“All Things Which Have Been Given of God are the Typifying of Him”

Bryan Richards

For Christians, the Law of Moses is often looked to as a type to teach us of Christ. As Paul said, it is the schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ (Gal 3:24). It teaches of things which are holy and things which are not holy, that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean (Lev 10:10). It teaches about the nature of the sacrifice of the Only-Begotten, i.e. firstborn, male, without blemish, etc.

But there are other events which may not be directly related to the Law of Moses which are a type of Christ:

1) The most obvious, as taught in the Book of Mormon, is the serpent raised in the wilderness. The serpent was to represent Christ so that those who were to look upon it should not die though bitten by poisonous serpents. See 2 Nephi 25:20.

2) The offering of Isaac by Abraham is also a symbol for the sacrifice of the Savior. Abraham, through offering his only son, learned about what God the Father must have had to go through when witnessing the suffering of His Only-Begotten, perfect Son.

3) There was an ancient Jewish tradition, which apparently began with Moses, that the firstborn was to be holy and dedicated to the Lord. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine (Ex 13:1-2).

4) The events of the Passover, when all the firstborn sons of Egypt were killed by a plague from the Lord, use symbols to teach us many things about the mission of Christ:

a) A sacrificial lamb, without blemish is offered (Ex 12:5,21)

b) The lamb is killed in the evening and had no broken bones (Ex 12:6,46)

c) The lamb is to be eaten (Ex 12:8); the Savior said, Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you (Jn 6:53).

d) No stranger is allowed to eat of the Lamb (Ex 12:43), the unworthy are not allowed to take the sacrament (1 Cor 11:29)

e) The blood of the lamb, placed upon the doorposts, saved the children of Israel from destruction (Ex 12:8), the blood of Jesus Christ, shed in Gesthemane and on Calvary, saves all mankind from physical and spiritual death.

f) The time of the year was the same for both the Passover and the crucifixion, for the last meal that Jesus was to enjoy on earth was the celebration of the Passover.

Many other examples could be used. Suffice it to say that the value of the Law of Moses and the other events which point us to Christ is that they help us more fully understand the meaning, implications, depth, and power of the mission and atonement of Jesus Christ.

GospelDoctrine.Com

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