When once we have learned the nature of our blessed Lord as fully
revealed in the New Testament, we can turn back to the Old and find it
radiant with His glories. The veil was upon the face of Moses, and is
still upon the hearts of unbelieving Israel, but where there is faith
the veil is removed and the glories of Christ are manifested.
Typical Persons
Many of the historical characters of the
Old Testament were in one way or another types of our Lord. In Isaac,
we see Him as the Son of the Father, given up by Him in sacrifice,
received from the dead in a figure, and for whom a bride was secured -
type of the Church united to Christ.
In Joseph, we see the Son sent forth by His Father, rejected by His
brethren (Israel), raised to the throne of glory during His rejection,
associating with Himself a Gentile bride, the Church, and finally made
known to His brethren, whom He delivers out of the great tribulation.
In David, we see the man after God’s own heart, suffering but exalted;
and in Solomon, we have a picture of the millennial glory of the true
King of Israel.
Sacrifice
The Old Testament is filled with the doctrine
of sacrifice. We can but enumerate some instances - the coats of skin
with which our first parents were clothed; Abel’s offering; the
passover, the sheltering blood of the Lamb; the Levitical offerings -
burnt, peace, sin,trespass and meal.
The Priesthood
Aaron the high priest was evidently a type
of Christ. The garments of glory and beauty with which he was adorned,
all set forth some of the varied characters of our Lord. The inner
garment of white linen tells of His spotless purity; the robe of blue
of His heavenly character, and the ephod of His priestly service. The
varied colors woven together in this priestly garment are peculiarly
significant. Red speaks of His world-wide dominion; purple, of His
Messiahship; blue, of His heavenly position; white again, of His
purity; while the gold, woven with all these, tells of His deity.
The Tabernacle
This building was in many ways an evident
type of Him who tabernacled amongst men. The curtains, with their
materials and colors, we have already looked at in connection with His
priestly garments. The covering of goats’ hair suggests His prophetic
office; that of rams’ skins, His devotedness unto death; and the
outermost covering of badger or seal skins, speaks of His separation
from the world.
Prophecy
We cannot even enumerate the many glorious
prophecies as to our Lord. A few characteristic passages must suffice:
in Isaiah 53, we see Him as a Sufferer; in Isaiah 63, as the King and
Victor; in Isaiah 50, we have before us One who can clothe the heavens
in blackness, and yet who meekly yielded Himself in obedience to God.
“He wakeneth My ear to hear as the learned” (Isa. 50:4). He gave His
back to the smiters, His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. He
hid not His face from shame and spitting. In Daniel, we see Him as
Messiah, the Prince; in Micah, as born at Bethlehem and yet the
Eternal; in Zechariah, as the One against whom Jehovah called His sword
to awake, the Man who was His Fellow.
The Psalms
The Psalms are rich in the praises of Christ.
We see Him in the 2nd as God’s King in Zion; in the 8th, as the Son of
Man set over all the works of God’s hands; in the 16th, as the Man of
faith, who ever trusted in God; in the 22nd, as the Sin-Bearer - “My
God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me”? In the 23rd we see Him as the
Great Shepherd, leading His flocks into the green pastures of heavenly
blessedness, and in the 24th, as the Chief Shepherd appearing in glory,
for whom the gates lift up their heads. Psalm 40 shows Him as the burnt
offering; in Psalm 45, He is addressed as God. Psalm 69 presents Him as
the trespass offering; Psalm 72 shows His world-wide kingdom. Perhaps
the most amazing of all the testimonies from the Psalms is that of the
102nd. It is the prayer of the afflicted One, pouring out His soul in
strong crying to God. “I said, O My God, take Me not away in the midst
of My days”. This is the cry of the suffering Man. God’s response is
“Thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast Thou laid the
foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of Thy hands.
They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure...But Thou art the same, and
Thy years shall have no end”. The suffering Man is none other than the
everlasting Jehovah!
The book of Proverbs
Divine wisdom is speaking, the
wisdom of God. He was before all creation. “....Then was I by Him, as
One brought up with Him; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always
before Him....and My delights were with the sons of men” (8:30,31).
Beloved in Christ, this is the person who is revealed to us in the Word
of God. Let us make more of Him. Let Him be more to us in our daily
life, in our intercourse with others; let Him be the center and the
theme of all our preaching.