Some Types That Teach the Eternal Security of the Believer

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This passage has to do with “Noah” and the “ark.” He is a type of Christ. In Genesis 617And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. (Genesis 6:17), as the “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:55And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; (2 Peter 2:5)), Noah is typical of Christ who, in His life, warned men to flee from the wrath to come. In Genesis 717And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. (Genesis 7:17), he is a type of Christ, “the Captain” of our “salvation” (Heb. 2:1010For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10)), who secured our redemption by passing through the waters of judgment. In Genesis 810And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; (Genesis 8:10), Noah is seen as the head of a new world, and is typical of Christ in resurrection as the Head of the “new creation” (Rev. 3:1414And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; (Revelation 3:14); 2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) – J. N. Darby Trans.).
The “ark” that Noah built to save his family (Heb. 11:77By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)) is a type of the work of atonement that Christ accomplished on the cross to save all who are in the family of God. Each one who entered it was safe and secure from the waters of judgment that fell on the earth. To make the ark impervious to the elements, it had “pitch” on both the inside and the outside. The word “pitch,” is the same word as “atonement” in the original language, and it is translated elsewhere as such. The double coating of “pitch” on the ark speaks of the double aspect of Christ’s work in redemption. Firstly, there was propitiation (1 John 2:2; 4:102And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)
10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)), which satisfied the holy claims of divine justice against sin; and there was also substitution (Heb. 9:2828So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28); 1 Peter 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18)), which refers to Christ taking the believer’s place in judgment. The ark also had “nests” inside for all who entered. This speaks of the rest and peace that Christ gives to all who come to Him in faith for salvation (Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28); Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)).
Our point in this type is that when Noah and his family got in the ark, it says, “And the LORD shut him in” (Gen. 7:1616And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in. (Genesis 7:16)). When the door was shut, there is no record that it was ever opened again! So securely was it shut that when it was time for the redeemed family to get out they had to dismantle the ark (Gen. 8:1414And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. (Genesis 8:14)).
EXODUS 28:9-219And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: 10Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth. 11With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold. 12And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord upon his two shoulders for a memorial. 13And thou shalt make ouches of gold; 14And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches. 15And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. 16Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. 17And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. 18And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 19And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. 20And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. 21And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes. (Exodus 28:9‑21)
This passage has to do with the precious stones on the high priest’s garments. Aaron, the high priest in Israel, is a type of Christ our Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14; 10:2114Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (Hebrews 4:14)
21And having an high priest over the house of God; (Hebrews 10:21)). The precious stones that Aaron had in his “ephod” and “breastplate” are typical of the people of God who are precious to God. The “ephod” was connected to the shoulders of the high priest (vs. 12). It speaks of the security we have in Christ being safe on His shoulders (Luke 15:55And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. (Luke 15:5)). The “breastplate” covered the high priest’s heart. It speaks of how we are loved with the infinite love of Christ (Eph. 3:1919And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)). It is significant that the stones were held in place in the ephod and breastplate by “ouches of gold.” “Gold” speaks of what is divine. These gold “inclosings” (vs. 20) tell us that we are divinely held, not only on the Lord’s shoulders, but also on His heart! Nothing can “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:3939Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)).
This chapter has to do with the “cities of refuge” which typify the safety and salvation the believer has in Christ. It is alluded to in Hebrews 6:18-2018That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 20Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. (Hebrews 6:18‑20), where it says, “Who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.” We are told that the “slayer” was safe if he fled to one of the cities of refuge. He was to remain in that place of safety “until the death of the high priest.” But how wonderful to know that our Great High Priest is never going to die again! We are told that He “ever liveth” to make intercession for us (Heb. 7:2525Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25))—we are safe forever then!
In this book we read that Naomi and her husband Elimelech left the land of God’s appointment (Canaan) and went to the land of Moab. It’s a picture of the Lord’s people losing heart and turning to the world. But we find that God worked in Naomi’s heart and brought her back, and she brought Ruth with her. Upon returning, Ruth was brought into contact with Boaz, who is a type of Christ, and Ruth found “rest” in him (Ruth 3:11Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? (Ruth 3:1)). We learn from Ruth 2:11And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. (Ruth 2:1), that Boaz was a “kinsman” of Naomi’s husband. That means that even though Naomi had wandered away from the Lord and her brethren and had taken a position among the enemies of God’s people, she never lost her relationship with Boaz.
“Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation.” This is not a type, but it is an Old Testament confirmation of the believer’s security. David had committed adultery and murdered Bathsheba’s husband. These are very serious sins. If anybody could lose his salvation, it would be him. Yet he didn’t pray for the restoration of his salvation, but for the restoration of the “joy” of his salvation. By this we learn that if a child of God sins, it is the “joy” of his salvation that he loses, not the salvation itself. He becomes miserable because he is out of communion with his God (Psa. 32:3-43When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. (Psalm 32:3‑4)). For a believer that is a most unhappy thing, but he doesn’t lose his relationship with God.
“And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.” The voyage spoken of in this chapter is a picture of the history of the Church. We do not have time to go into the details now, but only to say that it is significant that the people all made it to shore, even though the “ship” (the outward testimony of the Church) was destroyed.