Christ in the Old Testament: Characters of the Old Testament

When I was a very young child, I would guess I was 7-8 years old; I heard my preacher say in a sermon, "If you're going to be the Christian God wants you to be, you have to stand on the Word of God." I thought that sounded good, even though I was not a Christian yet. I took that statement to mean that the Bible was very important and that there was something magical about 'standing on the Bible.' So, because I wanted to do what God wanted when it came time for the last song during the service, we all stood - with me standing on my Bible! I did not really understand what I was doing (I was just a child, after all), but that was an important part of my faith development because, on that day, it was established in my mind the notion that I needed to base my life on the Bible!

          

Fast forward 55 years or so, and I look back on a life dramatically affected by the Bible. The teachings God has given us in the Bible have encouraged and strengthened me, guided me in many of my life's decisions, and served me and my family well. In short, I am a better man, pastor, husband, father, (and grandfather!) because of my commitment to the teachings in the Bible and the Christ who is literally on every page. It has easily become the most important book in my life!

           

Interestingly, this Bible is, as modern Christians might say, "all about Jesus." The New Testament books, obviously, but even the Old Testament. As I said earlier, Jesus, the Christ, is on every page, even in the Old Testament!

           

Let me explain:  In the New Testament, we have the record of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem and of the way he grew and developed into the man Jesus, whom we know as 'Messiah.' He grew and developed, and when he walked down the river where, his cousin, John the Baptist, who was baptizing people into lives of faith, recognized him. He shouted, loud enough so that everyone would hear, "Behold, the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29). John recognized Jesus' special place in the plan of God: He would be the one who would become the sacrificial lamb, that would take the burden of man's sin on his own shoulders, and give us all an opportunity of salvation.  

           

In the Old Testament, there were many stories of God working through men of faith; in each of these stories, those who have been given the 'eyes of faith' can see Jesus. For instance, in Genesis 7, we read the story of Noah and the Ark. God would destroy mankind because of their sin, and He called on the one righteous man, Noah, to build an ark. He and his family, and pairs of all living things on the earth, would board this giant ship and survive a great flood that was to come. The floodwaters came and destroyed everything! After the waters receded, Noah and his family came and 'restarted' all humanity. Noah was recognized for his faithful obedience to God, bringing salvation to humanity. This story foreshadowed the work of Jesus on the cross! Jesus, a man of faithful devotion to God, was obedient to His call upon his life. God called him to service: it was the service of following God's plan for his life, which included both the crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus' death and resurrection, of course, was an act of an obedient man whom God used to bring about the salvation and 're-creation' of all humanity. The story of Noah and the Ark showed us how Jesus would save us all!

          

I had misunderstood that old preacher when I was a child when I literally stood on my Bible. However, I have learned He was right: when we 'stand on the Bible' and learn to follow the Messiah that is on every page, we can become the person God wants us to be and live our best life!

 

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