Christ in the Old Testament

               I have always had a question when reading Matthew 23:37, 38. Jesus seems to be awfully upset by the fact that the people of Jerusalem had not accepted Him. I really didn’t understand why.

               Let’s face it: He came and completely changed the religion that they had practiced for thousands of years. He should have expected resistance, shouldn’t He? After all, when God laid down the Law for the Israelites, He made it clear that any form of idolatry was forbidden. When Jesus identified Himself as the Son of God (John 10:29, 36), He was, in fact trying to change their religious beliefs, and God had forbidden that, right?

               From what I had been taught, Jesus only made a few appearances in the Old Testament. He appeared to Abraham, once to stop him from killing Isaac (Gen. 22:11-12), and then again as Melchisedec (Gen 14:18-19). He appeared to Moses in the burning bush (Ex. 3:2-6). We also know that He appeared to Daniel (Dan. 10:5-6; Rev. 1:13-15).

               So how could God expect Jesus to be recognized and accepted, when the children of Israel didn’t really know who He was or when He would come? That’s what I thought, anyway. I should have known better. The nature of God is not like that. He just doesn’t operate that way.

               As I was obediently studying Psalms, Jesus began to reveal to me His presence in the Old Testament. I have to say, that this took me some time in prayer and study to fully understand.

               Psalm 23:1 reads “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (kjv). We are all familiar with this scripture.

After reading this Psalm, the Lord then took me to Exodus Chapter 3. In Exodus Chapter 3, Moses is having a discussion with the Lord through a burning bush. First off, the Lord identifies Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex. 3:6). Then the Lord (YHWH/ Jehovah) says that He has seen the oppression of His people, and has come down to deliver them (Ex 3:7-10). When Moses asks Him what His name is, He replies “I AM THAT I AM” (YHWH/Jehovah). This statement literally means “I will be what I will be.”

In this short discourse, the Lord has revealed that He is the eternal One, and He never leaves or forsakes His children. He was with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is also there in the present to see the oppression of His people. He will also be there in the future to lead them to a new land, flowing with milk and honey (Ex. 3:8).

Then the Lord God (YHWH Elohim/Jehovah Elohim) tells Moses that the God of the past, present, and future is sending him to His people, and His name (YHWH/Jehovah) is a memorial to all generations.

Okay, now I have a question: who, exactly is YHWH/Jehovah? Is it God? Is it Jesus? Who is it?

Psalm 23:1 tells us that the Lord (YHWH Rohi/ Jehovah Rohi) is my shepherd. John 10:11, 14 tells us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. If the Lord (YHWH/Jehovah) is my shepherd, and Jesus is the Good Shepherd, then it stands to reason that Jesus is YHWH/Jehovah, right?

Wait a minute, here. If YHWH/Jehovah is translated as Lord hundreds of times in the Old Testament, and Jesus is YHWH/Jehovah, that means that He was very active in the lives of the children of Israel, even before He came to earth as a man! When David said “The Lord (YHWH/Jehovah) is my shepherd,” he was implying a very intimate, one-to-one relationship with YHWH/Jehovah.

Jesus said “I know My sheep and am known of Mine” (John 10:14). He also said “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). Again, this implies a very close personal relationship.

Is it possible that David had a close, one-on-one relationship with Christ several hundred years before He was born? It’s not only possible; the Word makes it clear that is exactly what took place.

The name YHWH first appears in Genesis chapter 2 verse 4. In the KJV it is translated as Lord God (YHWH{Jehovah} Elohim). Jesus was there when the earth was made. He was there when Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15). He invited Noah into the ark (Gen 7:1). He promised Noah that the ground would no longer be cursed for man’s sins (Gen. 8:21-22). He confused the languages at the tower of Babel (Gen. 11:6-7). He created the earth and blessed the Sabbath (Gen. 20:11).

So Jesus/YHWH/Jehovah was involved in everything that happened to His people from the very beginning. So why did He say that “by My name, Jehovah (YHWH/Jesus) was I not known”? Because YHWH refers to Jesus. In the past, the Israelites had never needed redemption and deliverance. Before He could deliver them from the Egyptians, they needed to know His full character. They needed to understand that he was redemption, deliverance and salvation. They had to be given the chance to develop a relationship with the One that would deliver them from oppression. They had to know that His name stood for a God that was eternal, and His name would bring salvation and deliverance. He had always been there, and now He was reaching out to His people, showing them a side of His nature that had never before been revealed. He was reaching out to an oppressed people, waiting for them to accept Him as God. He had always been there for them.

Most importantly, He was there for a personal relationship with anyone that would seek Him out. David very clearly had a personal relationship with Jesus, as did Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and many others. Psalm 22 tells of how Jesus delivered David when he was broken and had no means of escaping the situation. Psalm 23 tells us of the close, intimate relationship that David had with Jesus.

And now, Jesus is still there, waiting to embrace whosoever will. It’s a shame that so many of us, living in the age of Grace, do not have that close, intimate relationship with Him. Do you? Can you say that you are one of His sheep, and that you know His voice? If not, invite Him into your heart today. Begin building that relationship with the One that loves you so much that He died for you. Make the decision that will change your life forever. Become a sheep.