THE
KEY TO THE BIBLE, INSTRUCTOR - 4th SESSION
GET ACQUAINTED - Ask half the
group to relate the story of their conversion or tell about their
family/church background.
What
insights did you bring to share? Ps.118:19-24 "This is the day that the Lord has made [specify, Christ's death
and resurrection]; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Ps.118
is a call to give thanks to the Lord for deliverance and victory. V.1
& 29 bracket the Psalm. Jesus
quotes v.22-23 as referring to
Himself (Mt.21:42). The crowd shouts "Hosanna" (v.25-26) as Jesus enters
1. Types,
representations, images, shadows, forshadowings,
parallels, patterns, figures, and symbols depict, picture, outline, prefigure
or render some semblance or clue to the reality (ie., antitype, Beg. at
Mos. p.244-245). They are not
themselves the reality and there are more representations than those
specifically identified as such in the N.T.
They serve to condition our thinking and instill certain concepts
so we will recognize the truth when it is revealed. [see
appendix B] Thus the Old
Testament is the historical foreshadowing of the future reality. It builds a conceptual framework that
provides the categories for comprehending the ways of God and the Gospel
of Jesus Christ.
For
examples of the New Testament (Gospel) interpretation of the Old Testament, look at
the following passages and list the promises given to Abram. Gen.12:2-3,
7-8; 17:4-6, 8 12:7,
"I will give this land to your descendant"
17:8, "I will give the
whole
How
are the promises are expanded or clarified in the
N.T.?
Rom.4:13 "the promise to
Abraham and his offspring, that he would be the heir of the world"
Gal.3:16 "the promises were
made to Abraham and to his seed (Christ)…"
The promises as they applied to
Gal.3:29 "If you are
Christ's' then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise." The NT discusses these promises in the
context of justification by faith where Abraham is a prototype [original model, example
of its kind]
for all believers who will inherit the world, not merely the
The historical narrative of
the Bible is not merely a succession of events from which we draw moral lessons
or a convenient cache out of which we extract principles or illustrations of
the Christian life. Biblical history
gives us a frame of reference to understand the purpose and spiritual
nature of reality. The whole Bible
presents itself as the unfolding process of God's dealings with man and of His
self-disclosure to man. Revelation is
progressive. The history of redemption
is incomplete without the New Testament, because the New Testament clarifies
the typology and transforms the Old Testament imagery by the Gospel. For example, deliverance effected by a judge,
king, or other means is a redemptive event (prefigures
redemption). The Old Testament progression
of revelation toward fulfillment in the New means that the whole Bible is
properly understood only in light of the Christ of the Gospel.
Example of Typology of
a Redemptive Event
in Contrast to
Subjective (Allegorical) Interpretation:
Read Joshua 2:1-21;
6:22-25 and consider the following:
One line of interpretation focuses on the redness of Rahab's cord (2:18) as a type of the blood of
Christ. The focus and only connection
are merely the redness of each [false association]. The conquest of
Jethro of Midian and his daughter whom Moses
married, Rahab the Canaanite, and Ruth the Moabitess are examples of gentile
converts.
Identify
2 redemptive events from the Old Testament other than those mentioned
above. Notice that each is accompanied
by judgment.
the
ark and flood the zeal of Phinehas for the Lord's honor as Moab tries to seduce
Israel, "Phinehas son of Eleazar,
the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My anger away from the Israelites; for
he was as zealous as I am for My honor among them, so that in My zeal I did not
put an end to them." (Num.25:10)
CHRISTOPHANIES
·
A
Christophany
is a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ in a human form. Christophanies
reveal significant truths about God and his purpose for his people. The most common appearances are identified as
"the Angel of the Lord." The
word translated "angel" literally means "messenger". This angel possesses divine attributes,
performs divine works, and is even referred to as "God," while at the
same time is distinct from God. Christophanies helped prepare the way for the incarnation
by creating a mindset that anticipated the visible manifestation of God in the
messianic work of prophet, priest and king.
Read Gen.16:7-13;
Gen.18; and Gen.21:14-20. What things do
you see that only God can be and do? Multiply Hagar's descendents; called Him God, LORD; heard
Sarah's thoughts; Abraham appeals to His righteousness; called from heaven;
used the 1st person
·
List some other designations or titles of Christ in the O.T. Zech.3:8-10 My servant the branch; Ps.2:6-7 My son, king; Isa.52:13-15 My servant; Isa.53:11 the righteous one,
My servant; Ezek.34:23-24 David
·
List some of the N.T. designations of Christ pointing back to the
O.T.
Rev.22:16 “I am the root and the descendant of David, the
bright morning star”
THE OFFICES OF CHRIST
Since the fall of Man and his consequent separation from God, mankind
has needed a mediator between
himself and God. A mediator stands between 2 parties who are at odds as an
intermediary to resolve the conflict, bring reconciliation and peace. In Old Testament times there were three
classes of public service that filled this need - prophets, priests, and
kings. They were consecrated to their
offices by an anointing with oil (1Ki.19:16b;
Ex.28:41; 1 Ki.1:34). Since all
human instruments come short and fail, God planned from the beginning to
provide the perfect Prophet, Priest, and King.
This expectation among the Jews was the basis for the idea of a coming
Messiah. The words "Messiah"
(Hebrew) and "Christ" (Greek) mean anointed one.
Look up
the following verses and write your observations.
A.
Prophet - The Old Testament prophets were called to be channels of
revelation. They spoke to men in behalf
of God. The preeminent prophet was
Moses, who mediated the covenant between God and His people, the Israelites.
Dt.18:15-19 "the Lord your God will raise up a
prophet like me [Moses] from your midst and brethren, and you shall hear
Him. "I will put My
words in his mouth, he shall speak all I command" [God says to hear His beloved Son, Jesus, at His baptism and
transfiguration; Jn.8:28 "I speak just as the Father taught me,"
Jn.17:8 "I have given the words you gave me".] Heb.1:1-2
"at various times and in different ways, God spoke to the fathers through
the prophets. In these last days He has
spoken to us by His Son."
Heb.8:6 "[Christ] is mediator of a better
covenant," (9:15) "a new
covenant so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal
inheritance [6:17, "inherit the
promises"; Gen.17:8,"land of Canaan as an everlasting
possession"], since a death has
occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first
covenant."
B. Priest - Priests were the mediators
between God and men. After the
construction of the tabernacle they spoke to God on behalf of men through
sacrifices and intercessory prayer.
1 Tim.2:4-5, God our savior desires all people to be
saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. "For there is one God, and there is one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"
Heb.4:14-16 "Jesus is our great high priest" Heb.6:20-7:3
"[Jesus] has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedik."
Heb.7:24-25 "He is able to save to the
uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make
intercession for them."
C. King - The role of the king was to act
in the name of God, ruling righteously for the welfare of the people. He was both protector and judge. In many ways King David's life typified that
of his greater Son, Jesus Christ. [see Chap.6
Reformed Viewpoint]
Lk.1:32-33 "He [Jesus] will be great and will be called
the son of the highest, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father
David, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom
shall not end." {see "David" in Jer.30:9 &
Hos.3:5} Eph.1:20-22 "He [the Father] put all things under His [Christ's] feet and gave Him as head over
all things to the church"
{Rev.19:16 "King of kings and Lord of lords"}
FURTHER STUDY
According to Plan by Graeme Goldsworthy
APPENDIX - B
Chap.2 of
RPCD http://pop.eradman.com/
OLD TESTAMENT SHADOWS
WERE MYSTERIES
INTENDED
TO FORESHADOW REALITIES CLEARLY PICTURED IN OUR DAY
God has spoken and dealt with mankind in such a way
as to both hide and
reveal unseen realities.