God draws a common tread throughout the bible, that tread is his son Jesus Christ. We hear about him in the Garden of Eden, where God promises the devil, that he will send someone to crush his head. In the last part of the book Revelation we are told, that the devil will not interfere with mankind for a 1000 year, because Jesus Christ has return with the saints to reign on earth.
God reveals many things throughout the bible in a symbolic way. Ones a symbol is revealed, it stands for the same thing throughout the bible.
In the first parable Jesus was invited to a wedding, where he turned water into vine. In Revelation we see, that Jesus will eventually invite all believers to a wedding, signifying we belong to Jesus Christ.
The bible can be read page by page. If we, by understanding, add the symbolic debt, the word will have a much deeper impact, making our bible reading much more fruitful.
Isaiah chapter 55 verses 10-12: My word is like the rain and snow that falls from the sky and wet the earth. Where it is send, it produces fruit and carries out my will.
Isaac:Abraham is a father type. God promised him as many descendants as stars in the sky, in other words uncountable.See Genesis chapter 15 verse 5.
Isaac, his son, is a picture of Jesus Christ as God and man. Abraham sent his trusted servant out to a distant relative to find a wife for his son Isaac. Rebecca meets the servant to Abraham by the well and immediately offered to water his animals.
Genesis chapter 24 verse 52.Rebecca is willing to return with the servant to Abraham and to marry his son Isaac. The servant in turn distributes expensive gift to the family
1 Corinthians 12- teaches us that the Holy Spirit gives gift to the follower of Jesus.
Rebecca signifies the church, because the call was at first given to the Jewish people and later on extended to the Gentiles.
Genesis chapter 25 verse 23: After 20 years of marriage Rebekah finally gives birth to twins Esau and Jacob. God reviles to her, that they would become two reviling nations.
It is truth, because Jacob became ancestor of Jesus and thus of all Christians. Esau became the progenitor of all Muslims.
When Esau discovered that the parent had sent Jacob to Panda Aram, because they did not want him to marry a Canaanite girl, he sought out Ishmael’s family and married his daughter.
This situation, based on jealousy, still dwells in many Muslim people today.
Abraham and Sarah did not wait for God to give them the promised son. As they advanced in age, Sarah gave her slave girl to Abraham, that resulting in the birth of Ismael. Gods perfect plan was not obeyed.
Jacob is a picture of how man tries to set the course in life by himself, but when he has wrestled with his conscience and won, he is a different man. The spirit of God wrestles against spiritual things in the affairs of our life.
Genesis chapter 25 verse 29. Esau, as the firstborn, sold his birthright over a pot of reed stew, that Jacob was preparing.It was how much it meant to him, in a moment he was hungry and weary.
Israel did have a second blessing to Esau, when he asked for it: Behold your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth and of the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live and you shall serve your brother and it shall come to pass, when you become restless, that you shall break the joke from of your neck.
Esau actually passed his hatred on to his offspring to this very day in many an instant. If we can stop accusing and forgive, many a trouble do not have an influence in our life. For some a hard lesson to learn.
See the book of Obadiah chapter 1for the history of Esau.
Genesis chapter 27. After Jacob, by list, got the right of the firstborn, his tween brother Esau hate him for it and therefor became his enemy. Rebecca, the mother, advised Jacob to flee to his maternal uncle Laban. There he marry Lea, before he finally came to marry Rachel, the sister to Lea promised to him by the father Laban, for serving him for another 7 years.
Lea was the oldest and therefor the first to get marry, but Laban cheated and gave Jacob Lea instead of Rachel, whom he was in love with at first
Genesis chapter 30 verse 30: Jacob asks Laban for permission to leave with Lea, Rachel and the children.
He has served Laban 14 years and during that time he was cheated many a time with his wages.
Verse 30: He says to Laban: What you had before I came was very little, but it have increased to a great amount over the years. The lord has blessed you since my coming and now – how shall I provide for my own household.
Verse 32: Therefor let me pass through your flock and remove from them all the speckled and spotted sheep and goats, and all the brown among the lambs,
those shall be my wages.
Jacob starts to visualize the multiplication of the flock, every time they came to drink. God was with him, he saw his trouble and multiplied his wages many a time in this way.
Visualizing by faith after Gods word and promise brings result.
Jacob decides, after a sudden time, to flee secretly with his household without a blessing from Laban because of his disapproval regarding the great increase of the flock now belonging to Jacob.
Laban pursued Jacob, when he got the news of his leaving, but God intervened and Laban is warned not to say anything weather good or bad.
Jacob heads home to his birthplace in Canaan and prepares to meet Esau after many years.
The deep thing of Gods Holy Spirit is found in visualizing dreams and impression just as promised at Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.
Genesis chapter 32 verse 28: Jacob name is changed to Israel after a great struggle, which is described as a struggle with man and God. Jacob is struggling with his conscience and his feelings towards Esau. He overcame and God honored him for it by upgrading him to a higher level.
It is by overcoming evil,
that we grow and mature with God and man.
Jacob wrestles, supposedly with an angel, and wins. The angel leaves him, after he at first stroke him on the hip. From that day on Jacob is limping and his name where changed to Israel.
He may have prepared to fight Esau, but after he had wrestled all night with his conscience, he changed his attitude toward meeting Esau.
Esau approached Jacob with 400 men, it shows that his first intension was revenge. First Jacob sends Lea with children ahead to meet Esau followed by Rachel with the children.
Chapter 33: The reunion between Jacob and Esau turns out to be heartily in spite of the difficult circumstances. Jacob per sweats Esau to good will with many gifts of different kind of animals and at last the two of them fell each other on the neck.
After Jacob has talked with Esau, he decide to settle in Succoth, were he bought land before he moved on to Canaan.
God chose a people and a family for his son to be born at the fullness of time. People were fully to follow Gods rule and commandment. If the commandment were broken or ignored, it could eventually result in Gods plan for his son being annulated forever.
That is why the people were punished hard, at times with death, for breaking the commandments.
Today it seams unreasonable, that God could act in this way in the Old Testament time.
Lucifer, today called the devil, tried many a time to interfere in Gods plan by making people sin.
We see in the story of Jacobs daughter Dinah with Lea that his instruments were very soulish.
In our New Testament time we do not have to follow the rules from the Old Testament, because the price is paid for. Rules of obedience toward the commandment were only valid until the crucifixion for those who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Colossians chapter 2 verse 2: Let no one judge you in food drink a festival or a Sabbath.
2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17: If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, old things has past away and all things has become new.
Chapter 34: Dinah daughter of Lea went out to visit the daughters of the land. She got raped and held captive by Shechem son of a prince in the land.
Hamor, the father to Shechem, ask Jacob kindly to allow his son to marry Dinah and offer him to leave peacefully together in the land.
When the sons of Jacob heard about the incident, they became grieved and angry, especially Simon and Levi.
Thus shoving the moral and purity held by Israel compared to the looseness of their heathen neighbor.
They were under strict command not to intermarry with the people of Canaan.
Verse 13: We see satans first attempt to defile a virgin in Israel. It is also the first time Israel is mentioned as a country. Gods plan for his people could have been lost by this one incident. It would also not have worked in the long run for Jacob, because Hamor may have plotted to overtake Jacob and his wealth.
The sons to Jacob make a deceitful plan against Hamor and his sons. They answer: We will consent with you, if you become circumcised, as we are, then we will become one people, so all male in the city were circumcised.
On the third day when the men were in pain, Simon and Levi came upon the city killed all male and took their sister back.
Not much is said about the size of the city and how many people were involved in the fight, but it was victory to Simon and Levi.
Chapter 35: God thereafter directed Jacob to Bethel in Canaan. There he made his household to put away all foreign gods, an act of cleansing and then he erected an altar to God in the place.
Because of the fight with Hamor fear came upon the people in the cities around, so they left them alone, but it shows that Hamor also was feared in the region.
God appeared again to Jacob, blessed him and said: From now on your name shall be called Israel.Jacob had finally arrived, were God wanted him to be in the first place.
The history of Israel still goes on today, because Gods plan for mankind is not jet finished. The people have fought other nations, were deported to Babylonia and returned again.
They were thereafter spread all over the earth, but the call for them to return at the appointed time, was given ahead by the prophets.
Since 1948 Israel exist again and the call from the prophets is continually being fulfilled before our eyes. Many have returned, the process is not finished jet.
At Gods appointed time Christ will return with the saints to conquer the last enemy and reign for a 1000 years before entering into eternity.
Jacob had 12 sons with Lea and Rachel as well as with Bilhad and Zilpah the maidservants,
they became the 12 tribes to Israel.
In chapter 49: Jacob blesses his sons before he pas on. It is a prophecy outlining of the future and history to each son up to the reign of Christ.
Ruben was the firstborn but because of sin the firstborn right was given to Judah as seen in
Verse 10: The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver before his feet until Shiloh comes.
We see the difficulties in keeping a clean line up to the birth of Christ. It also become clear that the firstborns right is a gift from God and it does not totally depend on the firstborn.
The difficulties in keeping a clean line up to the birth of Christ continues in all generations but at the same time God also revile to mankind all his weaknesses his judgment and his mercies as well.
Chapter 38: Judah married Shua a woman from Canaan. With her he get 3 sons. The oldest son Er
marry Tamar. Er was wicked in the sight of God, he therefor die. The next son Onan is asked to give Tamar a son in the place of Er. He does not fully do his duty, since he know, that it will not be his son, it displeases God, therefore he die to.
Tamar is asked to return to her fathers house, until the third son Shelah is old enough.
Verse 12: As time goes by, the wife to Judah also dies. Judah is left with one son only Shelah.
Tamar realizes, that she may newer get to conceive with the third son Shelah, because Judah may be afraid of losing him to, she therefor decide a plan by herself.
She was told, that Judah was on the way to Timnah to shear his sheep. She wrapped herself and covered her head and sat by an open place. Judah passing by thought, she was an harlot, because she had covered her head. He offered a goat for being allowed to go into her. Tamar in turn asked for his signet, cord and staff as a pledge, until the goat was delivered.
So Judah went into her and she conceived.
Later on Judah sent a goat by a friend but there were no harlot on the road.
It was told Judah, that Tamar had played the harlot and was with child in the third month. Judah commanded her to be brought out and to be burned.
When she was brought out, she went to her father in law shoving him the signet the cord and the staff.
So Judah acknowledge them and said: She has been more righteous, than I am, because I have not given her to Shelah my son and he newer knew her again.
Tamar gave birth to tweens Pharez and Zarah. Pharez
is mentioned in the line from Adam to Christ.
It may be the reson, why this unusually story is mentioned.
Genesis chapter 17- God promised Abraham to be a father for many nations, but the promise also became a witness to us about, how difficult it is and always was for mankind to stay free of sin. God himself put all past sin as well as sin done in the future on his son on the cross. Scripture stated that all have sinned and come short of glory. A change of heart was necessary to overcome; it was given to all who accept it, on the day on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given.
Josef – means saver of the world.
Jacobs and Rachels sons were Josef and Benjamin.
Rachel had died on the way to Canaan. Jacob loved her very much, may be that is the reason for his preference towards those two sons.
Josef is a type of Jesus Christ, and he therefor represents the church. There are many comparisons in the story of Josef that runs parallel to the life of Christ.
The church belongs to Christ, as signified by a wedding ceremony that actually will take place in heaven.
In Christ time on earth, a wedding was an occasion where every body took part. The groom would pour vine into a glass and give it to his chosen bride. If she received and drank it, then she had accepted his proposal.
The groom would say: From now on I will not drink it again, before I drink it with you in may Fathers house.
The same words Jesus said to his disciples the last evening before crucifixion. Jesus fulfilled all prophecies written by the prophets and it continues to his second coming.
Chapter 37 verse 12: Josef was sold by his brothers for 20 silver coins, because they were jealous of him for different reasons. He was preferred of the father and also better treated.
Jesus was betrayed by Judas and sold for 30 silver coins. The Pharisees was very jealous of him, because he was popular among the people and did signs and wonders, which they could not fit into their scriptures and rules.
Josef was sold to Potiphar, a high official in Egypt at the court of Pharaoh. Being gifted and good looking Josef soon became responsible for Pontiphars house. His wife caught sight of him and repeatedly tried to seduce him. One day it happened, that she caught him by his jacket, but Josef managed to run away from her leaving his jacket behind. Pontifars wife used the occasion to complain about Josef being to close to her and Josef therefor ends up in prison.
Jesus left his glory and came to earth, because of an adulterous wife the people of Israel. At first the law was given to them,but the Pharisees, the rulers, twisted the law and exploited the poor for their own benefit. Out of envy of his popularity, was Jesus betrayed and taken prisoner.
Genesis chapter 40: Josef is given responsibilities for his fellow prisoners, because he is very skilled. One day the court baker and butler, who also were in prison, tell their dreams to Josef. Having the skill of interpretation Josef interprets their dreams correctly.
To the cupbearer he says: In three days will Pharaoh make amends to you and you will get your work back.
Josef adds: Do not forget to put a good word in for me, because I am sitting her innocent.
To the court backer he says: In three days will Pharaoh take you out of prison and hang you on a stake.
Pharaoh celebrated his birthday three days later and as Josef had predicted, it did happen to the two captives.
The gift of interpretation comes from the Holy Spirit.
Josef was upright and served were he could. God was with him also in prison. It should teach us, that it is possible to serve everywhere in spite of the circumstances.
When Jesus hung on the cross, two other hung on either side of him. One was forgiven, because he confessed his sins. Jesus said to him: Today you will be with me in paradise.
The other accused Jesus of not helping him, Jesus did not have a word for him.
Two years later the cupbearer remembers Josef, because Pharaoh had a dream, that no one could interpret, the dreams of the seven lean and fat cows.
Josef interprets Pharaohs dream correctly and is immediately employed at his court. Josef also advance in rank with the court. He becomes the administrator of Pharaohs project of collecting grain in the seven fat years before the seven lean years.
Josef was 30 years old, when he entered Pharaohs service, after he had lived 13 years in Egypt.
Jesus began his ministry when he was 30 years old.
Number 13 stands typologically for rebellion.
His brothers betrayed him, but when he comes again, then will he make himself known to them, just as Josef made himself known to his brothers, when they came to bay grain because of the famine in the land.
From there we can see, that Israel will have a difficult time when Jesus comes the second time.