Posted by
ValiantForTruth on Saturday, February 26, 2011 10:03:28 PM
'Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink...Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition...' [1 Corinthians 10:1-11].
The apostolic testimony in 1 Corinthians 10 establishes that Old Testament Israel was an example for the New Testament Church.
Paul uses the term
"tupos" from which we get the word
“type” to describe how Israel is our example. God ordained that much of the OT is given as a type to predict and teach Israel about Christ. The spiritual realities that we know and see in full light today in the New Covenant are found in shadow and type in the OT.
Israel is our example because they are “
our fathers" [1 Corinthians 10:1]. The Corinthian church was comprised of both Jews and Gentiles. The term must apply equally to both, since he is warning the whole church against idolatry as happened in Israel. But how are the Israelites “
fathers” of the Gentiles?
1. By our connection to Abraham as the father of the faithful, and the one whose faith was accounted as righteousness [Romans 2:26-29; Galatians 3:13-14, 29; Philippians 3:1-3; Romans 4:3-5].
2. By our common history in Israel as the “precursor” of the NT church. God chose Israel as a means of preparing the world to receive Messiah.
[Credits: Pastor Steve Garrick]
How is OT Israel an Example to the NT Church?
Part 2: They are a “type” of the church
How is OT Israel an Example to the NT Church?
Part 3: They had the same spiritual signs of Christ
How is OT Israel an Example to the NT Church?
Part 4: Many of them ignored the testimonies of Christ and died in their sins.
OT Israel: a Type of the Real Prince of God