happybrew
02-12-2006, 08:18 AM
A long time ago, a man named Abraham fought against a foreign power to save his kinsmen, including Lot his cousin. Afterwards, a priest named Melchisedek offered bread and wine as a sacrifice commemorating the salvation of these people from a foreign power. The King of Sodom, however, wished to claim this victory as his own, and asked Abraham "Give me the people; the goods you may keep." (Genesis, 14) Lot later had to flee the wickedness of Sodom, which was destroyed. Afterwards, God asked for the sacrifice of Abraham's first born son. God, in his mercy, stopped this sacrifice, and substituted a ram.
We see in Genesis themes which are developed further in Exodus. In Exodus, we again see the elements of a sacrifice, of bread, the sacrifice of first born sons, the ransom of captives, the destruction of the wicked, the need to flee the wickedness of the world, and the ultimate salvation of a people.
In Exodus, the Hebrews are enslaved. In a perversion of things to come, much as Sodom represented perversion of the right order of things, we see the the murder of the sons of Israel, to be repeated at the birth of Christ by Herod. The people are enslaved. Rather than an offering of life, as Christ does, and Abraham attempted, we see a taking of life. The King of Sodom said "Give me the people." Pharoah took this a step further and not only wished to possess them, but to oppress them as well, and ordered the destruction of the male children. This is turned upon them. As they sow, so shall they reap, and the wickedness of the Egyptians is turned upon them. Their own firstborn sons are taken.
The Hebrew families each offer a lamb in sacrifice, and consume bread as food for their journey. They are spared. The blood of the lamb is their mark of salvation, and they flee the wickeness of the Egyptians, who are destroyed in their pursuit. They are fed by bread from Heaven during their journey through the desert.
Again, the elements of sacrifice, of bread, the sacrifice of first born sons, the ransom of captives, the destruction of the wicked, the need to flee the wickedness of the world, and the ultimate salvation of a people. Added is the element of salvation by the blood of a lamb.
Then Christ enters the scene. Like Melchisedek, He offers bread, however He also IS the bread. Like Abraham and Moses, he frees the captives. He is a firstborn son who is sacrificed the for salvation of others. Like Abraham's sacrifice, a Father offers his Son. Unlike Abraham's sacrifice, which is stopped by God, and the perversion of Christ's sacrifice by the Egyptians, the Son willingly offers his life. Christ in his ministry warned of the need to flee the wickedness of the world, which seeks our destruction. We are ransomed from captivity.
happybrew
We see in Genesis themes which are developed further in Exodus. In Exodus, we again see the elements of a sacrifice, of bread, the sacrifice of first born sons, the ransom of captives, the destruction of the wicked, the need to flee the wickedness of the world, and the ultimate salvation of a people.
In Exodus, the Hebrews are enslaved. In a perversion of things to come, much as Sodom represented perversion of the right order of things, we see the the murder of the sons of Israel, to be repeated at the birth of Christ by Herod. The people are enslaved. Rather than an offering of life, as Christ does, and Abraham attempted, we see a taking of life. The King of Sodom said "Give me the people." Pharoah took this a step further and not only wished to possess them, but to oppress them as well, and ordered the destruction of the male children. This is turned upon them. As they sow, so shall they reap, and the wickedness of the Egyptians is turned upon them. Their own firstborn sons are taken.
The Hebrew families each offer a lamb in sacrifice, and consume bread as food for their journey. They are spared. The blood of the lamb is their mark of salvation, and they flee the wickeness of the Egyptians, who are destroyed in their pursuit. They are fed by bread from Heaven during their journey through the desert.
Again, the elements of sacrifice, of bread, the sacrifice of first born sons, the ransom of captives, the destruction of the wicked, the need to flee the wickedness of the world, and the ultimate salvation of a people. Added is the element of salvation by the blood of a lamb.
Then Christ enters the scene. Like Melchisedek, He offers bread, however He also IS the bread. Like Abraham and Moses, he frees the captives. He is a firstborn son who is sacrificed the for salvation of others. Like Abraham's sacrifice, a Father offers his Son. Unlike Abraham's sacrifice, which is stopped by God, and the perversion of Christ's sacrifice by the Egyptians, the Son willingly offers his life. Christ in his ministry warned of the need to flee the wickedness of the world, which seeks our destruction. We are ransomed from captivity.
happybrew