Have you ever been in a situation you never thought you’d survive?
Have you ever read the Bible and thought, “Huh?!”
I know I have. Especially when reading some parts of the Old Testament. But then, in the New Testament, once Jesus enters the scene, the Bible suddenly reads more easily and makes more sense. Jesus we can relate to.
But did you know that He’s even present in the Old Testament? Many of the stories, festivals, customs and events from the Old Testament testify to Jesus? Paul calls these “shadows”:
These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. – Colossians 2:17 NIV
This whole month, each day we’ll focus on a different Old Testament and see how it points us to Jesus. I trust that by the end of this month, you will be even more in awe of our Saviour than you already are right now.
The most obvious foreshadowing of Jesus in the Old Testament is David. Jesus is even called ‘Son of David’ (Matthew 1:1).
David’s defeat of Goliath represents Jesus’ victory over sin on the cross.
The deal was that if Israel could kill Goliath, all the Philistines would become Israel's slaves (1 Samuel 17:8-9). But Goliath was a liar, just as the devil is (John 8:44). Even though David killed Goliath, the Philistines fled, and Israel’s army had to pursue and kill each one of them (1 Samuel 17:51-52).
In the same way, although Jesus defeated the enemy on the cross, he does not surrender to his defeat (yet), and we all face spiritual battles at times.
The challenge for you today is to shout in victory and pursue your “philistine” knowing the battle is already won!
