The Foreshadowing of God’s Promises To Us That Were Fulfilled in Christ # 9

Moses was also a ‘type’ of Christ.

Imprinted in Moses, God was foreshadowing His promise to give us the Word of God in the flesh, that is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior

So far in this Message Series we have learned about several Christ ‘types’ found in the Old Testament including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Melchizedek, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.

In the last Message we learned about how Joseph was a remarkable Christ ‘type’ and how with his narrative the Book of Genesis, came to an end.

Now we concern ourselves with the Moses narrative in the Book of Exodus.

‘Exodus’ means ‘departure’ and is the Record of Israel’s departure from Egypt 430 years after the Genesis 46 narrative of Jacob and his family arriving in Egypt (1, 875 BC).

After Joseph’s death, as Israel multiplied in Egypt, the new Pharaohs forgot Joseph and what he had done and instead made slaves of Israel, and 350 years into Israel’s captivity, Moses was born (1, 525 BC), to Jewish parents in the Province of Goshen.

Exodus 1: 6-14; Exodus 2: 2

And by the Providence of God, Moses was raised in Pharoah’s Palace in Tanis which the Old Testament calls Zoan.

Exodus 2: 1-10; Numbers 13: 22; Psalm 78: 12, 43; Isaiah 19: 11, 13; Isaiah 30: 4; Ezekiel 30: 14

Exodus Chapters 3-18 record Israel’s departure from Egypt (1, 446 BC) under the leadership of Moses and 40 years later, it records Israel’s arrival at the border of the Promised Land.

The exodus began with the Lord saying to Moses, Exodus 3: 9b-10 ‘The cry of the people of Israel has reached Me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead My people Israel out of Egypt’.

So, in what way was Moses a ‘type’ of Christ and what likenesses to Christ do we see imprinted in Moses?

Following the birth of Moses, the Egyptian Pharoah ordered the murder of untold numbers of innocent Hebrew boys who were about the same age as Moses.

Exodus 1: 22

And likewise, following the birth of Jesus, King Herod the Great, the ‘puppet’ King of Judah appointed by the Roman Emperor, ordered the murder of untold numbers of innocent Hebrew boys who were about the same age as Jesus.

Matthew 2: 16

Timelines and Calendars:

Yosef ben Matityahu was born in Jerusalem 37 AD, just a few years after the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Yosef ben Matityahu died in Rome 100 AD. He started out as a Jewish military leader but when he and his troops were conquered by the Romans, Yosef ben Matityahu changed his name to the Latin, Flavius Josephus and he became a historian best known for his writings titled ‘The Jewish War’ (70 AD).

As for Timelines:

Josephus placed the death of King Herod the Great at 4 BC according to the Julian Calendar, which would mean that Jesus was born about 6 BC.

So, if that’s right, our calendar is 6 years behind the birth of Christ. So, from the actual date of Christ’s birth in about 6 BC, this year is probably 2029 - time goes quickly doesn’t it!?

Some historians who dismiss the historical Record of Josephus place the death of Herod the Great between 4 BC to 1 AD.

The Christian World considers 1 AD the birth of Jesus, whereas the unbelieving World doesn’t even acknowledge either BC (before Christ) or AD (after Christ) and prefers instead to use BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).

As for Calendars:

Calendars have changed throughout the Ages; the Western World changed over from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar in 1582 and is still used by most of the World today.

Because of the discrepancies between the different calendars, even the birth of Jesus is celebrated at different times of the year.

December 25th was chosen as the birthday of Jesus by the Roman Catholic Church in 350 AD in order to de-paganize the December 25th celebration of the god Saturn.

Whereas the Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on January 6th

And the Armenian Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on the January 19th.

So, if you want to, you can celebrate Christmas on 3 different dates!

Calendars are tricky things aren't they!?

Now, let’s get back to our Moses typology.

As a young man, Moses had to leave Egypt to save his own life after the Pharoah threatened to kill him; and after that, he returned to Egypt when the Pharoah had died; the Lord said to Moses, Exodus 4: 19 “Return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you have died.”

Exodus 2: 15

And in similar circumstances, the infant Jesus was taken to Egypt by Joseph and Mary to save His life after Herod threatened to kill Him; later, He was returned to Israel following Herod’s death; the angel said to Joseph, Matthew 2: 20 “Get up! Take the Child and His mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the Child are dead”’.

Matthew 2: 14

On their journey of faith from Egypt to the Promised Land, Moses led Israel on dry land through the Red Sea that God had miraculously opened for them during the night.

Exodus 14: 15-22

And likewise, Jesus led Peter on his journey of faith to walk on the water of the Sea of Galilee.

Matthew 14: 22-36

Pausing on their exodus from Egypt, Israel camped in the Sinai desert, and it was on a mountain in Sinai that God gave His Word to Moses, Exodus 19: 20 & 25 ‘The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So, Moses climbed the mountain... (and after receiving God’s Word for the people), Moses went down to the people and told them what the Lord had said’.

It was also on a mountain, this time in Galilee, that God’s Word in the flesh, Jesus Christ, spoke the Word of God to the people, John 1: 1 & 14 ‘In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God....And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.’ ESV

And from the top Mt. Beatitudes Jesus referred to God’s Word that was given to Moses, as the Word of God in the flesh expanding on the meaning and adding explanations

For example:

Jesus said, Matthew 5: 21-22 “You have heard (Through Moses) that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment”. But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.’

Exodus 20: 13

Matthew 5: 27

Exodus 20: 17; Deuteronomy 5: 18

Matthew 5: 33,34a & 37a

Leviticus 19: 12

Matthew 5: 38a, 39a,

Exodus 21: 24; Leviticus 24: 20; Deuteronomy 19: 21

Matthew 5: 43, 44a

Leviticus 19: 18; Deuteronomy 23: 6; Psalm 41: 10

Later in Israel’s exodus in one of Moses last Messages to the people he prophesied that, Deuteronomy 18: 15 ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to Him.’

And who was the Prophet that Moses referred to?

Jesus answered that question when He confronted the Jewish Religious Leaders saying, John 5: 46b ‘Moses...wrote about Me’.

John 5: 24, 46

Deuteronomy 18: 15, 18; Matthew 17: 5; Acts 3: 22-23; Acts 7: 37; Hebrews 3: 3

As Israel was preparing to enter the Promised Land, Moses chose 12 men to go and explore the land and bring back a Report about its suitability for settlement.

Numbers 13: 1-20

And similarly, Jesus chose 12 men to go into all the world taking the Report of the Gospel to all the nations.

Matthew 28: 16-20, Acts 1: 21-26

Although Moses brought Israel to the border of the Promised Land, God did not allow him to enter it because of his disobedience to the will of God at Kadesh when he struck the Rock instead of speaking to it.

Numbers 20: 1-13; Deuteronomy 34: 1-8

However, through Jesus' obedience to the will of God the Apostle Paul said, Romans 5: 19b 'because (Jesus) obeyed God, many will be made right with God’.

Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh, and His Word says, 1 Peter 1: 23 ‘through the living and eternal Word of God you have been born again’. GNT.

Have you been born again?

Have you received the promise of salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior?