Five Golden Rings
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, five golden rings.
Yesterday’s post focused on the four books which are central to the New Testament. Today we turn our attention to the five books which are central to the Old Testament, often referred to as the Pentateuch. The Pentateuch consists of the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. There is much to learn about Christ in these first five books of the Bible through a process Christians call typology. First let’s take a look at a story from Luke’s Gospel.
Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” They stopped, looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?” And he replied to them, “What sort of things?” They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scripture. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. (Luke 24: 13-35)
It took many years for me to realize that the Scriptures used by the Apostles to share the Gospel were what we refer to as the Old Testament. The New Testament was not yet written and wouldn’t be established as a canon until much later. Jesus himself continued to teach his disciples after his resurrection and a central part of that teaching it seems was to show them the places he was hidden in the Old Testament. Through the lens of Christ, the Old Testament takes on a much deeper meaning.
Since we are reflecting on the first five books of the Bible, let’s take a look at five figures in these books who have a connection to Christ.
1. Adam – God created Adam in the image and likeness of God. Adam was meant to be in relationship with God. Instead of embracing that relationship, Adam attempted to take from God what was meant to be a free gift. As a result, sin entered the world and human beings became separated from God. Jesus is the New Adam who restored human beings to their original relationship with God. Paul describes how Jesus is the perfect model of what this looks like.
Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness, and found in human appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2: 5-8)
2 & 3. Abraham & Isaac – Isaac was the son who was to fulfill the promise made to Abraham that God would make him a great nation. In the book of Genesis God sends word to Abraham, “Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There offer him up as burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you.” (Genesis 22:2) Readers of the New Testament know that God the Father also has an only beloved child who will be offered as sacrifice, yet his son is not spared as Abraham’s was. Abraham and Isaac are powerful types that point to Christ’s sacrificial death on Calvary.
4. Moses – Perhaps one of the most powerful parallels in the Scriptures is found when we compare the life of Moses with that of Jesus. Both were born when children were under the threat of death from power-hungry rulers. Both initially seek refuge in Egypt. Both spend 30 years in obscurity before setting out on mission. Both undergo temptation. Both have 12 close companions and eventually 70 additional helpers. The list of similarities is a long one. Jesus is the new Moses whose mission is to lead us from the slavery of sin and death to new life in the promised land of heaven.
5. Joshua – Sometimes I find it hard to believe that we don’t make a bigger connection between Jesus and Joshua. Perhaps we fail to realize that the two share the same name, one that means “God saves”. While it is Moses who led the people out of the slavery of Egypt, it is Joshua who leads them into the battle for Jericho and ushers the people into the land that was promised. Like Joshua, Jesus is our hero who leads us in our daily battles and, we hope, into the promised land.
When we read the Old Testament through the lens of Christ it will come alive in new ways and we will find that our hearts too are burning within us.
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