OT & NT Foreshadowed in Genesis

Apokalupto: Trolls and off topic comments not welcome.

Enjoy my very brief overview.

Apokalupto: The Old Testament & New Testament Foreshadowed in Genesis

The Old Testament is likened to the first born, and the New Testament, the second born.
The New Testament is usually symbolized by shepherds, receiving blessings and inheritance, promises, favor, and preeminence over the first born, and such like.

His life always plays out in a certain way, in brief,
he is the “younger”
he is oppressed/hated/rejected by his brother’s’ etc
he comes back better and greater than he was before and has the preeminence and favor of God.



#1
Cain and Abel.
Cain is the first born, thus representing the Old Covenant which was first, Abel is second born, representing the New Covenant.

Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
Genesis 4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Works vs Sacrifice.
Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. (Cains gardening pictures sustainment of the Here and Now, the earth.- Also offering his sweat and toil and his own produce from the ground that he himself tilled represents bringing works to God.)

Genesis 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Genesis 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

#2
Ishmael and Isaac.

Genesis 21:10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son(Ishmael) for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
Genesis 21:11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
Genesis 21:12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

Ishmael was the first born of the two and he was a wild man, Isaac was technically Abrahams second son, yet he is called Abrahams only son by God. Genesis 22:2 And he (God) said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

And Isaac who was to be the sacrificial lamb as his father Abraham was to slay him on the alter ultimately picturing Jesus who is sacrificed for our sins, punished on our behalf, 2Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. He is the asham guilt offering in Isaiah 53, the serpent on the pole in Numbers 21:8 More on that here: Topic: Religion

#3
Esau and Jacob.

Genesis 25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
Genesis 25:25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
Genesis 25:26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

Esau is the first born, hairy and also red like clay or dirt. Adam which means red, was taken from the dust of the ground. – It means it symbolizes the earth.

Jacob who was second was a shepherd (Genesis 30)

Here is where it gets interesting.
Genesis 25:29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
Genesis 25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. (Which means red)

Genesis 25:31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
Genesis 25:32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
Genesis 25:33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
Genesis 25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

Selling his birthright, essentially his future for the moment, was not very wise.

Long story short, Jacob, the younger, gets both the birthright from his brother (Which was only supposed to be for the first born, but here we have a switch) and he also gets the blessing from his father Isaac while dressing in sheep skins picturing Christ. (Genesis 27) –The point is that what was originally supposed to be only for the first born, is now given over to the second born whom God favors - the Old has been overshadowed by the New and has Gods blessing.

Another little detail is that if Jacob did not get the birthright then priesthood would be from Esau, but instead priesthood (not only the inheritance) is switched to Jacob along with the greater blessing. – In these stories we see that God never favors the first born, but the second, and thus the story always follows the second born or the younger.

#4
Manasseh and Ephraim

Joseph has been made second to pharaoh over all the land, figuring Jesus (his entire story really figures Jesus) who rose to the right hand of the Father and Israel has moved into Egypt to be saved from the famine. Joseph is reunited with his brothers and his Father Jacob/Israel and now Jacob is going to bless Josephs two sons, who picture the two covenants.

The culmination of all this from Cain and Abel up to this point and its meaning is finally revealed, as Jacob tells us that it was meant to be this way. This is shown in great detail between King Saul and David, which like Joseph, follows closely the life Jesus and His two appearances.

The Blessing: (The blessing was no light matter; it was very serious and very meaningful)

Genesis 48:1 And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Genesis 48:8 And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these?
Genesis 48:9 And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.
Genesis 48:12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

Genesis 48:13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.
Genesis 48:14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

Genesis 48:17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.

Genesis 48:18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

Genesis 48:19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

There is so much more I could point out in these stories such as it’s the second born who increases seed and family, and peoples and nations, and never the first born who usually just sits in his own little spot.

For example, Jacob. The Bible explains itself, as it did with the culmination with Manasseh and Ephraim, explicitly and intentionally showing a switch between the first born and second born- that’s the way it’s supposed to be - and Jacob prospers which figures the pouring out of Gods spirit.

Esau sold or gave up his birthright to his younger brother Jacob for a bowl of pottage, by this is meant that Esau looks for fulfillment now, giving up his future, while Jacob seeks for investment in the future and snatches it. In a debate with Michael Brown there was a Jewish Joke that says “We concern ourselves with the practical things of Here and Now, the Christians are always concerning themselves with the afterlife.” And I wonder if that is supposed to be an insult or a neutral observation, but I’ll take it as a compliment.

Summary of the two covenants.

Cain a tiller of the ground
Abel a keeper of sheep/God had respect

Ishmael: a wild man
Isaac: the sacrificial lamb/gets the inheritance and promises of God

Esau: a hairy red hunter
Jacob: a keeper of sheep/takes the birthright/gets the greater blessing

Manasseh:
Ephraim: gets the greater blessing over his brother

There are a plethora of other details that could be said about this, but this will have to do for now. – Genesis is not the only book that speaks to these things, there is also Saul and David etc.

If you like discussing Bible topics or theology, here is my chat: Chatroom: Isaiah 53
Everyone is welcome.

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Holy Spirit in the Old Testament Topic: Religion

Isaiah 53 to whom is the Arm of the LORD revealed? Topic: Religion

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