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REVIEW
QUESTIONS:
1.
How was Jacob’s dream an illustration of Jesus Christ?
Jesus is like the ladder which reached from earth to
heaven. He is the mediator between God and man. Through
the Lord Jesus, we have been brought back into oneness
with God.
2.
The life of Joseph had many parallels to the life of
Jesus. Joseph was greatly loved by his father. How does
this remind us of Jesus? Jesus was greatly loved by
His heavenly Father.
3.
Joseph’s brothers sold him as a slave. How does this
remind us of the life of Jesus? Jesus was sold by one
of His own disciples, Judas.
4.
Joseph was rejected by his own people, but accepted by
the Egyptians. How is this like the Lord Jesus? Jesus
was rejected by His own Jewish people, but people from
many other nations (as well as many Jews) have trusted
in Him.
5.
God raised Joseph to a place of honor and authority in
Egypt. How is this like the Lord Jesus? God has
raised the Lord Jesus to the highest place of glory and
authority in heaven and earth.
6.
The life of Moses also has many parallels to the life of
Jesus. As a baby, Moses was protected from death. How is
this like the Lord Jesus? Jesus, as a baby, was also
protected from death.
7.
Moses was appointed by God to be the deliverer of his
people. How is this like the Lord Jesus? Jesus was
appointed by God to be the Deliverer of all people who
put their trust in Him.
8.
Who is the “I AM,” the self-existent One? God the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
9.
God protected Israel from the terrible plagues that He
brought upon the Egyptians. How does this remind us of
what He has done for us in Christ? Because we have
put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will never have to
face His terrible judgment against sin.
A.
Introduction
We
have been looking at pictures of Christ in the Old
Testament. We will begin this lesson by looking at one
of the greatest pictures of Christ in the Old
Testament—the Passover.
B.
The Israelites had to sacrifice a Passover Iamb to
save them from death.
Jesus
Christ became our Passover Lamb, to save us from death.
God
sent terrible plagues on Egypt.
The
final plague was death to the firstborn of every man and
animal in Egypt.
This
plague would have killed the Israelites, too, but God
made a way for them to escape.
Let’s
look at some of the pictures of Christ in the Passover:
1.
The Israelites were to
choose an acceptable sacrifice, a perfect Iamb.
Jesus
is our perfect sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God.
The
Israelites were to choose a perfect lamb to be a
sacrifice for their family.
Read
Exodus 12:3,5.
Jesus
Christ is our perfect sacrifice—holy and sinless,
totally acceptable to God.
He
was born the sinless Son of God, and He was the only One
who lived a sinless life here on earth.
He
alone could be an acceptable sacrifice for our
sins.
2.
The Israelites
had to observe the Iamb to be sure it was
suitable.
God
observed the life of Jesus Christ and found Him totally
acceptable.
God
told the Israelites to choose their sacrificial lamb on
the tenth day of the month.
They
were to observe it for four days to see that it was,
indeed, a suitable sacrifice.
Jesus
Christ lived His life here on earth for thirty-three
years. In everything He said and did, Jesus filly
pleased His Father.
3.
The Iamb must be killed.
The
Lord Jesus had to die.
Could
the Israelites have kept the lamb and not killed it? No!
It had to die, and its blood had to run out if the
firstborn were to be saved from the plague of
death.
Read
Exodus 12:6.
In
the same way, Jesus Christ had to die in order for us to
be saved from death.
His
perfect life could not save us.
Only
His death and shed blood could pay for our sins.
4.
The blood of the lamb had to be placed on the
doorposts and over the door.
Only
those who have personally trusted in the death and shed
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ are saved.
Read
Exodus 12:7,13.
Having
killed the lamb, the Israelites had to put some of the
blood on the doorposts of their houses.
When
the Lord saw the blood of the sacrifice on their door-
posts, He would pass over that house.
No
one inside that house would die.
-
Consider:
What
would have happened if an Israelite had killed a lamb,
but refused to put the blood on the doorposts of his
house? Would those inside the house have been safe?
No!
Each household had to apply that blood in order for
their first born to be saved.
In
the same way, each of us must personally trust in
Jesus
death and His blood shed for our sins.
-
Compare:
Did
Jesus die for all people, everywhere? Yes.
Does
this mean that all people are now forgiven?
No.
Only those who agree with God that they are sinners
and who personally trust in Jesus as their Savior are
saved from God’s judgment.
5.
None of the bones of the Passover Iamb were to be
broken.
None
of the bones of the Lord Jesus were broken when He
died.
Read
Exodus 12:46.
This
instruction was another important picture, looking
forward to Jesus Christ and His death for us.
The
lamb’s bones were not to be broken.
Neither
were the Lord Jesus’ bones broken when He was
crucified.
Read
John 19:31-36,
C.
God delivered the Israelites from Pharaoh and the
Egyptians at the Red Sea.
In
Christ, God has delivered us from the power of sin,
Satan, and death.
After
the tenth plague had devastated the Egyptians, Pharaoh
let the Israelites go.
God
had freed His people from their cruel slave masters.
God
Himself led them:
-
By a cloud during the day
-
And by a pillar of fire at night.
-
He was leading them back to the land of Canaan, the land
God had promised to Abraham and his descendants.
-
Today the country of Israel is located in Canaan of the
Old Testament.
But
Pharaoh soon had a change of mind.
Pharaoh
pursued the Israelites with his army
God’s
people found themselves in a very difficult situation:
-
They were camped in the wilderness with the sea in front
of them, and mountains around them.
-
And Pharaoh’s army was bearing down on them from the
rear.
The
people were afraid and discouraged and began to
complain.
There
was no way they could save themselves.
But
look at what God told them!
Read
Exodus 14:13-14.
Who
had delivered them from slavery? God!
And who would deliver them now? God!
-
He opened up the sea so that the Israelites walked
through it on dry land.
-
But when the Egyptians tried to follow them, the water
closed in over them and killed the entire Egyptian army.
Read
Exodus 14:29-31.
Before
we put our trust in Jesus Christ, our situation was much
like that of the Israelites.
-
We were doomed—pressed in on every side by the enemy
of our souls.
-
What lay ahead of us?
-
Death and punishment in hell.
-
Satan was intent on our destruction.
But
Jesus Christ intervened.
He
opened up the way of salvation by dying in our place.
Because
of His death:
-
We have been freed from bondage to sin.
-
We have escaped death—we will never be separated
from God.
-
We are no longer under Satan’s power.
D.
The Israelites praised God for their deliverance.
We,
too, praise our Lord for delivering us.
In
response for their great deliverance, Israel sang a song
of praise to God.
Read
Exodus 15:1-4.
This
song goes on through most of the rest of this chapter,
describing in detail how the Lord rescued the
Israelites, and the effect this had on their lives and
the lives of others.
How
much more should we praise our Lord for the
deliverance He has given us in Christ!
-
In Christ, God has rescued us from sin and Satan and
death.
-
In Christ, He has given us eternal life.
-
And, in Christ, He has given us power to live our new
life. Worship pleases God and strengthens us.
We
can worship Him together, as the Israelites did in their
song of praise.
And
we can worship Him individually.
God
wants worship and thanksgiving to be a daily, moment by
moment part of our lives.
E.
God gave the Israelites food from heaven and water
from the rock.
Jesus
Christ is the Bread of Life, and He is the Rock who
gives us Living Water.
After
the Israelites had safely passed through the sea and
into the desert wilderness, they faced a new problem.
They
ran out of food.
-
Instead of remembering all the great things God had done
for them, they complained.
-
They blamed their leaders, Moses and Aaron.
But
God, in His grace, provided for them.
Read
Exodus 16:13-15,35.
-
First He sent a miraculous supply of quails.
-
Then He sent manna, which rained down from heaven for
them to gather and eat.
-
God provided manna for the Israelites during all 40
years that they wandered in the wilderness.
When
they ran out of water, they again complained against
their leaders.
And
again, in a gracious and miraculous way, God provided
them with all the water they and their animals needed:
-
Not just a little water
-
But, as it says in Psalm 78:16, God “. . . made
water flow down like rivers.”
Do
you remember how God gave water to the Israelites?
Read
Exodus 17:6.
Jesus
Christ is our Bread of Life and He is the Rock who gives
us Living Water.
When
He was here on earth as a man, the people asked Him to
prove that He was the Deliverer.
They
asked Him to send manna from heaven like Moses had done.
But look at how Jesus answered them.
Read
John 6:32-35.
When
we put our faith in Him, we have “eaten” the only
food that will give us life forever.
-
That life begins when we put our trust in Him.
-
And as members of God’s family, our Father wants us
daily to rely on Jesus Christ, the source of our life.
Jesus
Christ is our source of Living Water.
Before
we were saved, we were dying of thirst, the thirst that
only Jesus Christ can satisfy.
When
the woman of Samaria talked with Jesus, He told her
about the water of life He gives to all who believe in
Him.
Read
John 4:13-14.
Moses
struck the rock and water flowed out for the thirsty
people of Israel.
In
the same way, God struck our Rock, Jesus Christ, on the
cross. Jesus took the full blow of the punishment for
our sins.
Out
of His life flowed the water of true, everlasting life
for all who will drink of it, that is, for all who will
believe in Him.
Jesus
said that those who trust in Him will never hunger and
never thirst.
We
never again need to look for:
-
a way to be forgiven our sins
-
acceptance with God
-
peace with Him
-
eternal life.
All
that we need has been given to us abundantly in Jesus
Christ.
F.
God’s blessing upon Israel was dependent upon their
obedience to God’s Law.
God’s
blessings on believers are dependent upon the obedience
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
When
God gave the Law to Israel, it was in the form of a
covenant, an agreement, that depended upon their perfect
obedience to Him.
Read
Exodus 19:3-6.
-
If they obeyed Him, He would bless them.
-
But if they disobeyed Him, He would punish them.
At
Mt Sinai, God came to them in a great demonstration of
His holiness.
There
was fire, smoke, earthquakes, a loud voice, and the
sound of a trumpet.
The
Israelites were frightened.
But
they still thought they could keep His Commandments.
-
They didn’t see their own sinfulness.
-
They didn’t think about the fact that the agreement of
the Law was totally dependent upon their perfect
obedience.
Is
it the same with us?
-
Are the blessings of forgiveness, acceptance, peace with
God, and eternal life dependent on our obedience to
God’s Law?
-
Will God take away these blessings if we disobey Him?
No!
The
blessings God has given us are a gift, given because of
the obedience of His Son, Jesus Christ.
The
righteousness of the Lord Jesus has been given to every
true believer in Jesus Christ, and this righteousness
will never be taken away.
-
Consider:
Does
that mean that God doesn’t care if we disobey Him?
No! God is grieved when we disobey.
Just
as a disobedient child must be disciplined, so also
God disciplines us, for our good.
But
He will never throw us out of His family.
God
will never withdraw His grace and mercy from us.
Why?
Because all of His wrath against our sin was suffered
for us by our Lord Jesus Christ.
-
Compare:
What
would you do if you were surrounded by a brush fire?
Probably the best thing to do would be to start
another fire and then stand where it has already been.
The fire which surrounds you will not burn again where
it has already passed.
This
is how it is with us who have trusted in the Lord
Jesus.
Mount
Sinai was covered with fire to show the wrath of God
and His hatred of sin. In the same way, the fire or
anger of God was going to destroy us because of our
sin.
But
then the Lord Jesus gave Himself for us. He
suffered for us the fire of
God’s wrath against our sin. God’s anger against
our sin fell on the Lord Jesus when He died for us on
the cross. Through faith in Him, we are now standing
in the place where the fire of God has already been.
God’s judgment on our sins— past, present, and
future—was all taken by the Lord Jesus, our
Deliverer. Therefore, God will never punish His
children for their sins, nor will He withdraw any of
His blessing which He has given to us in the Lord
Jesus Christ, even if we are disobedient.
-
When God looks at us who have put our faith in Him, He
always sees us in His Son.
-
We may be, at times, disobedient children, and that
makes our Father sad.
-
But He will never disown us.
Does
God’s grace give us an excuse to go on sinning?
No,
instead it should fill our hearts with thankfulness and
give us a deep desire to let Him teach us to grow in
Him.
Unlike
the Israelites, we have the power to obey God.
Jesus
Christ, the Bread of Life and the Rock who gives us
Living Water, lives inside of us.
-
God knows that we will still sin, because we are still
human beings.
-
But in Christ, God has given us the strength to choose
to allow Jesus Christ to live His life through us.
G.
Conclusion
What
a tremendous deliverance God has given us through Jesus
Christ!
These
Old Testament stories remind us:
-
Of how very lost we were without Christ
-
And of the great salvation we have received through His
death for us.
Not
only has God saved us through Jesus Christ,
-
He also provides through Him all we need.
-
Jesus truly is our Bread of Life and our Rock, our
source of Living Water.
Let’s
thank the Lord for our salvation and the new life we
share in Christ.
REVIEW
QUESTIONS:
1.
The Passover is full of things that point forward to the
Lord Jesus Christ. For example, the Israelites had to
choose a perfect lamb. How does this remind us of
Jesus?
2.
If the Israelites had not killed the lamb and put some
of the blood on the doorposts of their houses, would
their firstborn have been saved?
3.
Was the spotless life of Jesus Christ enough to save us
from our sins?
4.
Is just knowing about Jesus Christ enough to save us
from the penalty we deserve for our sins?
5.
When the Passover sacrifice was killed, none of its
bones were to be broken. How does this remind us of the
Lord Jesus?
6.
The Israelites were unable to deliver themselves.
Pharaoh’s army pursued them from one side, and the sea
was on the other side. But God opened up the sea for
them. How does this remind us of our situation before we
put our faith in Jesus Christ?
7.
The morning following God’s deliverance of the
Israelites through the Red Sea, the people worshiped God
and praised Him. How can we follow this example in our
lives?
8.
When the Israelites were in the desert, God provided
manna for them every day. How does this remind us of the
Lord Jesus Christ?
9.
Moses struck the rock in the wilderness, and God made
water flow out to satisfy the needs of the Israelites.
How does this remind us of Jesus?
10.
God’s blessings to Israel were dependent upon their
obedience to His Law. What are God’s blessings to us
dependent upon?
Notes for
Disciples:
1)
Consider the “pictures” of Christ that you have
studied in this lesson. Jesus Christ is your Lamb of
sacrifice, your Rock, your source of Living Water, and
your Bread of Life. He has delivered you forever from
God’s wrath against those who break His law. Meditate
on these truths. Consider the “thirsty” and
“hungry” areas of your life and consider how Christ
might satisfy these cravings. Pray and ask Him to fill
your life as He desires.
2)
Read the song from Exodus 15. Notice the descriptions of
God’s character. Also, notice the personal response to
what God has done.
3)
Make note of your personal praises to the Lord. You may
even want to write your own song of praise to Him!