Tobit is a Hebrew name, meaning “Good God” or “Blessed or praise-worthy God.” The Lord Christ is our “good God” who incarnate for our salvation. He is the “good Shepherd” (Jn 10:9, 11), and the “good Teacher” (Matt 19:16). He is worthy to be praised and blessed from both the seen and unseen creatures.
The son, Tobit, carries the same name of his father (Tobit 1:9). He also was very similar to his father, according to Raguel’s words to his wife, “How much like my cousin is this young man!”(Tobit 7:2). The Lord Christ says, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father… I and My Father are one”(Jn 14:9; 10:30). The Son is begotten from the Father (Matt 3:17, Jn 3:16-18; 6:69), and He is one with Him in essence of divinity, as the Lord Jesus says, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me”(Jn 14:11).
Tobit was born as an alien at the land of exile away from his home land, Jerusalem. Christ was born in our land away from his heavenly place and He came to us from heaven “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven”(Jn 3:13).
Tobit, the father, sent his only son as a foreigner in Rages, to restore back the talents of silver from Gabael, meaning alienation (Tobit 4:21, 22). God the Father sent His only begotten Son into the world to restore back to us our original nature which we had lost because of sin, and to restore us from alienation to eternal life with God, as St. Paul says, “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone”(Eph 2:19, 20).
Tobit was obedient to his father saying, “I will do everything just as you have instructed me, father”(Tobit 5:1). Through his obedience, he successfully achieved the objective from his mission. The Lord Christ obeyed the Father to the point of death, the death of the cross, as St. Paul says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and gives Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”(Phip 2:5-11). He concluded His mission successfully since He saved us from Eternal death.
The angel of the Lord strengthened Tobit during his hardship of his journey. The angel of God appeared to our Lord Jesus strengthening Him at the night of His suffering at Gethsemane (Lk 22:43).
Tobit, the son, was not known to Raguel and his family, and even they did not hear about him. In contrary, his father was well known to them, famous for his good deeds, as Raguel said to Tobit, “You are the son of a good and most noble man”(Tobit 7:7). At the same time, Tobit, the son, knew everything about Sarah, her suffering and pain (Tobit6:14), and he agreed to marry her in order to end her sufferings. The Hypostasis of the Son was not known to the Jews, and they only knew the Father, calling Him the “Good One” (Ps 73:1; Matt 19:16, 17). At the same time, The Son realized all the sufferings of humanity and He came to liberate her from slavery to Satan, and moreover, to make her His bride.
Tobit defeated Asmodeus (meaning the destroyer) and saved Sarah from his authority (Tobit 8:2, 3). The Lord Jesus defeated Satan, who was a murderer from the beginning (Jn 8:44), depriving him from his authority over us at the battle of Golgotha, binding him by His cross, as St. Paul says, “… having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us. And He has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it”(Col 2:14, 15).
No doubt that the empty tomb dogged for Tobit which was refilled by the order of Raguel before daylight (Tobit 8:20) reminds us with the empty tomb of the risen Christ while it was still dark (Jn 20:1). As the refilled tomb of Tobit proves that he was alive, so also the empty tomb of Christ proves His resurrection. Just as Tobit was not receiving death equal to what happened to the other husbands, death also could not hold Christ.
Tobit’s weapon against the devil was prayer and controlling the bodily desires (Tobit 8:4-6) since he refused to be joined together with his wife for three days, and he was able to bind the devil and defeat him. Our Lord Christ says, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting”(Mk 9:29). Actually, fasting is a useful tool to control the carnal lusts and body desires in general. The Lord Jesus went through all types of temptation by the devil, defeating him by saying, “Away with you, Satan”(Matt 4:10). He also refers to binding Satan by His might, saying, “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house”(Mk 3:27). Moreover, He gave us authority to trample over him (Lk 10:19).
Tobit married Sarah in a holy matrimony after he liberated her from slavery to the devil and became free and pure (Tob 10:10). Christ our Lord liberated us from Satan’s authority, as He says, “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”(Jn 8:36). He betrothed us for Him as a pure bride without blemish, as St. Paul says, “I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ”(2Cor 11:2; cf. Eph 5:25-27). As Tobit return to his father back home with his beloved wife, so also Christ returned to His Father with His pure and chaste bride “He who has the bride is the bridegroom”(Jn 3:29). He loves us, His bride, to the end (Jn 13:1).
Tobit returns back to his father waiting seven days for the arrival of his wife to her husband’s house. The wedding celebration started on the eighth day (Tobit 11:2, 18). Christ our Lord returned back to His Father through His ascension into the heaven, from where He came, waiting for the arrival of His bride, the church, after ending her journey, since she is still at the seventh day, to be with Him into His eternal glory; then the wedding celebration will start at the eighth day, which represent eternity.
The fish itself, which Tobit used to find it for food and healing and casting out demons to liberate from their authority, represents Christ:
The letters making the word “fish” in Greek "????? / ekthos" are five. They are the beginning of five words in Greek meaning, “Jesus Christ Son of God Savior.”
As soon as the fish came out from the river, it became food to eat. Likewise, as soon as Christ came out of the Jordan river (His baptism) started his ministry and gave us His body as a real food for eternal life (Eucharist).
When Tobit burnt the liver and heart of the fish, Sarah was liberated from the devil’s authority. Likewise, when Jesus was pierced in His side by the spear, blood and water flew from His side liberating us from slavery to Satan.
The gall of the fish opened Tobit’s eyes, likewise Christ opened the eyes of the blinds. The bitterness He stated on the cross gave us spiritual insight to see Him in His eternal glory and to live with Him.
The Bible didn’t mention any sin for Tobit, symbolizing Christ who was Sinless, as He says, “The ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me”(Jn 14:30). He also challenged His opponents by saying, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?”(Jn 8:46).
Tobit successfully finished his duties given to him by his father and both of them rejoiced; likewise, Christ successfully finished His duties given to Him by His Father for joy “I have finished the work which You have given Me to do”(Jn 17:4).
