In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel.
Moses, therefore, said to Joshua,
“Pick out certain men,
and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle.
** I will be standing on top of the hill
with the staff of God in my hand.”**
So Joshua did as Moses told him:
he engaged Amalek in battle
after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur.
** As long as Moses kept his hands raised up,
Israel had the better of the fight,**
but when he let his hands rest,
Amalek had the better of the fight.
Moses’hands, however, grew tired;
so they put a rock in place for him to sit on.
** Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands,
one on one side and one on the other,
so that his hands remained steady till sunset.**
And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people
with the edge of the sword.
Is it just me or does this foreshadow Jesus on the Cross with His arms outstretched getting the victory?
Yeh I never noticed it at the time but theres something there. Doesnt one of our Eucharistic prayers use the “spread his arms” terminology about the crucifixion?
Pope Benedict make a great comparison between Mose and Jesus as the new Moses in his book Jesus of Nazareth in the introduction.
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you … him you shall heed. (Deut18:15)
The people lament:
And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses whom the Lord knew face to face. (Deut 34:10)
But even Moses had his limitations. He was only able to see God from behind. He was not really able to see him face to face (see Ex 33:23).
During the time of Christ, the people were waiting for this new prophet. The Pope says it is in this context that we must understand the words of John 1:18.
No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.
Jesus is The Prophet that was promised and he sees God face to face unlike all the other prophets, and even Moses. He who sees Jesus sees the Father (Jn 14:9).
- An evil king/Pharaoh tried to kill him as a baby: Exodus 1:22
*** King Herod tried to kill baby Jesus: Matthew 2:16**
He was hidden from the evil king/Pharaoh: Exodus 2:2
*** An angel said to hide the child from the evil King Herod: Matthew 2:13***
Moses was sent into Egypt to preserve his life: Exodus 2:3-4
*** Jesus was taken into Egypt to preserve His life: Matthew 2:13-15***
He was saved by women: his mother: Exodus 2:3; Miriam 2:4; Pharaoh’s daughter 2:5-10
*** Saved and helped by His mother, Mary: Matthew 2:14***
Pharaoh’s daughter adopted Moses: Exodus 2:10
*** Joseph adopted Jesus: Matthew 1:25***
Moses became a prince of Egypt: Exodus 2:10
*** Jesus is the Prince of Peace: Isaiah 9:5; Matthew 28:18; Luke 2:14***
Long period of silence from childhood to adulthood
*** Long period of silence from childhood to adulthood***
Moses had a secret identity
*** Messianic secret = Jesus the Son of God***
He tried to save a Hebrew kinsman: Exodus 2:11-12
*** Jesus came to save His Hebrew kinsman first: Mark 7:26-28***
Went from being a prince to a pauper: Exodus 2:15-19
*** Went from being God to being man: John 1:1-3; Mark 6:3***
Saved women at a well: Exodus 2:15-19
*** Saved a woman at a well: John chapter 4***
Became a shepherd: Exodus 3:1
*** He is the Good Shepherd: John 10:11***
Moses’ mission was to redeem Israel from slavery to Egypt
*** Jesus’ mission is to redeem mankind from slavery to sin***
Moses was loved and supported in his ministry by his sister Miriam [in Hebrew, Miryam]
*** Jesus was loved and supported in his ministry by His mother Mary [in Hebrew, Miryam]***
He was often rejected by his own people
*** Jesus was often rejected by His own people***
Moses will give God’s law on the mountain of Sinai: Exodus 20:1-31:18; 34:1-35
*** Jesus will give the new law from the Mt. of Beatitudes: Matthew chapter 5***
Moses spent 40 days fasting on the mountain: 24:18;34:28
*** Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert wilderness: Matthew 4:2***
Moses performs signs/ miracles
*** Jesus performs signs/miracles***
Moses offered his life for the salvation of his people after the sin of the Golden Calf: Exodus 32:33-33
*** Jesus offered His life for the salvation of the world: Isaiah 53:12; Romans 5:12; 6:10; 2 Corinthians 5:15-21; Colossians 1:19-20; 2:14-15; 1 John 1:7; 2:2; etc.***
Moses is the prophet of the Old Covenant Church
*** Jesus is the prophet, priest, and King of a New and everlasting Covenant = the universal Catholic Church [note catholic means universal]***
Exhortation to Martyrdom, Addressed to Fortunatus.
when Moses, for the overthrow of Ama-lek, who bore the type of the devil, raised up his open hands in the sign and sacrament of the cross,6 and could not conquer his adversary unless when he had steadfastly persevered in the sign with hands continually lifted up.
This is a great list. I think that Muslims and Non-Trinitarians would have no trouble acknowledging the comparison between Moses and Jesus based on Scripture. One thing that alarms (maybe too strong a word) is that this comparison lowers the divinity of Christ. I’m wondering is it that important Jesus became the new Adam and the new Moses and so forth? Isn’t it more important to say that God became man to redeem us and make atonement for our sins.
Probably, what I am getting at is that we can compare Jesus with the great people of the past as much as we like, and how he is the perfections of those type, but I don’t understand how Jews and Muslims and non-believers will see the above list, for example, and come to think that Jesus is true God. Or even if they believe Him to be the promised Messiah and the fufillment of the prophets, for those people how does this mean He was and is divine and equal to God?
I think this was the point that the Pope was trying to make in his new book when he compares Jesus to Moses. Yes, Jesus is the new Moses, but he is more than that. He actually sees God face to face because he is God, unlike Moses who has his limitations (Ex 33:23). So yes, this comparison can only take us so far.
I think the important thing about Typology is not that Jesus is the OT guys “revisited” (for lack of a better term). But that the OT guys “pointed us” toward Christ. You see, everything piece of Typology in the OT is incomplete. Moses brought Israel to the Promised Land, but not across to the Promised Land. Moses’ miracles brought destruction. Jesus’ miracles brought new Life. All the Typology shows the limitations of the Old Covenant, whereas the NT arch-types show the fulfillment of the promises of the New Covenant.
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