Beginning with Moses

An Introduction to the Old Testament in Light of the New

"I don't want to find Christ under every rock." "But that's the easiest place."

You understand the concern, though. We don't want to just be seeing faces in the clouds, wildly and irresponsibly turning OT stories and prophecies and hymns into pictures of Jesus and heaven and the church and salvation. This sermon is to show you from Scripture how bold we must be in claiming all the Scriptures for Christ and seeing his shadow in everything that is written.

  1. The whole Old Testament is about Christ
    1. It all points to him and speaks of him
      1. John 5:39 - You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
        1. Said to the unbelieving Jews
        2. Scriptures = Old Testament = That which speaks of Christ
      2. Luke 24:25-27,44,45
        1. Moses = Pentateuch
        2. Moses and Prophets = twofold division of Scripture
        3. Moses, Prophets, Psalms (v. 44) = threefold division
        4. He expounded to them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.
      3. Every chapter, every verse, every word, every letter speaks of Christ, properly understood.
    2. It gives you pictures of him and of his work
      1. The Rock was Christ
      2. Christ is the true manna
      3. Christ is the 2nd Adam
      4. How bold the New Testament writers were in claiming every square inch of Scripture for Christ
        1. Out of Egypt I called my Son
          1. Matthew 2:13ff. - Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him." 14When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."
          2. Ho 11:1ff. - "When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son. As they called them, So they went from them; They sacrificed to the Baals, And burned incense to carved images.
        2. My God, My God
          1. Psalm 22 initially a psalm of David
          2. Jesus appropriates it for himself
        3. You did not leave his soul in hell
          1. David says God will not leave his soul in the grave
          2. The apostles take this and give it to Christ
        4. You are my Son, today I have begotten you - Psalm 2 taken by NT writers for Christ
        5. A High Priest forever
          1. Psalm 110, another psalm of David
          2. Hebrews says this is about Christ
      5. Boaz who is the "kinsman redeemer"? (A: Not a type of Christ)
      6. If serpent lifted up in wilderness is type of Christ, what is Moses? (A: Also a type of Christ)
    3. And it gives you pictures of the place he is taking you
      1. New heavens and new earth
        1. Rev 21:1ff
        2. Even the creation account is meant to be a picture for you of heaven
      2. The Promised Land = Heaven
        1. Hebrews 3,4, esp. 3:19, 4:2,3
        2. Christ is Joshua taking you into the true promised land
      3. The new Jerusalem
        1. Rev 21:9ff
        2. So the earthly Jerusalem is a picture of heaven
        3. The Jerusalem that is above is our mother
        4. You have come to (the true) Mount Zion
  2. The whole Old Testament is for the New Testament Church
    1. To teach us God's moral standard
      1. To drive us to Christ
        1. Galatians 3
        2. Rich Young Ruler
      2. To describe good works that we may pursue them
        1. Whole law summed up in "love your neighbor"
        2. "From the beginning it was not so"
    2. To warn against the danger of unbelief
      1. 1 Corinthians 10
        1. They all had sacraments
        2. But their bodies littered the wilderness
        3. These things happened for your sakes (v. 11)
      2. Hebrews 3,4
        1. They had the gospel preached
        2. But they failed to unite it with faith
      3. Hebrews 12:14ff - Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
    3. To call us to faith
      1. Hebrews 11:4ff
      2. Romans 4:13ff
  3. We will therefore expect to find these elements in Genesis.

 

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