[Genesis 24:1-4] Genesis 21-25 forms an overall type that is made up of many individual types. In the antitype, these chapters present a chronological sequence of events that start with the birth of the Christ to the Messianic Kingdom. The things that are covered in these passages cover about 2,000 years within the history of man on this Earth. The antitypes of these types begin toward the end of the Jewish dispensation and lead all the way into the Messianic era, and together, they cover all of the Christian dispensation.
[Matthew 1:18-25; Revelation 20:1-6; 22:7-21] This is the same way the NT is laid out: It begins with events surrounding the birth of Christ (near the end of the Jewish dispensation) and ends with events surrounding the coming Kingdom.
So, these passages in Genesis form a typical skeletal framework, and we find the antitype in the NT, taken as a whole. In other words, the NT, which deals with the exact same subject manner in an expanded for, is a sort of a commentary on the material that is set forth in these 5 chapters in Genesis. The NT is the “sinews and flesh and skin” that covers this skeletal framework. [Ezekiel 37:1-10]
This same sort of typical relation that we see between two different sections of Scripture is common to the book of Genesis. The book opens with the story of creation, ruin, restoration, and rest, and Scripture in its entirety is brought into view. Genesis 1:1-2:3 is the skeletal framework at the beginning, and the rest of Scripture is commentary that forms the sinews, flesh, and skin that attaches itself to and covers the framework. This is the same way a skyscraper is built; they begin with a skeletal framework, then they add the elevator shafts and other things that attach to the frame on the inside, and then they add the outer skin.
Since Scripture is structured in this way, the commentary assumes that those who are studying and preaching and teaching will have a deep understanding of the material with which the commentary deals. The sinews, flesh, and skin are useless without the bones upon which they are to be attached. Without the framework, there is nothing to hold them in place. Without the framework and foundation for a skyscraper…
[Isaiah 28:10] 1 Corinthians 10:11, which we looked at last week, says, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” All Scripture that comes after this foundational material has been written in such a manner that it is assumed that there is a solid intimate knowledge of the foundational material. The rest of Scripture is given in such a way that it is assumed that it is going to be studied and taught with the previously laid foundation. When this is not done, you are going to find yourself dealing with commentary about a type, and this commentary presenting the antitype, without the basic understanding of the subject. You’re going to discover that you are trying to deal with the sinews, flesh, and skin without the framework to which they are to be attached and will hold them in place. This will lead you into grave error!
I cannot overemphasize to you the importance of understanding the foundation of Scripture! God has set this foundation forth in order for us to build upon it. The commentary, which relates back to these passages, assumes a deep and intimate understanding of these passages, and a lack of understanding of these foundational passages will lead to grave error and misunderstanding of subsequent Scriptures. Can you get a clear understanding of the gospel of spiritual salvation? Certainly. It cannot be any simpler. But, without this foundation, you will never grasp the meanings and types that God has set forth; you will miss the meat of the Word.
We read Genesis 21-25 earlier. In this account, Abraham is set forth as a type of God the Father, and Isaac set forth as a type of God the Son. This is presented clearly and without any doubts in chapter 22 where Abraham offers Isaac upon one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. This picture, or this type, points to God offering his son upon one of the mountains in the land of Moriah about 2,000 years later.
When God told Abraham to offer Isaac, he was specific as to the place where he was to do this. Genesis 22:2 says, “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” In retrospect, it is easy to see why he was so specific. Everything surrounding this event came together to form an unchangeable type, and the antitype is the whole of the events surrounding God one day offering his Son.
Genesis 22:14 says, “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.” Jesus was apparently offered upon this same mount. Twice, God provided a substitute in this place.
Now, since Abraham is presented as a type of God the Father, it seems obvious that his wife, Sarah, is a type of the wife of Jehovah: Israel. This fits into place just like a piece of a puzzle within the typical structure that is set forth in these chapters in Genesis, and set forth in the antitype in the NT.
Sarah was barren, so she and Abraham, through their own efforts, tried to bring about God’s promise of a seed. After all, God needed a helping hand! They enlisted Hagar to bear the seed. What happens when we try to help God out? God doesn’t need our help. The world is still suffering for the actions of these two people today, in the descendents of Ishmael.
It should be noted that Ishmael was the child under the law. He still had an inheritance, but it wasn’t the better inheritance that was planned for the child of promise.
But, God always rejects the efforts of men when they take things upon themselves. In God’s eyes, the best efforts of man are no different than his worst. Why is that? [Isaiah 64:6] All of man’s efforts come from the same source: the flesh. God has rejected these things. God does things in his own time, and he doesn’t need the help of men! Because of her advanced age, Sarah was physically incapable of having a child. So, God had to perform a supernatural work to produce the child of promise.
Israel later appeared in the same barren condition. In the antitype, God did something similar. He took a young Jewish woman who had not known a man, so would not naturally be capable of childbirth, and through supernatural means, he brought forth Jesus, who was the one of whom Isaac was a type. Although Israel was barren, just as Sarah had been barren, Israel brought forth through a supernatural work, just as Sarah had.
In Genesis 21, we see the supernatural birth of Isaac, which is a type of the supernatural birth of Jesus. Then, in chapter 22, we see Abraham offering Isaac as a sacrifice, which is a type of Jesus being offered as a sacrifice. The next type we see is in chapter 23, and that’s the death of Sarah.
Sarah died following the offering of Isaac by Abraham upon Mount Moriah. What do we see in the antitype? Israel, who is the wife of Jehovah, died following the offering of the Christ. Israel, as a nation, was set aside for the dispensation, and is, in type, in the place of death.
This death, in type, is clear in corresponding types, such as Johan in the belly of the whale, or in the death of Lazarus in John 11. But, in both the type and the sign, Jonah and Lazarus were raised from the dead. In the same way, one day Israel will be raised out of the place of death. If you notice, both Jonah and Lazarus were raised on the third day. This points to Israel being raised on the third day as well. [Jonah 1:17-2:10; John 11:6-7; 11:43-44]
[Hebrews 11] In Genesis 22:4, we see that events occurred on the third day. These events involve Abraham receiving his son in a figure or in a parable. [Hebrews 11:17-19; figure; parable – same word] Although the type in the offering of Isaac is quite clear, emphasis is upon the parabolic aspect in Hebrews.
The word “parable” is from a compound Greek word, “parabolE”. “ParabolE” is from “para”, which means “alongside” and “bole”, which means to cast. So, it means to cast alongside. A parable is simply a subsequent truth place alongside a previous truth in order to help illuminate the previous truth.
A type is the opposite of a parable. It appears first and points to its antitype that will be revealed later.
A parable appears later and is cast alongside a previous truth, and a type appears first and points to the future. But, both are given for the exact same reason: To explain the things to which they relate.
Abraham offered Isaac on the mount that the Lord showed him, although a ram caught in the thicket died in Isaac’s place. Isaac died in a substitute and Abraham received his son in a parable. These things reflect back upon previous truths, in Genesis 3 and 4, in which we are first taught things that pertain to death and shed blood. These events also form a type. They point forward to the antitype, where the teachings that pertain to death and the shed blood are brought to a climax in Scripture.
Now, the third day points not only to the resurrection of Isaac in type, or Jesus in the antitype, but it also points to something else that is afar off: It points to that time when the firstborn sons will be raised up. Jesus, Israel, and the elect are to be raised up on the third day; they will be elevated to positions of power and authority in the third 1,000 year period from the crucifixion. This is the antitype of Abraham receiving his son from the dead.
On the third day, God will restore Israel; one of the firstborn sons. This is presented in type in Genesis 25. Abraham marries Keturah following the death of Sarah. But, when does this occur? It doesn’t occur until after the bride was acquired for Isaac in Genesis 24. The remarriage of Abraham points to the restoration of Israel. But, this restoration can only happen after the events that surround the present dispensation, which are covered in Genesis 24.
After Abraham’s eldest servant acquired a bride for Isaac, Abraham married Keturah. One thing we see about her is that she was not barren; she was fruitful! She bore him six sons. How many had Sarah borne without supernatural means? One. This points to the fruitfulness of Israel in that day that is coming soon, but not until after the restoration of Israel.
So, we see that Genesis 25 moves events into the Messianic era, and points to the future restoration of the nation of Israel, after the events that we see in Genesis 24. The events in Genesis 24 can only point to events in this dispensation in which we now find ourselves, and this current dispensation is sandwiched in between two points in time: That of Israel being set aside in Genesis 23 and when Israel will be restored in Genesis 25. Events in Genesis 24 point to the antitypes that occur during the period in which Israel is in the place of death. This covers two days, or 2,000 years. We find this in type in the story of Jonah that we talked about a few moments ago, and we see this in the sign of Lazarus being raised from the dead.
In Genesis 24, we are given events surrounding Abraham sending his eldest servant to acquire a bride for Isaac. This is the type. In the antitype, these events can only point to God the Father sending the Holy Spirit into the world to call out a bride for his son! Genesis 24 concerns God’s purpose for this dispensation in which we now find ourselves. It concerns the procurement of a bride for his son!
It’s evident that the events that are covered in Genesis 21-25 form one comprehensive type that is made up of several smaller types. The antitype takes us from the birth of the Messiah to the coming Messianic Kingdom.
If you grasp a thorough comprehension of the events in these chapters and the sequence of them, you will be able to place events in our current dispensation in the proper context. These events occur between Israel being set aside and Israel being restored. They have to do with God sending his Spirit into the world for one purpose: Acquiring a bride for his son.
A thorough understanding of events in the dealings of God with man during this present dispensation is directly connected to an understanding of events that occurred 4,000 years ago in Genesis 24. Much NT revelation concerning the existence of the Church in the world and the ministry of the Holy Spirit during the present dispensation offers little background explanation, but is a commentary. The revelation given in the NT is given in such a way that it assumes an intimate knowledge of previous things.
This is the way that you will find all NT revelation; presented as types and antitypes. The foundation of an understanding of the existence of the Church and the work of the Holy Spirit during this present dispensation has been given to us in OT types. They are revealed in NT antitypes. In order to understand NT revelations, you must obtain a thorough and intimate knowledge of things that are revealed in the OT.
