In Part 1 of this Bible study, we learned what the gospel is. And we learned that we must obey the gospel just as Peter instructed in Acts 2:38.

In Part 2 we saw that the apostles consistently put the gospel into practice in exactly this way

The Gospel is...

1. Death
2. Burial
3. Resurrection

Acts 2:38 says to...

1. Repent
2. Be baptized
3. Receive the Holy Ghost

God had this gospel in His mind and His plan before even creation.

Now we will see how God provided types and shadows of the New Testament gospel beforehand in the stories of the Old Testament.

It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

Noah

Genesis 6:5-8

• And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
• And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
• And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
• But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah lived in a sinful world, but he found GRACE in the eyes of the LORD.

How did grace save Noah from the sin of the world?

 

Genesis 7:7

• And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

 

Noah walked away from the worlds and went into the ark.

When we leave sin and walk into God’s ways, this is called REPENTANCE.

 

Genesis 7:19-23

• And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
• Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
• And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
• All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.
• And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

1 Peter 3:21

• The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

The sin of Noah’s world was destroyed by water.

According to Peter, this is a figure of BAPTISM.

 

Genesis 8:3-4

• And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.
• And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

Hebrews 4:1-5

• Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
• For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
• For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
• For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
• And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

After the waters were abated, the ark rested in the seventh month just as God rested on the seventh day.

In Hebrews 4, God’s rest is symbolic of heaven and also of the baptism of the HOLY GHOST.

​Easy as 1-2-3!

Israel Leaving Egypt

Exodus 14:8-9

• And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.
• But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

Egypt was an evil slave master to Israel just as sin is to the sinner. Israel went out of the land of Egypt.
Turning and walking away from sin is called REPENTANCE.

However, Egypt pursued after them.

Exodus 14:22, 28

• And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
• And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

1 Corinthians 10:1-2

• Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
• And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

Israel passed through the waters of the Red Sea. But the army of Egypt was destroyed by that same water.

Paul lets us know that this is symbolic of BAPTISM.

 

Exodus 15:22-25

• So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
• And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
• And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
• And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

John 7:38-39

• He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
• (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

After passing through the Red Sea, Israel found no water to give them LIFE. Finally they found water but they could not drink it.
The water was made available to them when Moses applied a TREE that the LORD showed him.

John lets us know that “rivers of living water” is symbolic of receiving   the HOLY GHOST.
This spirit was in Jesus but was not available to give us life until after Jesus had been on the CROSS.

​Easy as 1-2-3!

The Design of the Tabernacle

Read Exodus 40:1-7 and Hebrews 9:3-8

Exodus 40:6

• And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

Outside the door of the tabernacle was the ALTAR of burnt offering.

The death of the sacrifice is symbolic of our spiritual death, which is called REPENTANCE.

 

Exodus 40:7

• And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.

After offering the sacrifice, one had to wash at the LAVER full of water before entering into the tabernacle.

Washing away the stains of sin is done for us in water when we are BAPTIZED in the name of Jesus.

 

Exodus 40:3

• And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.

Hebrews 9:8

• The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

Inside the tabernacle and behind a veil was the ARK of the testimony. The ark always represents the presence of God.

We are told specifically in Hebrews 9:8 that it signifies the HOLY GHOST.

​Easy as 1-2-3!

 

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Hebrews 4:1-2

• Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Hebrews 2:3

• How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Moses could not enter the Promised Land just because he violated a symbolic “type” of Christ. How much more we must be careful to observe the very substance!!