WHAT ARE THESE GOLD COINS ON THE PATH?
In Scripture there is a pathway of biblical promises that is littered with gold coins. The relationship between these treasures is definite which suggests design and intentionality. Though the new coins are different, the newer coins contain similarities from previously minted coins. As you examine the coins on the pathway you can see that a story is being told.
The story of the Redeemer is the pathway and the promises of God concerning the Redeemer are the gold coins. The newer promises highlight and help recall previous promises while simultaneously shedding new light on the development of the story.
In this story, we readers begin to see that newer authors are telling of events and situations that have some similarity yet there is some difference. It becomes obvious that these events are tied to the promises God has made. This indicates that the biblical authors are seeing something important they want us to notice, even if they don't fully understand it (1 Peter 1:10-12).
These repeated patterns create a template for the type of things that God does or the type of things that God's people experience. In other words, we begin to see how things typically happen. This is typology. We begin to deduce that since this is how things operated in the past, such should be the expectation of the future and final fulfillment of those initial promises.
This is what we call promise-shaped-typology. Promise are made by God then in Scripture we see events happen that remind us of that initial promise. As time goes on we see other events happen that mirror previous events based on that initial promise. But all of these events are pointing to a final reality that will fulfill that initial promise. Of course, there are many promises God makes and they find themselves being expressed in types that have been or will be fulfilled one day.
MINTED BY ONE MAKER
In Genesis 3:15 God pronounces judgment on the serpent for his deception of Eve. Adam and Eve expected a judgment as well (Genesis 2:17). Yet in God's judgment on the serpent, they hear a glimpse of hope that lets them know they'll not die right away. God told them that there'd be an ongoing battle between her seed and the serpent's seed and that her seed would be victorious. This suggests they'll live for a while longer (since they have to have a child) and that hope is coming through her offspring. It wasn't until this point that Adam called his wife, Eve--the mother of all living. Adam believed God's word of promise. In Genesis 4:1, 25 Eve acknowledges that she's received these sons from God indicating she was keenly aware of God's initial promise of a victorious offspring to come. The lineage is traced further in Genesis 5 where Lamech is hopeful that his son Noah might be the one to bring the relief (Genesis 5:29) promised earlier. And so we read this account in light of Genesis 3:14-19. At the end of Genesis 4 we begin to see people calling on the name of the Lord and it seems to be in connection with Seth being born and then his son. They appear to be looking for The Offspring!
Then in Genesis 12:1-3 the lineage continues to Abraham and the promise God made with him (land, seed, blessing). God would provide a place for Abraham and his seed to dwell. God will make a great nation out of Abraham. God then promises to bless Abraham so that He can be a blessing to all the families of the earth. God will bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who curse him. If you take careful note, you'll see how this 3-fold promise ties back to the account of Adam and Eve. A land where blessing is experienced is coming removing the curse in the garden. Through Abraham's seed the world will be blessed as the promise made to Eve has yet to be fulfilled. There are some coming who will have enmity for Abraham and his seed just as God promised to Eve and her seed. After Abraham dies, the promise is passed on to Isaac, then Jacob. The story is in motion in view of these promises concerning The Seed.
Moses seems to have picked up on this cosmic battle between Eve's seed and the serpents seed since he tells the struggles between Cain/Abel, Ham/Noah, Ishmael/Isaac, Esau/Jacob and Joseph's brothers/Joseph. Through the betrayal of Joseph, he is exalted to a place where he is able to provide blessing that rescues his family from the curse of the famine. He is a type of the Seed to come. And while Jacob blesses the sons of Joseph (Genesis 48:15-16), a special blessing is reserved for Jacob's son, Judah (Genesis 49:8-12). A royal ruler would come from Judah's lineage and we see where promised Seed of Genesis 3:15 is going to come from.
As we move to Numbers we see that Balaam's prophecy (24:9) borrows from the lion language from Jacob's blessing on Judah (Genesis 49:9) and the promises God made to Abraham concerning blessing (Genesis 12:3). Moses is connected the promise of Eve's Seed to the covenant God made with Abraham and the prophetic blessing Jacob bestowed on Judah. A king is coming from Jacob who will triumph over evil (Numbers 24:17-19) and grant victory to Israel.
Later we see a king arises from Judah as foretold. Prior to his kingship we see that a battle takes place between him and a giant where David crushes the head of this evil Philistine, Goliath. Israel is safe and blessed. Then later we see David persecuted by King Saul. This harkens back to Genesis 3:15, Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 49:9 & Numbers 24:17-19. Do you see the patterns being told by Moses. Do you see the types?
THE PSALMIST AND PROPHETS INTERPRETED THESE COINS
The story and promises and typology continues. God made some amazing seed promises to David (2 Samuel 7). In Psalm 72, the battle continues between Eve's Seed and Satan's while David prays for his son, Solomon. The things he prays for are things that God promised to do through The Seed. Among other things, he prays that the righteous will be blessed while the oppressor be crushed (Psalm 72:4-9). These are all connected to earlier promises that we've just mentions. Read Psalm 72 in light of God's previous promises.
Isaiah 11:8 speaks of the nursing child being able to put his hand in the snakes den. The battle between The Seed and the serpents seed will not last forever. It will come to an end through the eternal king promised through David's seed. Wickedness will be overcome. The earth will be restored to an Edenic state. The exiled will be no more. See Isaiah 11.
DARK SAYINGS AND RIDDLES
So far we have this story pointing towards a restored Eden as suffering is conquered and Gentiles are blessed. How is this going to happen? The OT seems to paint a picture of Israel's King conquering the world through strength leading them to submit to God's reign (Psalm 2:8-9, Isaiah 2:1-4). The difficulty in seeing this in Scripture is Israel's constant failure to obey God themselves. Instead of Israel subjecting the nations to God, God subjects Israel to the nations because they despise God's name. The other problems comes in when we take into account that the victorious Seed seems to be one who'll suffer (Psalm 22, 69). Isaiah 53 speaks of the one who was going to be stricken, smitten and afflicted yet through his sufferings people would be healed. The promises and patters point to conquest and suffering just as God said in Genesis 3:15. See also Zechariah 12:10, 13:7.
PROMISE, PATTERN & MYSTERY
In summary, one from Eve's seed will have a struggle between the serpent's seed. The victory of The Seed will restore things to an Edenic state. Justice will be reestablished and God's glory will fill the earth. Yet Israel's disobedience to God remains a huge problem since this Seed/King will come from them and Israel is bent on turning away from God's plan. Another problem arises in view of this King and Servant that will suffer. Continually we see the various pattern seeds persecuting and losing at times. Isaiah 66:21 speaks of foreigners being priests and Levites! How can this be since the Jews were not allowed to marry Gentiles (see Ezra, Nehemiah, Malachi)? How will the Gentile nations be blessed in Abraham? Mystery is all over the place in the OT even as it closes.
WILL IT ALL FALL APART?
The mystery is resolved in the supposed defeat of the King and Seed who came. Jesus' bruise on the heel was his death on the cross. This dealt a death blow to Satan and insured Satan's final defeat and God's blessing over all the nations as the Son of David, Jesus, rules forever on a restored creation. Jesus was the suffering Servant and Seed. The ruler from Judah. He was the Passover Lamb. The Great High Priest. The One who led us out of bondage, like Moses did for Egypt. As Moses led Israel into the wilderness to receive His law which also governed the building of the Tabernacle. So, too, Jesus' Exodus set us free to worship God as He builds us into a global tabernacle or Temple. Jesus sent Paul to the Gentiles to incorporate them into believing Israel. Thus God's promises to Abraham are fulfilled as well.
The mystery is resolved in the supposed defeat of the King and Seed who came. Jesus' bruise on the heel was his death on the cross. This dealt a death blow to Satan and insured Satan's final defeat and God's blessing over all the nations as the Son of David, Jesus, rules forever on a restored creation. Jesus was the suffering Servant and Seed. The ruler from Judah. He was the Passover Lamb. The Great High Priest. The One who led us out of bondage, like Moses did for Egypt. As Moses led Israel into the wilderness to receive His law which also governed the building of the Tabernacle. So, too, Jesus' Exodus set us free to worship God as He builds us into a global tabernacle or Temple. Jesus sent Paul to the Gentiles to incorporate them into believing Israel. Thus God's promises to Abraham are fulfilled as well.
NOT EVEN DEATH UNDOES IT
There is nothing that can undo this (Romans 8:28-39).
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