This is part of an ongoing series called Jesus in Genesis. The series unpacks how to read the Bible as the redemptive story in which Christ is the center, from creation to the final judgment.
These chapters reveal the people who will be subjects of God’s redemptive kingdom: the children of Abraham by faith (Gen. 12:2–3), as well as the place where God will establish this kingdom on earth: Canaan (Gen. 12:7).
Here, we are introduced to Abram, in whom the Old Testament “visible church” is established. Although worshipers of God still appear outside Abram’s family (Gen. 14:18–19; cf. Gen. 4:26), the Lord establishes a special relationship with Abram as the father of the faith whose family forms the core of the covenant community, the church of the OT. We see this as wherever he goes, he sets up an altar to the Lord where he could call upon the name of the Lord (Gen. 12:7, 8; 13:4, 18).
Like the visible church today, Abram’s family as the covenant community is privileged to have God appear to them regularly to reveal his will through his Word (Gen. 12:1, 7; 13:14; 15:1, 17, etc.), to be the recipients of the gospel promises (Gen. 12:1–3; 15:5, 13–16, 18; cf. Gal. 3:8), to be called out as separate from those who prove themselves lacking in saving faith (Gen. 13:9–13; 21:12–14), and to receive the outward sign and seal of God’s covenant of grace: circumcision (Gen. 17).
Clear anticipations of Christ in these chapters can be seen in the person of Abram, who functions as a prophet (Gen. 20:7), priest (12:8; 13:18), and king (14:13–16). The Covenant of Grace, first announced in Genesis 3:15, is expanded to Abram in wondrous promises—all of which are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. As Abram “believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:9, 22; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23) he receives a new name, Abraham, which means “father of a multitude” (Gen. 17:5). This multitude is made up of offspring of Abraham (Gal. 3:29) who, like him, look in faith beyond themselves and their own works to the righteousness of Christ, the offspring of Abraham (Gal. 3:16; Heb. 11:8–10).
Abram anticipates the Exodus journey of his later offspring, sojourning in Egypt and endangering the promise of God to produce offspring by his wife Sarai by fearfully misrepresenting his relationship to her (Gen. 12:10–20). The Lord shows his sovereign providence and divine protection in bringing “plagues” upon Egypt so that Pharaoh sent Abram away with his wife. Of course this foreshadows a similar journey of the nation of Israel centuries later in the Exodus led by Moses (Exod. 1–15), all of which are types and shadows of the ultimate spiritual Exodus led by Jesus (Luke 9:31) out of this world of sin and misery and into his eternal kingdom, the true promised land of the New Heavens and the New Earth.
Seeing Jesus in Genesis 12–15
Genesis 12—Jesus is the faithful Son who left his Father’s presence (Phil. 2:6–8) in order to lay hold of God’s promised inheritance on behalf of his people (Rom. 8:17), and in so doing he brings many sons to glory (Heb. 2:10). He is the ultimate “offspring” (singular—Gal. 3:16) of Abram through whom, to whom, and in whom all of God’s promises of a kingdom are “yes” and “amen” (2 Cor. 1:20)—including innumerable offspring (plural—Gal 3:29), a fruitful land in which righteousness dwells (Heb 11:8–10), and eternal blessings.
Genesis 13—Jesus is the greater Abram, our model of faith, who walked the land of promise though it was inhospitable to him (Matt. 8:20; Heb. 11:8). Yet he remained faithful in order to win for his people “the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Heb. 11:10). By sojourning in the “tent” of human nature (John 1:14; Heb. 11:9), and rising in resurrection glory, Jesus prepares a city for his people—a better country, where we will dwell with him forever (John 14:3; Heb. 11:16). This is New Jerusalem that will come down from heaven like a bride adorned for her husband, “having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel” (Rev. 21:2, 11).
Genesis 14—Jesus is the Great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18; Ps. 110:4; Heb. 7–10), the King of Righteousness, the King of Salem (which means peace), who gives his body and blood represented in bread and wine in order to bless his people of faith by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth (Gen. 14:19–20). He grants his people the victory over their greatest enemy—death itself (Gen. 14:20; 1 Cor. 15:54–57)—as they wage the spiritual battle against the cosmic powers over this present darkness (Eph. 6:12) in which they will be victorious by faith (Rev. 2:11).
Genesis 15—Jesus is God’s faithful covenant servant who takes upon himself the curse of the covenant. Represented by the two symbols of the Lord’s presence with his people through the wilderness—a cloud and fire—the Lord alone passes between the split animal bodies (Gen. 15:9–10; 17–18), enacting the oath of the covenant. Having guaranteed the covenant with his very own life, Jesus gave his own body to be cleaved, crucified, and cursed because of the covenant-breaking sin and rebellion of his people (2 Tim. 2:13). Like Abram (John 8:56), we are recipients of God’s covenant grace as a gift (Eph. 2:8–9), helpless observers from the sidelines (Gen. 15:12) as Christ secures for us the blessings first promised to Abram and fulfilled through his perfect obedience, sacrificial death, and resurrection on the third day (Gal. 3:13–14).
Footnotes
The theological term “visible church” refers to all who have made a public profession of their faith in Christ and have joined themselves to his body, the church. It contrasts with the “invisible church,” which consists of all who are true believers and have genuine faith in Christ. Since human beings cannot “see the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7), we are called to attend to outward expressions of faith, judging whether they are credible and appear to come from the heart, insofar as we can discern. The visible church is also referred to as the “covenant community”—those who are visibly part of the Covenant of Grace. Ever since the ascension of Jesus Christ, the visible church has consisted of all those who profess faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as Lord. In the Old Testament, this visible church was centered on a family—the family of Abram, his household, and his offspring.
It is worth noting that throughout the Old Testament, the church as the people of God was not limited to the bloodline of Abram, but also included members of Abram’s household and any converts to the faith who joined him in worshiping the Lord. Although we do not see many of the latter category in the accounts of Abram, Rahab (Josh. 2), and Ruth (Ruth 1–4) are classic examples of such believers being grafted into the family of faith—that is, the covenant people of Israel. The Lord’s care for Hagar in Gen. 16 and 21 may also be an example, as she and Ishmael were members of the visible covenant community. Ishmael even receives the sign of circumcision (Gen. 17:25), though they ultimately depart from the family of faith.
