Pictures and Patterns

I have often heard that the gospel of Jesus is in every book of the Old Testament, but I never realized how true that was until recently. I learned to see Him when I worked on my doctorate in theology, but it wasn’t until I began to read books by Messianic Jews that I began to see the pictures.

The Bible is filled with picture patterns that illustrate God’s truths. For instance, consider Noah, who believed God, built an ark, and saved mankind by delivering his family from the deluge. Now consider Moses, whose mother believed God, built a tiny ark, and her son saved the Jews by delivering them from Egypt. 

Remember when the Israelites were attacked by venomous snakes in the desert? God told Moses to create a snake, affix it to a pole, and to lift it high. Those who had been bitten had only to look at it, and they would be saved. 

Sounds like an odd cure, doesn’t it? But God was painting a picture, and Jesus Himself explained it generations later: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life!” (John 3:14-15). 

But the picture that gives me goosebumps is the one contained in the story of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah. This picture is so precious I used it in The Apostle’s Sister. 

After Abraham and Isaac climbed the mountain without a sacrifice, Isaac asked, “Who will supply the lamb?” Abraham answers, “God will provide for Himself a lamb for a burnt offering, my son” (Gen. 22:8). 

In the scriptural story, however, God doesn’t supply a lamb, but a ram. There’s a picture being painted. 

From the Hebrew, Abraham’s reply could be translated: “God will provide Himself a lamb for the burnt offering. God will provide Himself a lamb in His son.”

Do you see it? God is painting the picture of Jesus’ sacrificial offering. God provided the Lamb of the World in His son. For Abraham, God provided a ram. For sinful men, God provided the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. 

Abraham named that place Adonai Yireh, meaning “On the mountain, Adonai will provide.” 

On that same mountain, generations later, the God provided the sacrifice that will bring salvation to all who accept it through faith. He had first promised salvation in Genesis: “I will put animosity between you and the woman—between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel” (3:15, TLV). 

The woman’s Seed—Jesus—was wounded by the tempter, but through His death and resurrection, Jesus crushed his head. The evil one struck a severe blow, but the victory was God’s. 

Why did God send want to test Abraham in the first place? God is omniscient; He knew the strength of Abraham’s faith. Perhaps he wanted Abraham to experience His loving provision. Or perhaps the lesson was intended for Isaac. 

But when the venture was finished, God said, “For now I know that you are one who fears God because you did not withhold your only son from me” (Gen. 22:12).  

Perhaps the experience was primarily for us . . . so we can realize that God did not withhold his only son from us. God’s love provided the perfect sacrifice. If we fear God, and believe Him, we can rejoice in that same provision. 

Goosebumps.

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Angela Hunt

Christy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who expect the unexpected in novels. With over five million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 165 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to non-fiction books, to novels.

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