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Introduction
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To the best of my knowledge the following are the only
foreshadowings of our Lord in Deuteronomy: |
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a) |
Moses as the Prophet (ch. 18:15, 18) |
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b) |
The Rock (ch. 32:4, 15, 18, 30, 31) |
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c) |
The Urim and the Thummim (ch. 33:8) |
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What wonderful truths the Lord teaches us in these pictures. I do not
mention the Cities of Refuge since they are mentioned in Numbers
35:11-16; Deuteronomy 4:41-43; 19:1-9, but because they are specified in
Joshua, they will be taken up in the meditation of Christ in that book.
The Urim and The Thummim
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Regarding the Urim and the Thummim, it is soon discovered we are
not told exactly what these were or how they were used. It is
understood the names mean “light” and “perfection” and from the
mentions of them, they indicate the verdict of God on various
matters. They were in the “breastplate of judgment” and the
word translated “judgment” is “mishpat” which was part of
Aaron’s regalia of whom it says: “ he shall bear the judgment
(the verdict of God) of the children of Israel . . . before the
Lord continually” (Ex. 28:30). |
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a) |
When Joshua was chosen it states: “He shall stand before Eleazar
the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of
the Urim” (Num. 27:21), that is to learn the verdict of God’s
decree on a situation. |
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b) |
When Saul had turned from God: “the Lord answered him not . . .
by the Urim” (1 Sam. 28:6), that is God refused to give him
counsel. |
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c) |
The time came for Nehemiah to make a decision on a major issue,
yet it was not left to his own or his counselor’s decision, for
none could be given until there: “stood up a priest with Urim
and Thummim” (Ezra 2:63; Neh. 7:65). |
This type foreshadows our Lord in His position as the adjudicator
appointed by God, and able to judge perfectly due to His own perfections
as “light and perfection”. With Christ adjudicating for God there is no
swaying of a verdict due to ones position or relationship to Him for
with Him there is “no respect of persons” (Rom. 2:11); “True and
righteous are His judgments” (Rev. 19:2; 16:7). This judge never has to
rethink a case, or review, or reverse a verdict for: “Every one of Thy
righteous judgments endureth for ever” (Psa. 119:160). There is never
any covertness in His determinations for: “The judgments of the Lord are
true and righteous altogether” (Psa. 19:9).
He is not only the Judge but also the executor of the judgment (Jn.
5:22, 27) with His judgeship based on Him being the Son of Man (Jn.
5:22, 27). Being God He is omniscient, therefore there is nothing hid
from His eyes and He knows everything about everyone, everywhere. He
perfectly follows God's principles of judgment which are: “according to
truth (Rom. 2:2); “according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:6); “without respect
of persons” (Rom. 2:11); “according to knowledge” (Rom. 2:12 that is the
awareness of the law of God); and able to judge “the secrets of men”
(Rom. 2:16). Because He is omnipotent, when His verdict is given there
is no debating it, and being holy there is no questioning its justice.
His court is not flattered by bright lights or the world’s acclamations,
and there is no lightness in His judicial proceedings. He can judge
each individual perfectly for none can point a finger at a discretion on
His part. He said openly to his accusers: “Which of you convinceth me
of sin?” (Jn. 8:46). Abraham spoke the words of truth when he said:
“Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Gen. 18:25). On the
lower level, there are times in life when we think “Why does God not
step in and do something?” or “If only such and such had happened six
months ago”. Let us rest in quietness that the Judge of all the earth
is still doing right.
The Prophet Like Unto Moses
In the Old Testament God used three terms to describe a prophet, and all
three are found in only one
verse: “Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are
written in the book of Samuel the “seer” (ro’eh), and in the book of
Nathan the “prophet” (nābī), and in the book of Gad the “seer” (hozeh)
(2 Chron. 29:29). These were men who saw that which God had done and
the reason for it; or as Ezekiel saw that which the people were doing
(Ezek. 8:1-17); as well as that which could or would come to pass (Ezek.
6:3-10). Furthermore, they were spokesmen for God declaring His truth
to the people. As such they became stewards of the truth of God and
faithfulness was to be their hallmark (1 Cor. 4:2).
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There are five prophets of whom the Lord was resembled, but each
one had failures: |
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a) |
Elijah (Matt. 16:14; Lk. 9:8) was a man who stood for God in
dark and dangerous days, but he wanted to give up and die (1
Kgs. 19:4). |
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b) |
Jonah (Matt. 12:41) was who typified the Lord in death, burial
and resurrection, but he ran away in disobedience (Jon. 1:3). |
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c) |
John the Baptist (Mal. 3:1; Matt. 11:10) was the Lord’s
Messenger with a message of repentance, but when things did not
go as he envisaged he had doubts concerning who Christ was
(Matt.11:3). |
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d) |
Jeremiah (Matt. 16:14) was a man of sorrows yet in the dark
hours he felt that God did not listen to his prayers (Lam. 3:8),
bitterness filled his soul (Lam. 3:15), and he lost hope (Lam.
3:18). |
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e) |
Moses, a prototype of the Lord as a prophet, and yet he failed
in speaking unadvisedly with his lips, and called the people of
God rebels (Num. 20:10; Psa. 106:33). |
In contrast to all the prophets Christ never knew failure, but as the
prophet said: “He shall not fail nor be discouraged” (Isa. 42:4). He
was the prophet who spoke with such authority that when the Lord opened
the heavens He said: “This is my beloved son: hear Him” (Lk. 9:35).
That which must be considered is at what point and why, did God
indicate a Prophet like unto Moses would God raise up? This
point is so important that it is mentioned four times (Deut.
18:15, 18; Acts 3:22; 7:37). Moses was a legislator but Moses
did not say “a legislator like unto me shall the Lord raise up”;
he was an historian, but it is never said “a historian, or
ruler, or deliverer, or leader” like unto me shall the Lord
raise up, yet he was all of these. A very remarkable thing is
that Moses is seen as a prototype of the Lord. What an honor
for any man.
This was a man who: |
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a) |
Was so intimate with God it is recorded: “Whom the Lord knew
face to face”. (Deut. 34:10) |
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b) |
In contrast to those who communed with the spirits of darkness,
Moses communed and spend long times with the God who is Light
and dwells in light (Ex. 24:18; 34:28). Therefore, in contrast
to those who communed with the dark world, Moses spoke the words
of God. (Deut. 18:9-14) |
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c) |
Was the communicator of God to the people, and who spoke in
truth. (Deut. 18:22) |
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d) |
Interceded for the nutritional needs of the people (Ex. 15:25);
in the warfare of the people (Ex. 17:9-12); for the sparing of
the people (Ex. 32:10-13), and the preservation of their lives,
offering his life for theirs (Ex. 32:32). |
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e) |
Who was a Shepherd of the flock. (Isa. 63:11) |
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f) |
Who was faithful. (Heb. 3:1-6) |
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As a prophet of God Moses spoke with finality on that which the
Lord would say (Acts 3:23). In Acts 7:37 it is not the finality
of his words but his likeness to Christ in rejection! Moses had
been “refused” (denied, rejected Acts 7:35), and this was the
very attitude the Jews manifested toward Christ (Acts 3:13-14).
The prophet whom God had sent to be their Deliverer from Egypt
they rejected, and now they did the same to the greater Prophet,
even our Lord. Christ was “a greater than the prophets” (Matt.
12:41) for no other prophet revealed God and the Father more
perfectly, spoke the truth of the scriptures more distinctly,
and revealed things to come more precisely. He was more than a
prophet through whom God spoke, He was the Son. |
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a) |
In contrast to the prophets in their plurality, He stood alone
in solitary dignity. |
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b) |
In contrast to them as only men, He was God manifest in flesh. |
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c) |
In contrast to them in their sinfulness, He was intensely holy.
(Heb. 7:26) |
Christ The Rock
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One of the best loved hymns in Christian hymnology is “Rock of
ages, cleft for me”. Yet, one would look in vain for such an
expression in the King James Version or most of the other
translations. It is, to the best of my knowledge, only in the
Darby and Young’s literal translation translated as such (Isa.
26:4). Others have the right concept but not these exact words
with it being translated as “ Everlasting rock” or the “Rock
eternal”. Associated with the title “Rock” are the expressions: |
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a) |
“The Rock of our salvation” (Psa. 95:1) |
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b) |
“The Rock that is higher than I” (Psa. 61:2) |
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c) |
“The shadow of a great Rock in a weary land” (Isa. 32:2) |
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There are five individuals who refer to God or Christ as a
Rock. They are Moses, David, Isaiah, Paul, and our Lord. When
David was speaking to the Lord after the Lord had delivered him
from the hand of his enemies and Saul, he spoke of the Lord as a
Rock on four occasions (2 Sam. 22:2, 3, 32, 47), and when
speaking his last words he called God: “The Rock of Israel” (2
Sam. 23:3). When Moses was about to die the Lord spoke to him
telling him to write the song He would give him (Deut.
31:19-22). In that song God is referred to as the Rock in five
contexts (Deut. 32:1-43). We know that it was the Lord for Paul
writes: “That spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock
was Christ” (1 Cor. 10:4).
Moses wrote: |
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a) |
“Ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is
perfect: for all His ways are judgment: A God of truth and
without iniquity, just and right is he.” (Deut. 32:3-4) |
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b) |
“For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves
being judges.” (Deut. 32:31) |
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These men of God were looking back over life and in recalling
their experiences with God they spoke of His power, character,
works, uniqueness, and it results in worship and praise. Yet,
Moses does not ignore the seriousness of the Israelite’s sin
towards God, their security, for he says: |
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a) |
“But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked . . . he forsook God which
made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.”
(Deut. 32:15) |
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b) |
“Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast
forgotten God that formed thee.” (Deut. 32:18) |
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Neither does he ignore the weakness that resulted from their
rejection of God. He writes: |
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“How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to
flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut
them up?” (Deut. 32:30) |
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When we meditate on the Lord as the Rock, worship ascends as we
see: |
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The Uniqueness of Him as the Rock. “Who is God, save the Lord?
and who is a Rock, save our God?” (2 Sam. 22:32; Psa. 18:31) |
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His superiority over all other gods (rocks). “For their rock is
not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.”
(Deut. 32:31; 37) |
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c) |
He is the all sufficient Refuge for His people. “In God is my
salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge,
is in God.” (Psa. 62:7; Psa. 31:1-3) |
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His perfection in His moral perfections. “Ascribe ye greatness
unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His
ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and
right is he.” (Deut. 32:3-4; Psa. 92:15) |
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His worthiness of praise. “Ascribe ye greatness unto our God,
He is the Rock.” (Deut. 32:3) |
When the Lord asked the disciples:
“Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” Peter answered: “Thou
art the Christ the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). The Lord’s
response was: “Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my
church” (Matt. 16:18). We recall the words of the Lord when He told
the parable of the two men who built houses. One built on sand and the
other on the rock (Matt. 7:24-27). One of the lessons was that upon the
Rock, that is
Christ the Son of the Living God, there is security. This truth stands
against every doctrine and teaching his satanic majesty can conceive.
He may try to nullify its truths by mockery, derision, cruelty to those
who believe it, but when he has done his worst, its truth stands
undaunted. Not only the truth of His Person but also His teachings
which are likened unto a rock (Matt. 7:25). The beast stands on the
sand (Rev. 13:1), and in so doing seeks to build his government for
satanic glory, but it is on the sand. Hitler, Napoleon, and Alexander
all tried to build universal governments but all were on sand. Only the
government of the Rock shall stand firm, and that for the glory of God.
May God grant us good understanding as He, by His
Holy Spirit, deigns to guide us into all truth.
John 16:13
Rowan Jennings, Abbotsford,
British Columbia
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