Galatians 3:8 The Gospel Preached to Abraham Beforehand
I wish to consider in the next few studies, which at first glance, appears to be a rabbit trail. "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles BA FAITH, preached the Gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, 'in you all the nations shall be blessed.'" This verse seems to me to be the crux of Paul's whole argument in the Book of Galatians. His argument that Abraham's faith preceded the giving of the law has it's foundation of the truth in this text, that is, that the International Gospel of the Grace of God was preached by Scripture before there was even a Jew, let alone the giving of the Law. This Gospel that the Scripture "preached to Abraham", that "in him all the nations shall be blessed", actually contains several striking New Covenant truths in shadow events in Abraham's life that we must not overlook. For, rightly understood, these shadows indicate that the Law is a Divinely ordered parenthesis between the Gospel of Grace preached to Abraham, to preserve the line from which Promised seed would come, as well as to teach that no religion, however perfect in its focus & required practices, is sufficient to please God because of the weakness of human flesh. The "international blessing" of the promise made to Abraham was entirely dependent upon the Seed of Promise. First, a word about the Grace of God in the Shadows.
Grace among the shadows.
There are many events & objects in the Old Testament that are sometimes called types. I don’t care for the word type in most of these occurrences. I prefer the word shadow. A “type” can be separated from the person or thing it represents. A shadow comes directly from the Person or object between the light source and the visible shadow. It is “organically” connected to it. My thinking is shaped by Hebrews 8:5 & 10:1 specifically. The entire Levitical priesthood served “unto the example & SHADOW of heavenly things.” Their service was a shadow that was cast by “heavenly things.” Primarily, it is a Heavenly Thing that casts the shadow. It is the Glory of the Heavenly Father’s Love for His Beloved Son, and that Love is the Glorious Spirit, God’s Spirit of Love, that ever “flows” toward His Son, casting the Son’s Shadow upon the whole Old Testament! Jesus is the Pattern of the Old Testament!(Exodus 25:8-9; Hebrews 8:5) In the New Testament, we come to the blaze of the Full Glory of the Father’s Love for His Son!!! (John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 4:5-6; Hebrews 1:1-3) His Love can’t get any brighter than in His Covenant of Redemption in His Son. And of course, this blazing Glory that is now in our midst eliminates the shadows.(I Corinthians 13:10, II Corinthians 3:7-17) Consider the Shadow Gospel Preached by the Holy Spirit to Abraham!
I wish to consider in the next few studies, which at first glance, appears to be a rabbit trail. "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles BA FAITH, preached the Gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, 'in you all the nations shall be blessed.'" This verse seems to me to be the crux of Paul's whole argument in the Book of Galatians. His argument that Abraham's faith preceded the giving of the law has it's foundation of the truth in this text, that is, that the International Gospel of the Grace of God was preached by Scripture before there was even a Jew, let alone the giving of the Law. This Gospel that the Scripture "preached to Abraham", that "in him all the nations shall be blessed", actually contains several striking New Covenant truths in shadow events in Abraham's life that we must not overlook. For, rightly understood, these shadows indicate that the Law is a Divinely ordered parenthesis between the Gospel of Grace preached to Abraham, to preserve the line from which Promised seed would come, as well as to teach that no religion, however perfect in its focus & required practices, is sufficient to please God because of the weakness of human flesh. The "international blessing" of the promise made to Abraham was entirely dependent upon the Seed of Promise. First, a word about the Grace of God in the Shadows.
Grace among the shadows.
There are many events & objects in the Old Testament that are sometimes called types. I don’t care for the word type in most of these occurrences. I prefer the word shadow. A “type” can be separated from the person or thing it represents. A shadow comes directly from the Person or object between the light source and the visible shadow. It is “organically” connected to it. My thinking is shaped by Hebrews 8:5 & 10:1 specifically. The entire Levitical priesthood served “unto the example & SHADOW of heavenly things.” Their service was a shadow that was cast by “heavenly things.” Primarily, it is a Heavenly Thing that casts the shadow. It is the Glory of the Heavenly Father’s Love for His Beloved Son, and that Love is the Glorious Spirit, God’s Spirit of Love, that ever “flows” toward His Son, casting the Son’s Shadow upon the whole Old Testament! Jesus is the Pattern of the Old Testament!(Exodus 25:8-9; Hebrews 8:5) In the New Testament, we come to the blaze of the Full Glory of the Father’s Love for His Son!!! (John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 4:5-6; Hebrews 1:1-3) His Love can’t get any brighter than in His Covenant of Redemption in His Son. And of course, this blazing Glory that is now in our midst eliminates the shadows.(I Corinthians 13:10, II Corinthians 3:7-17) Consider the Shadow Gospel Preached by the Holy Spirit to Abraham!