Some Aspects Of The Church From Its Beginning – Types Of The Church Found In The Old Testament – Part 3 Series

SOME ASPECTS OF THE CHURCH FROM ITS BEGINNING – TYPES OF THE CHURCH FOUND IN THE OLD TESTAMENT – PART 3

OLD TESTAMENT TYPES OF THE CHURCH

The Church is not mentioned in the Old Testament and was a concept fully unknown, as Israel only was the focus. For those Old Testament believers who studied the word they had – the Law and the Prophets – then they would have deduced that God’s blessings would extend out from Israel to the world, but so much of it was such a mystery, they could not properly comprehend. It was like they were trying to see through a mirror darkly, through a shadowy confusion.

The Old Testament is full of types and the study of typology is so beneficial. Much of that study centres around the Lord Jesus Christ in such matters like the Ark, and the goat of the Day of Atonement, and the Good Shepherd of Psalm 22. Joseph is a great type of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are types and hints in the Old Testament for the Church even though they may have been rather obscure at the time they were written. I wish to look at some of these. I have chosen 4 though there are probably more.

[1]. ISAAC RECEIVES HIS BRIDE FROM A FAR COUNTRY.

In the fullness of time, Isaac, the son, was to receive a bride so that the two may be one. The servant journeyed to a far country on behalf of his father Abraham. Here are selected verses -

{{Genesis 24:4 “but you shall go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac,” Genesis 24:7 “The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land,’ He will send His angel before you, and you WILL TAKE A WIFE FOR MY SON FROM THERE,” Genesis 24:58-59 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” and she said, “I will go.” Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham’s servant and his men,”}}

The bride was brought from a far country and united in marriage with the master’s son. Isaac and Rebekah are a type of Christ and the Church. The Lord Jesus came to this earth seeking a Bride and He found one in a far country. Because of sin we were all estranged and living in a far country at a great distance from God. As Rebekah did, so we willingly go out from the far country to meet the Lord. Rebekah was brought from a far country to the house of the son and there was a marriage. The Church was and will be brought from a far country to the Lord’s house in heaven where there will be a marriage.

{{John 3:16-17 “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life, for God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.”}} {{Ephesians 2:17-19 “He came and preached peace to YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, and peace to those who were near for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. Therefore then you are NO LONGER STRANGERS AND ALIENS, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,”}}

[2]. THE STARS AND SAND OF ABRAHAM’S OFFSPRING

God gave many precious promises to Abraham, some of these coming through covenant. One of the most delightful promises concerned his offspring and recorded here – {{Genesis 22:15-18 “Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son - INDEED, I WILL GREATLY BLESS YOU, AND I WILL GREATLY MULTIPLY YOUR SEED AS THE STARS OF THE HEAVENS, AND AS THE SAND WHICH IS ON THE SEASHORE, AND YOUR SEED SHALL POSSESS THE GATE OF THEIR ENEMIES, and IN YOUR SEED all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because you have obeyed My voice.”}}

Abraham has just come through the great testing of faith in offering up his son Isaac and this incident helped Abraham to gain the title “the father of the faithful”. The New Testament (Roman 4 being one example) covers Abraham as the faithful one, but as a result of his faithfulness at Mount Moriah, God promised him something wonderful regarding the children/generations that would come from him.