In the foregoing messages we have covered three matters: an introductory word to the life-study of Deuteronomy, the crucial points in Deuteronomy, and the review of the past. Before we turn in the next message to the lengthy section on the rehearsal of the law (4:44—26:19), I would like to give a word regarding the Christ unveiled in Deuteronomy.
The book of Deuteronomy unveils Christ mainly in two aspects. First, this book shows us Christ as the goal, the aim, prepared for us by God (8:7-10). As this goal, Christ is the all-inclusive good land. The good land, the land of Canaan, is a type of the all-inclusive Christ, the Christ who is everything to us.
The good land provided whatever the children of Israel needed: water, wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, pomegranates, olive trees, animals, milk, honey, stones, iron, copper. All these items, most of which are mentioned in 8:7-10, are types of Christ. Christ is the water flowing forth in valleys and mountains. He is the wheat, which signifies the incarnated and crucified Christ, and the barley, which signifies the resurrected Christ. The vine typifies Christ as the sacrificing One who cheers God and man; the fig tree, the sweetness and satisfaction of Christ as our life supply; the pomegranate, the abundance and beauty of the life of Christ; the olive tree, Christ as the man filled with the Spirit and anointed with the Spirit as the oil of exultant joy; the animal life, Christ with His redeeming life; milk and honey, Christ in His richness and sweetness; stones, iron, and copper, Christ as the materials for building and fighting. This all-inclusive Christ, the Christ typified by the good land, is our goal.
Second, the book of Deuteronomy unveils Christ as the life with the strength and ability to reach the God-appointed goal. Therefore, Christ is both our goal and the way, the life, the strength, and the ability for us to reach the goal.
In the book of Deuteronomy, as in the Bible as a whole, God is manifested, man is exposed, and Christ is unveiled. It is rather easy to realize that the Bible manifests God to us, showing us that God is loving, righteous, and faithful and that He is a blessing God. Since the Bible fully exposes us, when we come to the Bible, it is also easy for us to see what we are and where we are. However, it is not easy for us to realize that the Bible unveils Christ. Many readers of the Bible can see that it manifests God and exposes man but do not see that it unveils Christ. Many Christians, therefore, can apply the manifestation of God and the exposure of man in the Bible, but few can apply the unveiling of Christ in the Word.