The Old Testament Witness to Christ and His Kingdom, Mentor's Guide, MG09

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T H E O L D T E S T A M E N T W I T N E S S T O C H R I S T A N D H I S K I N G D O M

Adam’s being was “of the earth,” so Christ, by contrast, is the Lord from heaven. While Adam was made a living soul, Christ Jesus was made a life-giving Spirit . As in Adam all die, so in Christ all are made alive, and as Adam brought pride and disobedience into the world, so Christ, through his righteousness, is the source of righteousness and justifies all those who believe in him. • Joseph, the redeemer of his kinsman, is perhaps the most prolific and “on-point” OT character type of Jesus. In ways that are both wondrous and moving, Joseph’s experience links and connects with the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. • In virtually every way, Joseph’s life story coincides with the experience of the Messiah. He was beloved of his father, sent by his father to his kinsman, hated by his brothers who plotted to kill him, rejected by his brothers the “first time,” and was sold for “blood money” (pieces of silver). Furthermore, Joseph (like Christ) was imprisoned with two criminals (one who “died” and the other “lived”), was considered dead for a long time but lived “as one alive” to the Gentiles. Joseph, like the Messiah, was raised from the dungeon and exalted to a place of authority and power, and took a Gentile bride. Finally, like Christ, he gave all honor to the king, and delivered all glory and treasure into the king’s hand, brought his people to repentance and self-knowledge, was reconciled to his kinsman and received back into fellowship, and was acknowledged to be the savior of his people and their ruler. • Joshua, the captain of the Lord’s armies, is an OT character type of Christ whose spiritual warfare resonates withMessiah’s role as the warrior of God. • In numerous ways, the events and happenings of Joshua’s life connect with the Messiah’s life. Joshua’s name resonates with Jesus’ name (Joshua=Jehovah is salvation; Jesus=Jehovah saves), and he alone was chosen by God to lead the people into the Promised Land. He possessed an absolute commitment to utterly destroy God’s enemies in Canaan, and was accompanied by a special manifestation of the presence of the Lord throughout his fight with God’s enemies. Like the Messiah, Joshua subordinated himself to the leading of God, dying to his own will, his warfare was rooted in his relationship with Yahweh, leading God’s people personally into battle, fighting alongside them in combat against God’s enemies. Joshua won complete victory, dividing the spoils among those who fought beside him in the battle.

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