Studying the Books of 1-2 Samuel Together with the Church
Now that we’ve finished our “teaching workshop,” we’re about to begin studying 1-2 Samuel together as a church on Sunday mornings.
These two books were originally one book and were part of the section of the Hebrew Bible called “The Prophets” (Nevi’im). Specifically, Samuel was the third book in the “Former Prophets”: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. The “Latter Prophets” included Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve (or the “Minor Prophets”).
Later, when the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek (the LXX), it appears the order of the books were rearranged and re-categorized, and 1-2 Samuel became part of the “historical books”: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.
I’m hoping that at some point we can discuss why this book was considered “prophetic.” Is it simply because there are prophets in the narratives of 1-2 Samuel? (i.e., Eli, Samuel, Gad, Nathan) Is there some other way that the books could be considered prophetic? And, how does that affect the way that we interpret Samuel today?
Have you ever studied 1-2 Samuel? What do you find interesting, exciting, or even difficult about this book (these books)?
Alan-
Here are a few thoughts from when I last went through 1 & 2 Samuel. Sorry in advance for the length.
I think Christ’s teaching on how we are to interpret the Old Covenant scriptures in light of His person and work in the New Covenant guides us into understanding why 1 & 2 Samuel are considered prophetic.
The strongest testimony of all, which Christ bore to the Old Testament, was after His resurrection. On the very day that He rose He said to the two disciples going to Emmaus, “And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. –Luke 24:26-27.
Did you catch that? Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. –Luke 24:26-27.
Now let’s look at verse 44: …Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”-Luke 24: 44
Things in the Law of Moses (The first five books of the Old Testament) the prophets and the Psalms, basically the entire Old Testament speak of the LORD Jesus Christ. We need to be on the alert as we read the scriptures, in order to see where Christ is referenced, to see things the LORD is teaching us about what Christ’s name means “The Salvation of God”.
Let us see The LORD Jesus Christ, God’s provision of salvation in 1 & 2 Samuel.
The apostles also give us clear indication that they also employed this understanding about and interpretation of the Old Covenant scriptures. Peter said, “But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.-Acts 3:18
…all the prophets, all the prophets teach about the sufferings of Christ, so we must make sure not to miss that when we read the prophets.
Peter also said, “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” –Acts 10:43
This is amazing! All the prophets teach that in Christ’s name those who believe in Him receive forgiveness of sins! If you missed that when reading the prophets, please read them again with this perspective in view!
“So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place;-Acts 26:22
Paul states that what he was teaching about Christ and His gospel was nothing more than exactly what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place!
So, let us begin our journey of seeing The LORD Jesus Christ = “The Salvation of Jehovah/God’s Salvation” in 1 & 2 Samuel:
Samuel, Saul, and David stand out as the three central figures of 1 & 2 Samuel.
Samuel’s Name.
Samuel himself was a picture of our Saviour. The meaning of his name was one of the perplexities of Hebrew scholarship till the year 1899, when the Twelfth Congress of Orientalists held its meeting at Rome, and Professor Jastrow, of Philadelphia, showed that, in the Assyrian, which is closely allied to the Hebrew tongue, the word sumu means son, and he translated ”Samuel” as ”son (or offspring) of God.” Hannah, in the depth and sincerity of her surrender, gave up her first-born son to God utterly [ch. 1].
He was ”God’s son” from the moment of his birth. ”Therefore I have given him to the Lord” (not ”lent” as in the A.V.). The word, common to the Babylonian and Hebrew tongues before their separation, becomes a witness to the antiquity of the book. It disappeared from the language of the Israelites so completely that no Jewish student of the Bible, ancient or modern, was able to explain it. But it is evident that it was in common use in Hannah’s day; for she wanted every one to know that he was altogether the Lord’s own, and she must have chosen a word, therefore, which every one could understand.
The name ”God’s son” takes us a step further. The resemblance between Hannah’s Song and that of Mary, the mother of Jesus, [is remarkable]. Mary’s Song is not a repetition of Hannah’s, yet both see the same vision. It is a vision of the earth’s full salvation, and of the Lord’s Christ. ”The adversaries of the Lord,” sings Hannah, ”shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall He thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and He shall give strength unto His King, and exalt the horn of His anointed” — that is of His Messiah (1Sam 2:10). ”He hath showed strength with His arm,” responds Mary: ”He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts… He hath holpen His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy; as He spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever” (Luk 1:51-55).
Hannah’s Song, and the name she gave her child, are alike a prophecy of Christ. She has the honor of being the first to use the name ”Messiah.”
The Lord of Hosts.
Another and most majestic Divine title occurs for the first time in the first chapter of this book, and that is ”The Lord of Hosts.” ”The Divine title ‘Lord of Hosts’ never occurs in the Pentateuch; it occurs for the first time in 1Samuel 1:3. After this, it occurs very frequently, especially in the prophets– 281 times in all. If the Pentateuch was written by a multitude of writers in the later age, when this title for Jehovah was so much in vogue, how is it that not one of them has in the Pentateuch used this expression even once?”
That Jehovah of Hosts was a title of Christ, we see from comparing Isa 6:1-3 with John 12:41, and Isa 8:13,14 with 1Peter 2:5-8.
Samuel was a type of Christ in combining the offices of prophet, priest, and ruler. The Schools of the Prophets founded by him are a foreshadowing of the Lord’s service in pouring out His Spirit upon apostles, evangelists, and teachers.
Above all, Samuel was a picture of Christ in his life of prayer and intercession. From the time that God ”called Samuel”– the story we have loved from childhood [ch. 3] — his life was one of continual communion. Samuel had access to the ear of God, and his own ear was open to God’s voice. He and Moses are God’s chosen examples of intercessors. ”Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet My mind could not be toward this people” (Jer 15:1). Samuel said to the rebellious nation, ”God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you” [1Sam 12:23]. ”Jesus… ever liveth to make intercession for them” [Heb 7:25].
A Friend.
In Jonathan we have another picture of Christ, showing the love and friendship of our Heavenly Friend. ”There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother” [Prov 18:24]. He, the King’s Son, was not ashamed to own the shepherd lad [as] his friend, and Jesus is not ashamed to call us brethren [Heb 2:11]. ”The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and he loved him as his own soul” [1Sam 18:1]. Jesus, ”having loved His own which were in the world, loved them to the uttermost” (John 13:1, R.V. margin).
Jonathan made an everlasting covenant with David (18:3; 20:15,16; 23:18): ”He stripped himself of the robe that was on him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.” So Christ stripped Himself of His glory, and He has covered us with the robe of His righteousness, and has armed and girded us for the fight. Jonathan strengthened David’s hands in God (23:16), and the Lord says to us, ”My strength is made perfect in weakness” [2Cor 12:9]. The picture falls short, as all pictures do, of the glorious reality. Jonathan, at the risk of his own life (20:33), sought to reconcile his father to David. Christ laid down His life as ”the propitiation for our sins” (1John 2:2). He is our Mediator, our Advocate with the Father, and has made us sharers of His throne in glory.
The Shepherd King.
Both as Shepherd and as King, David is a type of our Saviour. In 1Samuel, we have the account of David’s long season of preparation for the Kingdom.
The little town of Bethlehem is the birthplace alike of David and of his greater Son. The quiet years of toil with his father’s flock remind us of the years spent at Nazareth and in the carpenter’s shop. Many of the Psalms recall David’s watch over the flock:
”When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers,
the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained;
What is man, that Thou are mindful of him?
and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?” (Psa 8:3,4)
”The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament showeth His handywork…” (Psa 19:1)
On the same plains round Bethlehem, the shepherds kept watch over their flocks by night, while the star which guided the wise men shown over their heads, when, lo, the angel of the Lord brought them the good tidings of great joy, of the birth, in the city of David, of a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. ”And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” [Luke 2]. Those who have watched the sunrise from those plains where David must often have watched it, tell us that no words can describe its magnificence. ”In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun; which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race” (Psa 19:4,5).
Psalm 23.
In the Shepherd Psalm, David surely describes his own care of the sheep. How often he had led them by still waters, and caused them to lie down in green pastures, and many a time he must have had to lead them down one of the gorges of the wilderness of Judea. This wilderness is fifty miles long, and ten miles broad, with many valleys just such as are described by the [Hebrew] word gay in this Psalm. There are eight different words for valley in Hebrew, but gay signifies a deep, rocky gorge, some of them only two or three feet wide at the bottom, almost as dark as night even in the daytime, because of the steep, rocky sides rising 800 feet high on each side. Here the hyenas stalk the sheep if they get separated from the shepherd. But with his club the shepherd does battle both with wild beast and with wilder Bedaween [sic.], and reassures the sheep with the touch of his staff in the dark valley. More than once David had risked his life, and left the rest of the flock, to rescue one lamb from the mouth of the lion or bear. The good shepherd has always to take his life in his hand and be ready to lay it down. With what confidence David says, ”Jehovah is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” And the Son of David responds, ”I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep” [John 10:11]. He leaves the ”ninety and nine” and goes [into the wilderness] after the one that was lost, until He finds it [Mat 18:11-14].
The Eastern sheep-fold is an enclosure, open to heaven, with a small place of shelter at the back, and enclosed with a rough, stone wall. At one corner, there is a tiny doorway, but every shepherd is himself the door. He sleeps in the doorway to guard the sheep at night. He stands in the doorway as they come home in the evening, and examines every sheep before it goes in. He has a bowl of water for the thirsty sheep, and a bowl of oil for the wounded ones; he anoints with oil those whose heads have been bruised against the rocks. The imagery of the twenty-third Psalm does not change in the middle, as some have thought, to that of an indoor bancquet; the imagery of the shepherd’s care is sustained throughout.
The Shepherd and the King were blended in David and in David’s Son. A true king must always have the heart of a shepherd. When David saw the Angel of the Lord about to destroy Jerusalem, he cried: ”I it is that have sinned, and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let Thine hand be on me… but not on Thy people” (1Chron 21:17).
”I will set up one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them, even My Servant David; and He shall be their Shepherd” (Ezek 34:23). He is —
• The Good Shepherd in death. John 10:11. See Psalm 22.
• The Great Shepherd in resurrection. Heb 13:20. See Psalm 23.
• The Chief Shepherd in glory. 1Peter 5:4. See Psalm 24.
David was three times anointed: first in his father’s house [1Sam 16:1-13], then over Judah, and lastly over all Israel. God has anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the oil of gladness. He is King of kings and Lord of lords, but as David– though anointed king– was in exile while Saul reigned over the people, so Christ is rejected by the world, and the ”Prince of this world” is reigning in the hearts of men.
A day came when the men of Judah gathered to David and anointed him king in Hebron. ”The Spirit clothed Amasai and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side” (2Sam 2:4; 1Chr 12:18). It is a joyful day in the experience of the believer when he yields the full allegience of his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, and says, ”Thine am I, and on Thy side”; when he can look up into His face and say, ”Thou art my King” (Psa 44:4).
”Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker” (2Sam 3:1), until at last Abner said to the elders of Israel: ”Ye sought for David in times past to be king over you. Now then do it: for the Lord hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.” ”Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh… And they anointed David king over Israel” (5:1-3). ”One from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother” (Deu 17:15). ”The king is near of kin to us” (2Sam 19:42). ”In all things made like unto His brethren” (Heb 2:17). Here we see all Israel united under their rightful king. A picture of a heart which is wholly true in its allegiance to the King of kings.
God’s promise to Israel was that He would save them from all their enemies by the hand of David. And this was literally fulfilled, from the day that he slew Goliath, all through his reign. We never read of his being defeated. So Christ has vanquished our great enemy, Satan. [Christ] has come ”that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear” [Luke 1:74]. ”He must reign till He hath put all enemies under His feet” [1Cor 15:25]. ”Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end” (Isa 9:7).
”And David took the stronghold of Zion” [2Sam 5:7]. This is like the central citadel of our will. When that is surrendered to the Lord, His reign is established. [cp. 2Cor 10:4,5]
In the story of Mephibosheth [2Sam 9], we have a beautiful picture of the grace of our King, in bringing us nigh and making us ”as one of the King’s sons,” ”to eat bread at His table continually.” He brings us into His bancqueting-house and bids us partake, saying, ”Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved” [Song 5:1]. He Himself is the heavenly food, for He says, ”The bread that I give is My flesh,” and ”My flesh is meat indeed” [John 6:51,55].
David’s Sin.
But any type of our blessed Saviour falls short somewhere. And David, as a type, is no exception. We come next to the record of David’s awful sin [2Sam 11]. How can such a sinner be described as ”a man after God’s own heart”? [1Sam 13:13,14]. All through the life of David there is one characteristic which marks him out from other men, and in special contrast to Saul, and that is his continual trust and confidence in God, his acknowledgment of God’s rule, his surrender to God’s will. The great desire of his heart was to build God’s House, yet when God sets him aside because he has been a man of war, he acquiesces with perfect grace to the Divine will [2Sam 7:5-13; 1Chr 28:3-5]. When Nathan brings home to [David’s] conscience the great sin of his life– absolute monarch that he is– he acknowledges it at once [2Sam 12], and the depth of his penitence is such as only a heart that knows God can feel. For all time, the fifty-first Psalm stands out as the expression of the deepest contrition of a repentant soul. In that Psalm, David speaks of a broken heart as the only sacrifice he has to offer, a sacrifice which God will not despise. And the high and Holy One that inhabiteth eternity goes further in His wondrous condescension and says, by the mouth of Isaiah, ”I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isa 57:15).
The Bible does not cloak sin, least of all in God’s own children. It does not spare God’s saints. There were steps leading up to David’s sin– his multiplying wives, his tarrying still at Jerusalem when he should have been at the war. It is always the case that there is backsliding of heart, before it is seen in outward act. David sinned grievously, but his repentance was immediate, deep, and sincere. God, indeed, blotted out his transgressions, according to the multitude of His tender mercies, but he did not remove the consequences of the sin: He chastened David through sore trials in his own family.
A Rebel.
In the flight of Absalom, after the murder of his brother, we have a picture of a rebel soul far off from God. In David, we have a picture of God’s sorrow over sinners. ”The King wept very sore… And David mourned for his son every day… And the soul of David longed to go forth unto Absalom” [2Sam 13]. In the word of the wise woman of Tekoa, ”God deviseth means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from Him” (2Sam 14:14, R.V.), we have an echo of God’s words: ”Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom,” or ”atonement” (Job 33:24, margin).
Even when Absalom was in rebellion, the King commanded, ”Deal gently, for my sake, with the young man, even with Absalom.” In this, we see the forbearance of God with sinners. And when he heard of his death, he cried: ”O my son Absalom! my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!” David would fain have died for the rebel, but he could not [2Sam 18]. How this carries our thoughts on to the One who was not only willing, but able to lay down His life, the Just for the unjust, to bring us to God [1Pet 3:18].
Love’s Allegiance.
In David’s exile [2Sam ch. 15-17], we have again a picture of the rejected Saviour. The eastern walls of Jerusalem are bounded by a deep ravine– the torrent-bed of the Kidron. When the rebellion of Absalom drove David from his own city, we can imagine him coming forth by an eastern gate– probably what answered to the modern gate of St. Stephen– and following the winding path down the rocky side of the valley. The King did not go alone. A band of faithful servants went with him; and a little in advance, six hundred Philistines from the city of Gath, under their leader, Ittai, the Gittite. David had probably won the hearts of these men during his [stay] in the Philistine city of Ziklag, some thirty years before, and now they were ready to stand by him in time of trouble. When David came up with this band at the bottom of the ravine, he tried to dissuade Ittai from following him. He besought him as a stranger, and as one who had but recently joined his service, not to attach himself to a doubtful cause, and he bade him return with his blessing. But Ittai was firm, his place, whether in life or in death, was by the master he loved. Touched by such devoted allegiance, David allowed Ittai to pass over the torrent-bed with all his men, and with the little ones that were with him– no doubt the families of the band. With the voice of weeping, all the exiles passed over, and climbed the grassy slopes of the Mount of Olives on the other side. David set captains of thousands over the people that were with him– a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. The devotion of his followers comes out at every turn. When they found that their King intended to go forth with them into the battle, they would on no account allow it, but restrained him with the words: ”Thou shalt not go forth; for if the half of us die they will not care for us; but thou art worth ten thousand of us!” [2Sam 18:3].
A thousand years have passed. Again a rejected King goes forth from the Jerusalem gate, and down the pathway into the dark valley, and up the slopes of Olivet. Instead of the strong band that went with David, there are but eleven men to go with David’s Son, and of the chosen three not one remains awake to share His agony [Mat 26:36-46]. ”I have trodden the wine-press alone, and of the people there was none with Me” [Isa 63:3]. The enthusiasm of David’s followers led them to restrain him from going into the battle. But when the soldiers came to take the Lord of Glory, His little body-guard all forsook Him and fled, and He who is the chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely [Song 5:10,16], laid down His life for rebels and deserters.
Nearly two thousand years have passed since then. ”Our Lord is still rejected and by the world disowned.” There is still the golden opportunity today of making His heart glad by such a devotion as Ittai’s. We are His blood-bought possession. It is His purpose that we should share His glory throughout eternity. And He claims our heart’s love now.
Hushai the Archite and Zadok and Abiathar were to represent the King at the very center of rebellion– ”in the world, but not of it”; ambassadors in an enemy’s country [cp. 2Cor 5:20]. In Shimei, who cursed David in his rejection, we have a picture of those who reviled Jesus, wagging their heads and mocking Him.
”I will smite the King only,” was Ahithophel’s advice to Absalom, ”and I will bring back all the people unto thee.” ”Smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered” [Mat 26:31]. Jesus, our Shepherd, was ”stricken, smitten of God” for us [Isa 53]. And the King passed over Jordan, that river of death.
The Return of the King.
We have a vivid picture of the return of David to the city of Zion [2Sam 19:9-40]. The people clamored for the return of the King. ”Now, therefore, why speak ye not a word of bringing the King back?” The King heard of this and sent an encouraging message to the elders. ”And the heart of all the men of Judah was bowed to the King, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the King, Return thou, and all thy servants.”
”Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus” [Rev 22:20]. According to Eastern custom, the men of Judah went right over Jordan to meet their King, and bring him back, and the crowd of rejoicing subjects increased as they drew near the city. One day the cry will go forth, ”Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him” [Mat 25:6]. The ”the dead in Christ shall rise first,” and the saints that are alive on the earth shall be caught up to meet Him in the air [1The 4:16,17]. Our King has set this certainty of hope before us, and calls us to live in the joyful expectation of it. This should lead to faithfulness in service– ”Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Rev 22:12)– and [according] to holiness of life (Titus 2:11-14).
A Gospel for the Hopeless.
The ”Mighty Men” of David’s kingdom [2Sam 23:8-39] were those who came to him in the time of his exile, when he was fleeing from Saul. They were escaped outlaws and criminals, but under David’s leadership they became brave, self-controlled, magnanimous men, like their captain. ”Every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there was with him about four hundred men” (1Sam 22:2). ”This Man receiveth sinners” [Luke 15:2]. It is a glorious Gospel that is committed to our trust! It is the Gospel for the outcast, for the refuse of society. It is the Gospel of hope for the worst and the lowest. The transforming power of the Cross of Christ is seen in changed lives wherever the Gospel is preached.
Hutch,
A few thoughts? 🙂
I agree with what you’ve written for the most part. I agree that the entirety of Scripture points to the Messiah. However, I do believe that we have to be careful with our interpretation and allegories. For example, Saul was king also. Does he represent Christ? What about Eli as prophet and priest? What about Eli’s sons? Are these representative of Jesus as well?
-Alan
No or I would have included them. 🙂
But I’m sure I missed a number of things, I not inerrant 🙂
Alan-
I’m cool with disagreement. I ahev not found anyone with whom I agree 100% so I never expect 100% agreement nor do I seek it, just out of curiosity, what did you disagree with?
And in what ways have you found 1 & 2 Samuel to be prophetic?
Hutch-I do find your writings on this very interesting and I was very much looking forward to your website addressing Christ in the Old Testament starting at Genesis and was disappointed when it wasn’t there. The road to Emmaus must have been pretty long if Jesus expressed all this just about himself in Samuel and then did all the other books yet.:)
We’re about to start Proverbs in our gathering and I know it represents Christ as Wisdom. Wondering what your thoughts on this would be Hutch. Sorry Alan if your website won’t be able to handle the information download.:) Seriously speaking even just a few of the more obvious relations to Christ would be interesting to me Hutch.
Alan-wouldn’t the author of Hebrews run into some of the same problems that you commented on Hutch. It seems like the author of Hebrews pulls out segments of verses to prove his point out of context in the OT especially in the first few chapters. Of course all allegories and parables fall apart at some point but the truth being taught is the reason the allegory is brought forth and not the other way around. I think this may have something to do with the difference between western logic and NT hebrew logic?
Rod-
The main theme of seeing Christ in all the scriptures in reference to Proverbs as you have indicated revolves aroudn how Christ is teh wisdom of God.
But, do not forget this beautiful gem:
”What is His Son’s Name?”
”Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in His fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is His Name, and what is His Son’s Name, if thou canst tell?” (Prov 30:4).
This is a most marvellous verse. If we ask a Jew the first question, ”What is His Name?” he would at once reply ”Jehovah.” But if we go further and say, ”What is His Son’s Name?” the Jew is silent, or replies: ”It is blasphemy to say God has a Son.” [or, he may say that the Jewish nation is God’s son]. But here is a verse which attributes ascension to heaven, and the creation and control of the world to God and to His Son. ”And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true” (1John 5:20).
Rod and Hutch,
If my comments came across as disagreeing with Hutch, then I did not communicate clearly. I agree with everything he said. The difficulty for me is in explaining (or even understanding myself) why we pick some things to represent Christ while others do not. Like Rod says, it seems like we’re picking and choosing. Don’t we then end up with a “Messiah” who looks like what we want him to look like? Of course, this is always tempered by the more direct image of Jesus Christ that we have in the Gospels, so there is some balance there.
-Alan
Thanks Hutch for your comment. I never realized that before about Proverbs 30:4. I do appreciate seeing Christ throughout the Old Testament even though there seems to be some picking and choosing like Alan said. I guess I see it not so much as forming my views of Christ but rather like when you read a book and find out the end results and then realize the foreshadowing that was going on and have those Ah Ha moments. Isn’t it neat that the Father is so much in love with his Son and vice versa that they inspired foreshadowing clues in there love letter to man.