“…They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”
I Corinthians 10:1-2
Exodus 14 concluded with the incredible miracle of God parting the Red Sea and delivering His people.
The Israelites have just seen God do the unimaginable for them, the undeserving.
They have witnessed the faithfulness of God to them, the unfaithful.
They have seen Him make a way…where there was no way.
Paul refers to the passing through the Red Sea as being “baptized into Moses.” When we hear the word baptism, we think water, but the Israelites went through on dry land. No water was involved in their baptism as they passed through.
This tells us that baptism is about more than getting wet – it’s about identification. An acknowledgment of authority. It’s about submission. The Israelites acknowledged the authority of Moses, as they submitted to his leadership and followed him through the Red Sea.
And when we choose to be baptized into Christ, we are choosing to do more than just get wet. We are immersed in Him. Identified in Him. We are choosing to identify with Christ – choosing to acknowledge his leadership and to be subject to him.
Hebrews 11:29 says, “By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land…”
Belief prompted action for the Israelites. They chose to trust God and He delivered. You and I can do the same! Where is God calling you to lift up your foot, by faith, and step forward where He is leading?
What “Red Sea” moment are you facing? Will you call upon Him…and trust Him through it? You may not have all the answers, but you have Him. If you have placed your faith in Christ, you are identified with Him – baptized in Him!
Exodus is full of symbolism. God’s dealing with the Israelites as a nation points forward to our individual relationship with Him. As they passed through and were baptized into Moses, our baptism into Christ identifies us with Him.
Egypt is on the other side. They are now separated and protected from the bondage and slavery of their former life. And our identification with Christ has us eternally separated from the bondage our sin would bring. We are HIS! We can live FREE! We can live LOVED!
The woman of God, by faith, is identified with Jesus Christ.
Teaching lecture for Exodus 15:1-21 — http://fbcsiloam.podbean.com/e/ladies-bible-study-exodus-lesson-8-laura-macfarlan-10-30-14/
