At this time of year, it’s good to pause and reflect on our many blessings. One of the things I’m very thankful for is the opportunity to serve with the Biblical Resource Group of Ethnos360. In addition to working on doctrinal papers for the mission, the Biblical Resource Group also responds to questions from our missionaries. An interesting question that came our way recently concerned the sacrifice of Abel in Genesis 4. Commenting on Abel’s offering, the writer of Hebrews noted: “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous...” (Heb. 11:4).
It’s often said that hindsight is 20/20. From our perspective, we can see that many sacrifices in the Old Testament, including Abel’s, were foreshadows of what Christ would accomplish on the cross of Calvary. But did Abel understand what Christ would do at the cross, so far in the future from his own time? That was the question this missionary wanted us to answer.
Some assert that Old Testament saints looked forward to the cross in the same way we now look back to it. However, this simplistic perspective raises significant questions. Did they truly understand the person of Christ and the significance of His death on the cross?
Some theologians, who minimize distinctions in God’s Word, argue that salvation has always been identical in every era. They often assert that the conscious object of the faith of Old Testament saints was Christ Himself. For example, Charles Hodge wrote: “It was not mere faith or trust in God, or simple piety, which was required, but faith in the promised Redeemer… The covenant of grace, or plan of salvation, … has always had the same promise, the same Redeemer, and the same condition of membership, namely, faith in the Son of God as the Savior of the world.”
However, the New Testament paints a different picture. Acts 17:30 refers to the Old Testament era as “times of ignorance” compared to the greater revelation given in the New Testament. This suggests that Old Testament believers did not have a clear understanding of the person and work of Christ before the cross.
The understanding of the average Israelite concerning the Messiah during Jesus’ earthly ministry was quite limited. For instance, when Jesus spoke of His impending death, Peter rebuked Him. The disciples believed that Jesus was the Messiah but did not grasp that He would die. If they failed to see Messiah’s death when looking back at Isaiah 53, how could the average Old Testament saint have understood that Messiah would die?
Because of Calvary,
Bob
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Astounding Facts about the Exodus
How many people were there?
According to Numbers 1:45-46 there were more than 600,000 fighting men. Add to that an equal number of women, plus an average of four children per family (remember, the Egyptians were afraid because the Israelites were multiplying so rapidly, Exodus 1:7-10), and the population looks like this:
Men..................... 600,000
Women............... 600,000
Children........... 2,400,000
Total................. 3,600,000
How long a column would that make?
Marching 50 abreast, it would stretch for 40 miles into the desert. At a modest pace of 2 ½ miles per hour, the people would require more than 16 hours to pass by the same point.
How much food and water did the people require?
Just to provide the minimum ration of food and water for the people (not including provisions for their animals) would take the equivalent of 30 boxcars of food and 300 tank cars of water every day of their 40 year journey.
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. –Phil. 4:19
