“From now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.”
2 Corinthians 5:16
I remember that years ago one of our local newspapers had a special feature in their Saturday edition called magic eye. This consisted of a colorful patterned image that looked at first glance to be some sort of abstract art. Even after examining these magic eye images for up to a minute or more I was still unable to see anything in them beyond their vibrant colors and interesting repeating patterns. If I stared long enough, however, and tried to relax my eyes and refrain from really focusing on the image, something very interesting would happen (some might even call it magical!). Suddenly, a 3D image would appear inside the larger image. The smaller images could be anything from sailboats, to teapots; almost any conceivable image could be hidden within a magic eye puzzle. These puzzles remind me of the Bible in a couple of ways. First, magic eye puzzles are fascinating to study even at face value, even if we are unable to see the hidden picture within them. This is like the Bible, whose surface meaning is captivating, encouraging and instructive in its own right. Even if we recognized no shadows or types, what is there on the surface alone would capture our attention for a lifetime. Secondly, as with magic eye puzzles, the Bible will reveal a hidden truth to us if we are patient and don’t try to “force” it. Magic eye puzzles require us to relax our eyes and allow the image to appear naturally. As we study the Bible, we ought to be asking God to reveal His truth to us, not struggle and squint and force ourselves to see what might not be there. When we do this, God is often pleased to reveal amazing images of His dear Son, the grand theme of the entire Bible (Luke 24:44; John 5:39; Acts 10:43). The religious feasts and holy days described in Leviticus 23 are a perfect example of this. The Sabbath Law reminds us that Christ is our rest (Leviticus 23:3; Matthew 11:28). In the Passover Lamb we see Jesus, our Passover sacrificed for us (Leviticus 23:4-5; Exodus 12:1-28; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8). In the unleavened bread we see Jesus also, this time as the Bread of Life (Leviticus 23:6; John 6:35). The Feast of First fruits involves cutting down a sheaf of harvested barley and waving it before the LORD (Leviticus 23:9-14). The plant was “alive,” blowing in the wind before being cut down. Waved before the LORD, it gives the appearance of being alive once again. This reminds us of Christ’s resurrection from the dead, when He became “the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:22). The typology here is not only fascinating, it is wonderfully encouraging. The first fruits hold the promise of more to come. We too will be fashioned like the risen Lord Whose image is found in all the Scriptures, sometimes visible only through the eyes of enlightened faith!
God bless and encourage you today dear saints!
pastor john
English