How Old Testament figures soften our hearts for Christ.
by Ron Bullis
Have you ever asked yourself why the Old Testament tells so many stories about King David, Moses, Abraham, and other figures? One reason is that Christians find in those people a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. Reading about them prepares us for our personal relationship with Christ.
Comparing Christ with Old Testament figures is almost as old as Christianity itself. Many in the early church regarded them as a prophecy or prefigurement of Christ himself. Later Christian thinkers, such as Jonathan Edwards, also viewed events in the lives of figures like David, Moses, or Joseph as foreshadowing the events of Christ’s coming and His ultimate victory over sin and death. Making these connections can bring our hearts closer to Christ’s own heart.
King and priest
As a helpful illustration, consider an unusual and intriguing character. Genesis tells us that Abram (before he was Abraham) and four kings defeated five other kings. These kings had looted and kidnapped Lot, Abram’s kin. In the immediate ensuing peace, King Melchizedek, whom Genesis described as a “priest of God Most High” (Genesis 14:18), served wine and bread and blessed Abram. In the blessing, Melchizedek described his God as the “creator of heaven and earth” and said that this God “delivered your enemies into your hand” (vv. 19, 20).
The similarity between Melchizedek and Christ starts as they are both king and priest. But Melchizedek is not just any king or priest. He presides over a peace settlement. Melchizedek’s first act, according to the Genesis account, is to break bread and serve wine to those gathered.
This passage has strong connections to Christ’s communion in the upper room. Melchizedek was not a priest of just any god but of the Most High God (El Elyon), the same name for God that Abram used. These connections between Melchizedek and Christ are more remarkable considering that he was a priest of the Most High God. Given this constellation of links, it is hard not to think of Jesus Christ.
The New Testament letter to the Hebrews makes the priestly connection between Christ and Melchizedek explicit. Hebrews says that Jesus’ high priesthood arises, not from any genetic connection to Aaron’s priesthood, but from His sonship with God. Christ is our High Priest, not by regulation but by “the power of an indestructible life” (Hebrews 7:16). Through Christ’s eternal relationship with God, Christ is God. In turn, we know and experience the power of God through our relationship with Christ.
Hebrews also refers us to Psalm 110:4 for the connection to Melchizedek. In it David praises God for victory over his enemies. He writes that the Lord God has anointed this human king as a “priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” God can choose whom He wants to be His priest, regardless of legal status, temple rules, or family history.
Benefits
How do these comparisons help us to have a closer relationship with Christ?
First, they soften our hearts. That is, in pondering their lives, we are drawn deeper into Christ’s life. Sometimes it is hard to imagine that Christ loves us personally, cares for us individually, and responds to our needs intimately. But reviewing how God worked miracles in the lives of Old Testament figures acquaints us with God’s graces in the lives of others. The more we become familiar with God’s action among these people, the easier it is to recognize how God is working in our own lives.
Second, God’s gracious work in Old Testament figures invites us to think beyond ourselves and our circumstances. Sometimes we need a larger perspective. This “big picture” allows us to see God’s overarching plan for the world and His people, which we are a part of.
Third, simply searching the Old Testament for foreshadowers of Christ acquaints us more with the Bible as a whole. When we say the Bible is sacred and inspired, we mean the whole Bible. The Scriptures record God’s work in the Old Testament and demonstrate how God’s work continues throughout the New. The Old Testament has wisdom and beauty that Christ himself was well acquainted with. In this way, both the Old and New Testaments form a unified and consistent record of God’s work in our lives.
As we search the Scriptures and learn about the history of those times, we can feel assured of God’s continued activity and become attuned to the variety of ways He works today through the Holy Spirit. Also, seeking Christ among the whole of Scripture strengthens our practice of seeking Christ in everything we do and sensitizes us to His continuing presence. Doing this takes practice and patience.
Now what?
First, we can search the Scriptures for how God is described. The names for God are not there for scholars only. The Holy Spirit placed such descriptions as King, Ruler, and Father in Scripture so we can feel closer to Him.
These words all denote a relationship. Digging a little deeper into Scripture, we can ask how these descriptions relate to others. Then we can ask ourselves how we respond if Christ is a Ruler, King, or Father in our lives. How does it feel, for example, to know Christ as a king?
Second, Christ himself can inform us how He is King or Father to us. Maybe He wants to be like King David or Melchizedek.
Third, we can meditate on the ways Christ renews and moves us — let our hearts feel what He feels and our minds think what He thinks. Christ came to save our whole selves: minds and emotions, intellect and feelings. Can we sense how we ought to think and feel before our faithful King and loving Father? Can we imagine ourselves acting like Him?
Finally, we can ask ourselves how Christ is like these things for the church and world. What does it mean for Him to be the Priest-King in peace and war? How do the prefigurements of Christ in the Old Testament inform us about the world around us? How do they inform our worship and praise of Christ today? Our answers will take us into a deeper relationship with Him that will transform us and the world around us.
