The Root and Offspring of David

David is a type and shadow of Jesus in many ways. From 1 Samuel 16-17, observe the following truths about both Jesus and David.

  1. Born in Bethlehem in an atmospbere of fear

  2. A most unlikely hero, He is sent by His Father

  3. Annointed by God

  4. He leaves home, initally to comfort, later for conquest

  5. Favored by the people and giving gifts from the Father

  6. Rejected by his own

  7. Demonstrates unflappable courage and faith

  8. He represents the people

  9. Fights the evil forces with unconventional weapons

  10. By winning a tremendous victory, He inspires God’s people

What God Does with Our Sins

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. (Ps 103:10–13).

Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord,

“Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. (Is 1:18).

You have cast all my sins behind Your back (Is. 38:15)

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake;

And I will not remember your sins. (Is 43:25).

For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. (Je 31:34).

Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity

And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?

He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. 

19 He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities.

You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea. (Mic 7:18–19).

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (Jn 1:29).

Esther: A Type of Jesus

The Old Testament contains pictures of the coming Christ. These types and shadows prefigure the Lord Jesus. Consider the example of Queen Esther.

  • Both Jesus and Esther were beautiful
  • Both Jesus and Esther were compasionate
  • Both Jesus and Esther were intercessors
  • Both Jesus and Esther saved their people
  • Both Jesus and Esther defeated evil
  • Both Jesus and Esther were willing to sacrifice themselves (but only Jesus actually laid His life down)

The Greatest King

Jesus Christ is the greatest king of history. By comparing Jesus to other kings His superiority quickly becomes apparent. Notice these comparisons between Saul the first king and Jesus the final King.

See 1 Samuel 31

  1. Both Jesus and Saul had enemies, however Saul fled from his enemies, while Jesus faced His (verse 1).
  2. Both Jesus and Saul welcomed death, however Saul wanted to save himself from suffering, while Jesus wanted to save us from suffering (verse 4).
  3. Both Jesus and Saul died, however Saul's death brought defeat to his followers, while Jesus's death brings victory to His followers (verse 7).
  4. Both Jesus and Saul were buried, however Saul remains in the grave, while Jesus was resurrected from the grave (verse 13).

Higher and Deeper with God through Worship

Moses went up on Mount Sinai and received both the Ten Commandments and the blueprints for the tabernacle. In so doing God gave both the law for man's obedience and grace for man's failure, for the tabernacle is a type of Jesus. The tabernacle, layed out in the shape of a cross, is how one draws near to God for forgiveness and restoration.

The first item the worshipper saw was the multi-colored gate. Blue is the color of heaven, purple is the color of royalty, and red is the color of blood. This of course showing that Jesus is a king who came from heaven and shed His blood for us. 

Jesus said, "I am the door." The only way into the tabernacle was to pass through this entrance. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

One of the truly great worshippers in the Bible King David explains how to pass through this doorway. "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name" (Psalm 100:4).

Now in a very practical way, if you want to go deeper with God, begin in this manner. Observe these three acts of worship. 

  1. BE THANKFUL TO HIM. Look around and identify your many blessings. Don't just be thankful for the gifts, but be thankful to God for those gifts.
  2. PRAISE HIM. Thankfulness is primarily for visible things, yet praise is for the invisible traits of God grasped by faith. Take a few moments to tell God how marvelous He is, enumerate His many wonderful qualities (true, kind, merciful, faithful, holy, forgiving, unchanging, faithful, good, almighty, etc).
  3. BLESS HIS NAME. In the Bible, names do more than identify, names express quality and nature. Thus, the names of God tell us about the essence of God. He is Father, Savior, Shepherd, King, Ancient of Days, Master, Emmanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Man of Sorrows, Captain of our salvation, Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord who provides), Comforter, Prince of Peace, I AM, etc.

Get started today in your journey toward God with thanksgiving and praise.

Our Great High Priest

Here are three reasons that Jesus is the great high priest.

  1. Jesus is perfect. All other high priests were sinful, frail human beings. They had to be cleansed from their own sins before they could intercede for the people. But since Jesus never had a bad thought, word, or deed, He doesn't need to confess His sins like all the other high priests. 
  2. Jesus is immortal. The other high priests eventually would die and a new priest would have to be trained. Because Jesus is eternal, He is still on the job, where He "ever lives to make intercession for us." 
  3. Jesus is the final sacrifice. In the Old Testament animals had to be offered regularly, but at Calvary Jesus became a perfect once-and-for-all sacrifice. In a remarkable twist, Jesus is both priest and offering. In an amazing act of love the Priest offered Himself. What the blood of bulls and goats could not do, Jesus accomplished by shedding His own life blood.

What a Savior!