Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. – Luke 24:27
As we continue to uncover Christ in Pentateuch, we head to a well-known dig site. There have been extensive excavations of Abraham, so much so that much of the truth has been trampled underfoot. Still, we cannot pass over Abraham for he looms large throughout God’s Word. Plus, Abraham is called a friend of God (James 2:23), so it only seems right to spend a bit of our time finding Jesus in the life and events of God’s friend. Sadly, we only have time to dust off a few sightings of Jesus in Abraham’s life.
Ur Out 😉
First, before God called him, we learned that Abram lived in the city of Ur. Abram lived in a large and important city. It was probably comparable, in that day, to Chicago or New Delhi or Lagos. But God called him from a city life to a nomadic life. This change is an example of Christ’s earthly ministry. Jesus came from Heaven to Earth. Jesus said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20)
Next, we spot Jesus in Genesis 12:1: Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you…” “Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,”
Yes You Canaan
For our next site where we find Abraham pointing to Jesus is in the land of Canaan. God called Abram, a descendent of Noah’s son, Shem, to the land of For our next site, we find Abram pointing to Jesus in the land of Canaan. God called Abram, a descendent of Noah’s son, Shem, to the land of Noah’s son, Ham. Yes, God called Abram to Canaan. Abram’s call from God is a fulfillment of Noah’s prophecy (Genesis 9:26). Also, it is an event pointing to Jesus being sent to Israel, a land carved out of the land of Canaan. As Jesus said in Matthew 15:24, “…I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Abram obeyed God’s call, and when he arrived in Canaan’s land, he built an altar to Yahweh at Shechem, a Canaanite city (Genesis 12:7). This exit from Ur and entrance into Canaan, and the building of an altar, is a foreshadowing of Father God sending His only begotten Son to the land of Israel and Jesus praying to Father God (John 17:1).
Tomorrow
Okay, let’s put out trowels and brushes away. Today we learned many events in the life of Abram pointed to Jesus, His life and minister. Tomorrow we will look at Jesus in Abraham’s and Isaac’s sacrifice and then move on.
Photo by Rene Böhmer on Unsplash
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