4. Christ in Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy (1) Exodus

 

4. Christ in Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy

 

(1) Exodus

① Moses

Moses shares many similarities with Jesus Christ, to the point where he foreshadows him. He was similar to him from the moment he was born into this world.

Matthew 2:16 "Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the Magi, was exceedingly angry. He sent out and put to death all the male children in Bethlehem and in all its districts who were two years old and under, according to the time which he had carefully determined from the Magi." The pain of death began from the very birth of Jesus.

Exodus 1:15-16 “Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one named Shiphrah and the other Puah, saying, ‘When you assist the Hebrew women in childbirth, look at the birth canal. If it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.’”

To save him, Moses' mother placed him in a reed basket and set him adrift on the Nile River. This basket, called an ark, was likened to the Ark of the Covenant in the sanctuary. The Ark symbolized God's power.

God chose Moses at the age of 80 and appointed him as the leader to lead his people out of Egypt and into Canaan.

 

② Jehovah Appears in Flames from a Bush

One day, when Moses was 80 years old, he was tending sheep on Mount Horeb when he saw a flame from a bush. The flames continued to burn, and he was amazed. When he approached, he saw the angel of the Lord appearing. He told Moses to take off his sandals and then told him to lead the people out of Egypt.

Moses said: "If I tell the people that I have met God and that I have been commanded to leave Egypt, they will ask me about God, and what should I say?"

Exodus 3:13-15 “And Moses said to God, ‘When I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.’”

 

It is unknown how the Hebrews came to pronounce "Haya Asher Haya" ("I am that I am") as Adonai. However, over time, as the Old Testament was translated into Greek, Adonai became Yahweh (Jehovah). Thus, the names of God used by humans cannot fully represent Him.

This means that only God exists, and all creatures in this world do not exist. Existence only exists when one exists in God. Since the Old Testament is written in Hebrew, it is Haya Asher Haya. The name Haya (Shen) signifies that the Holy Spirit and the Word, manifested in the world in form, are the names of existence. Haya is used in the first person.

I am what I am. When this is used in the third person, it means “He (Yehye: אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה) is.” He has existed, is existing, and will continue to exist.

In the New Testament, Jesus refers to himself as the Alpha and the Omega. Revelation 22:13 reads, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." The Hebrew words "haya asher haya" and the Greek "alpha" and "omega" are used interchangeably, indicating that Yahweh is Christ. The name of God is Jesus.

Say the name of God (Yahweh) "Haya Asher Haya" like this, and say, "Haya has sent me." God shortened Haya Asher Haya to Haya. Haya is the name by which the invisible God appeared to the world. God is invisible to human eyes. The one who came in the flesh is Jesus Christ. Therefore, because God came as the Word, it is Haya Asher Haya.

"The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you." The original Hebrew text does not have a possessive case. It is expressed as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. It means the God who appears to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and works. In the Hebrew expression "God of Jacob," the letter Vav (world) is placed before Elohim. This means that in the God of Jacob, there is the God who comes to the world.

Likewise, Moses, as God's prophet, becomes Moses God. Everything Moses did after hearing God's words was the same as God doing them directly. Matthew 17:5 says, "While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.'" Jesus is also the Son of God, but Jesus' words and actions become the very words of God.

 

③ The Snake and the Staff

When the snake is transformed into a pole and lifted high, it becomes the Christ of resurrection and life. However, when it remains on the earth (legalism), it symbolizes the old serpent, the one who eats dust, that is, Satan (the legalist). The dust represents the people of the world without Christ.

Exodus 7:8-12 “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a sign,’ then you shall tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it before Pharaoh,’ and it shall become a serpent.” So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent. Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the magicians, and the magicians of Egypt did likewise with their enchantments. Each of them threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.”

When the staff (the word of God) was thrown to the ground, it became a serpent. This means that the word of God becomes legalism. When picked up again, it becomes the gospel of Christ. The staff should not be on the ground, but held in the hand.

The snake thrown by Aaron devoured the snake thrown by the magicians. The snake thrown by Aaron is Christ, crucified and resurrected. The snake thrown by Aaron dies on earth and is reborn from heaven with the rod of resurrection life. The snake of legalism thrown by the magicians cannot be reborn with the life of heaven.

When Aaron's staff or the staff of a magician falls to the ground, they turn into snakes. When God's word becomes legalism, we become the offspring of the serpent, seeking to achieve righteousness on our own. Accepting the law literally and believing we can achieve righteousness by following its provisions leads to legalism. However, discovering Christ within the law becomes the gospel.

Moses asked the Lord what he should do if the people did not believe that the Lord had sent him. Exodus 4:2-4 “The Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ He said, ‘A staff.’ And the Lord said, ‘Throw it on the ground.’ So he threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses fled from before the snake, but the Lord said to Moses, ‘Put out your hand and take it by the tail.’ So he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand.”

In Exodus 4, the first signs are a staff turning into a snake and a leper being cured. The first sign is a snake turning into a leper, and the second sign is a snake turning into a staff and a leper being cured. The first sign concerns the law (legalism), while the second sign concerns the gospel (Christ).

A person cannot turn stones into bread. Stones represent legalism, and bread represents the gospel of resurrection and life. Legalism must disappear, and the gospel must be revealed within the law. Those under Pharaoh's rule are immersed in legalism. Salvation consists in the death of the old self and the exodus of the new self.

The Exodus took place with Moses' staff. The staff symbolized God's authority. Those who kept the law (legalists) threw down their staffs and they became serpents. The Hebrew Bible states, "Ish (the man) threw down his staff, and it became like tannin." Ish refers to the first man, Adam. When the first man, Adam, came into the world, he brought all his members with him, giving the world a body, but he became a serpent with a body. This old man is revealed to be destined to die.

However, the Bible says that Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs (Barah). Aaron's staff represents Christ. Barah refers to the Red Sea swallowing Pharaoh's army during the Exodus. Since Jesus Christ accomplished everything on the cross, those who keep the law will all fall and be condemned to the second death. Despite the fact that Jesus Christ came and judged the world by dying on the cross, those who follow the law (Barah) are hardened.

The snake Aaron hurled becomes a serpent lifted high on a pole. That is, it represents Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and was resurrected. The snake the magician hurls represents the legalists and servants of Satan living in today's world. They teach that they must die together with Jesus Christ on the cross. Being eaten by a serpent means becoming one with it.

 

④ The Death of the Firstborn and the Blood and Flesh of the Lamb

During the Exodus, ten plagues fell upon Pharaoh, the tenth and final plague being the death of the firstborn.

Exodus 12:29-30 “And it came to pass at midnight, that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne, even to the firstborn of the man who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the cattle. Then Pharaoh rose that night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was great mourning in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not a dead man.”

The word "night" appears twice: "at night" and "at night." It was night during the time of the first man, Adam, and when the last Adam came, the people still remained in the night, unable to recognize the Messiah. Matthew 4:16 says, "The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light; on those who sat in the region and shadow of death a light has dawned."

"The firstborn of the one who sits on the throne." The firstborn of the one who resides on the throne of the law. They are prisoners of the separated house (Sohar). They are said to be imprisoned, a world separated from the house of God. All who came with the first man, Adam, are prisoners.

All living creatures are described as "wells of day and night," meaning wells devoid of life. The firstborn of those who are bound by legalism and seek to be justified by the law, as well as those who remain mute and bound by the law, ignorant of its meaning, are all killed.

"Smote" means to come and go. He came first and then came again. He brought him in at night, brought him in at night, and took him away.

After experiencing the death of his firstborn son, Pharaoh finally allowed Moses and Aaron to leave Egypt. Abadaw (עֲבָדָיו֙, basic form: Ebed) refers to those under legalism. Those who rise are Pharaoh, his officials, and all the people. Wayakam (וַיָּ֨קָם, basic form: Khum) means to rise. When Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus, a synagogue leader, from the dead, he said, “Talitha Khum” (Child, arise). This means that they become Khum because the firstborn son dies. Israel appointed the tribe of Levi as the firstborn to take the place of the firstborn son’s death. This is a promise that not only Israel but also Egypt would be saved because the firstborn son dies.

Death signifies the birth of new life. Those who died with Jesus will be resurrected with him from heaven. A great lament is the sound of wailing. It is wailing because we are brought and taken away. When we first come into this world, we cry out loud, but when we are taken away, our joy will be transformed by Jesus Christ.

Exodus 12:3 "Speak to the congregation of Israel and say to them, 'On the tenth day of this month, each of you is to take a lamb for himself, according to his family, a lamb for each member of his household.' Each person takes a lamb. Salvation means becoming each person.

It is expressed as a lamb (she שֶׂ֥ה), which means a young livestock and thus can include a young sheep or goat. It is presumed that this was translated this way because the New Testament refers to the lamb as Jesus Christ.

In John 1:29, “The next day John sees Jesus coming toward him and says, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”

Exodus 12:7-10 『Put some of the blood on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where you eat it. Then you are to eat it that night, roasted over fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat it raw or boiled in water; roast it over fire—head, legs, and internal organs—all of it. Do not leave any of it until the morning; whatever remains until the morning you are to burn.』

It is to take (raqah) the blood of the Passover lamb. It is commanded that the meat be roasted over a fire and eaten on herbs with unleavened bread at various times of the night. A door with a lintel and a doorpost is the main entrance to a house. The door to the kingdom of God is Jesus Christ.

In John 10:7-9, “Therefore Jesus said again, ‘Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; if anyone enters through me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.’” All who come out of the gate through Jesus Christ are Christ’s sheep. Applying blood to the doorposts and lintels signifies that Jesus Christ, the gate, will shed blood.

It is to eat meat (basar) roasted in the fire of the Holy Spirit. This signifies baptism by fire. Beyond meat, basar also signifies preaching the gospel. Eating flesh (the bread of life) is related to the gospel. The old flesh dies, and new life is born.

Unleavened bread is unleavened bread (bread). It signifies bread unmixed with human thought. However, here, it is an expression related to the Exodus. Deuteronomy 16:3 states, "Do not eat leavened bread with it. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread with it, the bread of affliction, for you came out of Egypt in haste. Do this so that you may remember the day you came out of Egypt all the days of your life."

Unleavened bread was said to be the bread of affliction. Bitter herbs were also said to symbolize suffering. Unleavened bread and bitter herbs signify an urgent situation, a call to a swift exodus.

It is imperative to roast and eat it. Compared to the tabernacle, the first place we encounter is the altar of burnt offering. It is on the altar that the sacrifices are burned. Leviticus 3:17 states, "You shall not eat fat or blood; it shall be a perpetual statute for the generations to come in all your dwellings." Roasting the lamb also consumes the fat. The fire on the altar of burnt offering carries a message of judgment. Judgment falls on the lamb. Roasting and eating the lamb carries the meaning of atonement.

Roasting the head, shins, and internal organs symbolizes complete death. The believer's consumption of meat symbolizes uniting with it and becoming the food of life. While burning meat symbolizes baptism by fire, eating it symbolizes being born into resurrection life.

Exodus 12:46 "It shall be eaten in one house; do not take any of the meat outside the house, nor break any of its bones."

A house is a home where a man and a woman become one and form a family. This does not mean that everyone should gather in one place and eat meat together. Therefore, in Genesis 2:24, it says, "A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh (ehad)." When a man separates from his one flesh, he becomes the Neged (present). Parents symbolize the Father (God) and the Law. Christ, who is in the Law, comes and unites with the one who has left the Father. Becoming one is an important word for salvation. It means eating the meat of the lamb and becoming one with the meat (the body of Jesus Christ).

Habasar (הַבָּשָׂ֖ר, basic form: basar) is the flesh of the lamb. Flesh signifies the bread of life. This is to be kept from going outside. Outside means to separate. If you go outside, the Word, the bread of life, will be corrupted. All kinds of things will be mixed together and degenerate into humanism, legalism, and gnosticism.

Regarding not breaking any bones, Numbers 9:12 says, "Leave none of it until morning, nor break any bone of it; according to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it." John 19:31-34 says, "Now that day was Preparation Day, and the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the crosses on the Sabbath, for that was a high day. So they asked Pilate to have their legs broken and taken away. The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him, and of the other. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out."

The breaking of bones means the sacrifice is damaged. If the sacrifice is damaged, it cannot be offered. Psalm 34:19-20 says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken." The righteous is Jesus Christ. Jesus (the Passover lamb) is the perfect sacrifice. Today, we must eat the perfect Word of God.