Moses as Type of Christ

            Last week we considered Joseph as a type of Christ and this week we move to the most important Old Testament type of Christ – Moses. The Pentateuch passage for this week’s reading is Exodus14:26-31, the passage that narrates the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. In the Old Testament Moses stands as a towering figure, the great liberator of Israel out of bondage. It is therefore no surprise that the expectation of the future liberator of Israel looked back at Moses. We read in Deuteronomy 18:15, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.”

            After Joseph’s death the descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob (Israel) dwelt in Egypt and eventually became enslaved to the Egyptians. The story of Moses is so popular that it is not necessary to recap. There are numerous parallels between Moses and Christ. Let us look at three of them:

            First Christ liberates us from bondage. The entire Exodus story is a type of our salvation. We were formerly enslaved in bondage to sin and the captain of our salvation leads us out of Egypt and into the promised land. Although the crossing of the Red Sea (a type of Christian baptism, see 1 Cor 10:2) signifies a land mark victory over evil, the people of God are not yet able to enter into the promised land and must wander in the wilderness. Christ is our great liberator and we are no longer enslaved in bondage. The resurrection of Christ and our participation in that resurrection through baptism parallels the crossing of the Red Sea.

            Second Christ gifts us with the knowledge needed for salvation. St John states in his gospel “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). Law was the knowledge that the people of God needed in their earthly sojourn to be connected with God. Christ brings the grace and truth that we need for our salvation. This Sunday we heard about the miraculous catch of fish by the apostles after the resurrection. It was when the apostles listened to the command of Jesus that they were able to catch the large amount of fish. In our daily life we must constantly keep our ears open to receive the grace and truth that Christ gifts to us.

            Third Moses shows us the intimacy with God that we can attain. Moses was a “friend of God”. “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” Exodus 33:11. Christ similarly shows us that through prayer we can maintain an intimate connection with God.

            Next week, we will consider the tabernacle and Christ.