Promise-Shaped Patterns
Scripture References: Exodus 1:22, 2:2-10, 2 Kings 11:1-3, Matthew 2:13-16, Luke 2:10-14, Isaiah 52:7
Introduction:
I work in Data Analytics, and one aspect of my job that I enjoy is taking raw data, organizing it – then using that structured data to identify patterns that can provide useful business insights. But perhaps one of the most important pieces of my job is knowing how to take these patterns and insights in order to tell a story that makes sense to a customer.
So often, I find that the Bible does something very similar. We have this extensive library of inspired books which contain hundreds of verses, stories, truths and promises. These create what James M. Hamilton (Professor of Old Testament interpretation and Biblical theology at Southern Seminary) calls ‘Promise-shaped patterns’1. In other words, the stories and promises we read about throughout Scripture are not just a random collection…they create patterns which tell a bigger story. A bigger story that leads to Jesus. Let’s look at one of those patterns…
Devotional:
In a previous devotional, we looked at the birth story in Matthew as fulfilling a ‘New Exodus’. I encourage you to go back and read that one if you have time! There are many more Old Testament patterns and expectations that find their fulfillment in Christ – particularly in the birth of Christ. To visualize this, picture several rivers all converging til they meet together and spill into the sea…becoming one great body of water.
Our pattern or ‘rivers’ that we will be looking at today come from two places in the Old Testament involving two significant babies. Starting with the deliverance of baby Moses…
As we may remember, a new Pharaoh comes on the scene after the Pharaoh who knew Jospeh dies…(Exodus 1:6–8) This new Pharaoh, looking at Israel as a threat due to their growing numbers in the land, makes an absolutely horrible command…
Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.” -Exodus 1:22 ESV
Despite this evil command, God has a plan of protection and deliverance for Israel which starts with the protection and deliverance of one particular baby boy…
“The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.” – Exodus 2:2-10 ESV
Baby Moses is delivered despite this mass murder ordered by Pharaoh. God makes a way to preserve and protect. This results in Moses leading Israel out of captivity. Fast forward to the book of 2 Kings after the death of another King, King Ahaziah…
“Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. 3 And he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the Lord, while Athaliah reigned over the land.” -2 Kings 11:1-3 ESV
In a similar course of events, Athaliah seeks to destroy the entire royal family…effectively eliminating the royal line of David and any threat to her taking rule of the land. But what do we see once again? We see God making a way to preserve and protect the life of baby Joash. He is taken in secret and hid in the temple.
After six years of hiding, Joash begins his reign at age seven after Athaliah herself is eliminated. You can read the rest of this story in the remainder of 2 Kings chapter 11.
This brings us to ‘the sea’ in which these two ‘rivers’ of Moses and Joash converge…the birth of the baby Jesus…the promised son of David.
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. -Matthew 2:13-16 ESV
We looked at this passage in our devotional a couple weeks ago in connection with Exodus events…now we see this passage in light of these two deliverances of Moses and Joash. Once again, despite the cruel efforts of these ‘seed of the serpent’ figures to destroy Moses, Joash and Jesus…God in His sovereignty preserves them. No plan of His can be thwarted. We know how this story ends…we have the ‘spoiler alert’. While the ‘Seed of the Serpent’ may bruise the heel, it is the promised ‘Seed of the woman’ who will deliver the fatal blow to the head of the Serpent (Gen 3:15).
How can this sort of pattern and story give us joy today, when it seems like there is so much fighting, war and chaos around us? So much enmity? One of our most beloved Christmas Carols may help provide some direction here…
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long
Beneath the angel strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong
And man at war with man hears not
The love song which they bring
O hush the noise ye men of strife
And hear the angels sing -It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
Translation: We know there is still suffering in this world. We know that there is a lot of noise. Block out the noise by hearing the words of the angels and the promise that they proclaim…
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”-Luke 2:10-14 ESV
God preserved His people through the darkest of times, protecting this blessed royal line of David. The story of Scripture…these streams which are parts of the bigger story, all meet in Jesus. The promised Messiah, the son of David who brings eternal victory and everlasting joy.
If you do not know that joy, or you need to be reminded of that joy today…I invite you to block out the noise and listen to that proclamation of the angels. Keep your eyes fixed on that everlasting promise.
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” -Isaiah 52:7 ESV
Amen.
Sean Wagner
- Hamilton, James M. Jr. Typology: Understanding the Bible’s promise-shaped patterns: How Old Testament Expectations are fulfilled in Christ. Zondervan Academic, 2022.