Are there Satan "types" in the Old Testament?

There are many claims of types of Christ in the Old Testament, from David to Jonah. These hidden meanings are hard to prove but fun to think about and can give us a deeper understanding. In my previous post about Satan, I wrote about how the function of a "satan" is to test the faithfulness of people and to execute judgement and destruction of behalf of God. I also mentioned that it is hard to grasp the concept of a satan because there are no earthly equivalents (at least, not to my knowledge). So if we could find a "type" of satan in the Old Testament, perhaps it would give us some more insight.

The best example that I feel is a type of satan, is Potiphar in the story of Joseph.

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.
- Genesis 39:1
What is translated as "captain of the guard" is actually "captain of the executioners" in the Hebrew. Now Potiphar is not described as a tester of faith but his wife does test Joseph's faith. This also ties in nicely with Joseph as a Christ type. Joseph is rejected by his brothers as Christ was rejected by the Jews. Joseph is put into prison like Christ descended into Hades. And Joseph emerges to become 2nd only to Pharaoh just like Christ emerges from Hades to become 2nd only to God the Father.

Two other possible types of satan are in Daniel and in Esther. In both cases, someone both tests and tries to execute Daniel/Esther.

To stop Haman's plan to execute the Jews, Esther would be tested by having to risk her life:
Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”
- Esther 4:9-11
In The Book of Daniel royal officials both create a plan that will test Daniel's faith to God and have him executed if he continues to pray to his God.
The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” So King Darius put the decree in writing.

Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

- Daniel 6:6-10
Now in both of these cases, the question arises: Who does the king represent in those stories? The natural inclination is say that it is God. But this does not make sense in that the kings make laws that contradict what God would want. I would suggest that the kings represent one of the "sons of God" (see my post on the Divine Council) that was given that nation by God to rule over and both Daniel and Esther represent the Jewish nation/exiles.

0 comments: