Comparing Adam and Israel

Scripture records Christ as “the last Adam” in 1 Cor 15:45. Were there others who stood in as an “Adam” in the course of redemptive history? I think the Bible shows this to be the case, with Noah, Abraham, David, and the nation of Israel (summed up in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) being the “interim Adams” before the last One appeared.

This chart shows my view on how Israel fulfilled this role.

Comparing Adam and Israel

ADAM ISRAEL
Formed by God from the dust of the earth.

(Gen 2:7; 1 Cor 15:47)

Formed by God from the dust of the people of the world. (Gen 11:10 – 11:3; Deut 7:7)
Was brought to life by the word and breath of God. (Gen 1:26 & 27; 2:7) Was brought into being by the word of God. (Gen 12:2 & 3; 15:1; Ex 3)
Had close fellowship with God. (Gen 2:15ff; 3:8a) Had close fellowship with God. (Gen 15; Ex 15; 2 Kings 23:1 – 27)
Was given a covenant within which to live and prosper. (Gen 2:16 & 17; Hosea 6:7) Was given a covenant within which to live and prosper. (Gen 17:14; Ex 19:3 – 6; 24:3 – 8; Neh 9 & 10)
Broke the covenant and received the penalty of death, which was carried out in due time. (Gen 3:6 & 7; 22 – 24; 5:5) Broke the covenant and received the penalty of death, which was carried out in the fullness of time. (Deut 31:16 – 18; Judges 2:11 – 15; Jer 11:10 – 13; 1 Kings 11:9 – 11; Ezek 44:1 – 7; Hosea 6:7)
Was cast out of the garden, cursed to walk and work in the world which was wrecked by The Fall. (Gen 3:23 & 24; 3:17 – 19) Was divorced by God, left desolate, cursed to walk and work in darkness until the light of Christ. (Jer 3:6 – 10; Matt 15:12 – 14; 23:37 & 38; 2 Cor 3:12 – 17)
As a type of Christ, Adam points us to the anti-type, Christ Jesus, in whom there is life for Adam’s children who are secure in the Last Adam. (1 Cor 15:45) As an echo of Adam, Israel points us to the anti-type, Christ Jesus, in whom there is life for Abraham’s children of promise. (Gal 4:21 – 31)

Contrasting Adam and Israel

This comparison came to me a while back while I was studying for a hand of Godsermon. I do not presume to have unearthed deep truths, but pray this simple comparison prompts the reader to consider each Word that has proceeded from the mouth of God.

Contrasting Adam and Israel.

Adam Israel
Formed by God from the dust of the earth. Formed by God from the dust of the people of the world.
Was brought to life by the word and breathe of God. Was brought into being by the word of God.
Had close fellowship with God. Had close fellowship with God.
Was given a covenant within which to live and prosper. Was given a covenant within which to live and prosper.
Broke the covenant and received the penalty of death, which was carried out in due time. Broke the covenant and received the penalty of death, which was carried out in the fullness of time.
Was cast out of the garden, cursed to walk and work in the world which was wrecked by The Fall. Was divorced by God, left desolate, cursed to walk and work in darkness until the light of Christ.
As a type of Christ, Adam points us to the anti-type, Christ Jesus, in whom there is life for Adam’s children who are secure in the Last Adam. As a type of Christ, Israel points us to the anti-type, Christ Jesus, in whom there is life for Abraham’s children of promise.

Book Recommendation – Convert: From Adam to Christ

I was recently given the opportunity to read a copy of the book “Convert: From Adam to Christ” by Pastor Emilio Ramos with the request that I post a review online at Amazon.com. After spending a weekend pouring through this text, I must highly recommend this book to anyone who is striving to understand just what it means to become a born again follower of Jesus Christ. Pastor Ramos does a wonderful job of explaining what it means to be a child of Adam, born into a life of sin and why we can never escape the grip of it on our own accord. Additionally, he takes the reader through the theology of what it means to be born again by the sovereign hand of God into Christ. Through all of this, Pastor Ramos continually reinforces everything he writes with sound and contextual citations from scripture.

What truly surprised me with this book, was how much time and effort Pastor Ramos put into explaining throughout the chapters of just what it means to be “in Christ.” This was not just a theological treatise on how a person gets saved, but what being saved means in the life of a Christian. Not only does he address how we enter the new life through a new birth by the hand of God, but he expounds upon the changed heart and mind of one who has been made into a new creation. He takes the Christian through the theology of our separation from the world, our mission while we still live in this world, our responsibility to the local church and our command from Christ to make disciples throughout the nations.

It is my sincere desire that every Christian take the time to pour through this book and really learn what it means to go from being a wretched, foul sinner in Adam, to being a redeemed and new creation in Christ.