of his own soon to be enacted sacrificial death. In fact it was at the very time that the Passover lambs were being sacrificed in Jerusalem that year that Jesus voluntarily offered himself on the cross as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”[23] John recalls the story of that meal with Jesus. 

   Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lambs were sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together …

   Then at the proper time Jesus and the twelve apostles sat down together at the table. Jesus said, “I have looked forward to this hour with deep longing, anxious to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won’t eat it again until it comes to fulfillment in the Kingdom of God.”

   Then he took a cup of wine, and when he had given thanks for it, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”

   Then he took a loaf of bread. And when he had thanked God for it, he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This wine is the token of God’s new covenant to save you—an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you.” (Luke 22:7-8, 14-20) 

For Paul, the picture of Christ in the sacrificial lamb of the Passover celebrations is so clearly in his mind as he writes to the members of the church in Corinth.  

   Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So let us celebrate the festival, not by eating the old bread of wickedness and evil, but by eating the new bread of purity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7a-8) 

In The Water From The Rock

At one place along the way to their new country the Israelites were unable to find water. They complained angrily to Moses. 

   … tormented by thirst , they continued to complain, “Why did you ever take us out of Egypt? Why did you bring us here? We, our children, and our livestock will all die!”

   Then Moses pleaded with the LORD, “What shall I do with these people? They are about to stone me!”

   Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take your shepherd’s staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile. Then call some of the leaders of Israel and walk on ahead of the people. I will meet you by the rock at Mt Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come pouring out. Then the people will be able to drink.” Moses did just as he was told , and as the leaders looked on, water gushed out. (Exodus 17:5-6)[24] 

Paul saw Christ in that rock and the life giving water that flowed from it. He draws these thoughts from the scene. 

   I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, what happened to our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. God guided all of them by sending a cloud that moved along ahead of them, and he brought them all safely through the waters of the sea on dry ground. As followers of Moses, they were all baptised in the cloud and the sea. And all of them ate the same miraculous food, and all of them drank the same miraculous water. For they all drank from the miraculous rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:1-4) 

In The Manna In The Wilderness 

As the people traveled on, food became scarce. Once again the people complained to their leaders. 

   “Oh that we were back in Egypt,” they moaned. “It would have been better if the LORD had killed us there! At least there we had plenty to eat. But now you have brought us to this desert to starve us to death.”

   Then the LORD said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. The people can go out each day and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see if they will follow my instructions. Tell them to pick up twice as much as usual on the sixth day of each week.”

   In time, the food became known as manna.[25] It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like honey cakes. (Exodus 16:3-5, 31) 

One of the psalmists makes this comment about God’s provision of the manna. 

   … they did not believe God or trust him to care for them. But he commanded the skies to open—he opened the doors of heaven—and rained down manna for them to eat. He gave them bread from heaven. They ate the food of angels! God gave them all they could hold. (Psalm 78:22-25) 

Jesus saw himself pictured in that manna. On one occasion as he was teaching the crowds of people who constantly gathered to hear him, some of them said to him … 

   “You must show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What will you do for us? After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! As the Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave then bread from heaven to eat.’ ”

   Jesus said, “I assure you, Moses didn’t give them bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

   “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day of our lives.”

   Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again. Those who believe in me will never thirst.” (John 6:30-35) 

The message given to John to deliver to the pastor of the church in Pergamum also draws from this picture of the provision of the manna. 

   “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Everyone who is victorious will eat of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven.” (Revelation 2:17) 

In The Bronze Snake On A Pole 

As the result of their continual complaining, bordering on rebellion, against their leaders and against the Lord, he allowed poisonous snakes to invade the camp. But at the same time provided a way of salvation from the deadly intrusion. Christ in his death on a cross is pictured in this scene. 

   So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among them, and many were bitten and died. Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people.

   Then the LORD told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to the top of a pole. Those who are bitten will live if they simply look at it.” So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to the top of a pole. Whenever those who were bitten looked at the bronze snake they recovered! (Numbers 21:6-9)  

Jesus explained how he was pictured in this historic incident to Nicodemus, who came one evening to discuss matters relating to the Kingdom of God with him. 

   “And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15) 

And perhaps most instructive of all, we will find Christ … 

FORESHADOWED IN THE LEVITICAL SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM

As Jesus continued to show that couple on the Emmaus Road where he could be seen in the writings of Moses, he surely would have drawn from this book, Leviticus. For it is in the sacrificial system described there that he is pictured so clearly. He is both High Priest and the sacrificial offering. For a description of these sacrifices and their meaning for us today go to ...
                                                                                            leviticus.htm

Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been
sacrificed for us. So let us celebrate
the festival, not by eating the old bread
of wickedness and evil, but by eating
the new bread of purity and truth.
(1 Corinthians 5:7-8)