Translated!

The Passover was pivotal. As a result of the death of the first born, Pharaoh drove the children of Israel out of Egypt. However on reflection he changed his mind and pursued after them until the children of Israel were trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea.

Baptised unto Moses

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.

Ex.14:13-31

It was at this point that the great baptism unto Moses took place. Moses was instructed to hold up the rod/ staff, the waters of the Red sea parted and Israel went forward crossing on dry ground. The pillar of cloud going in front leading them, this speaking of a Spirit led life. The children of Israel crossed over with the sea as walls on either side of their path.

It was by this act of crossing that Paul says Israel were baptised unto Moses. In his anger Pharaoh and his host pursued them, but Moses stretched forth his hand and the waters returned destroying the Egyptian armies. Israel had been delivered safely onto the other side. Their enemies being totally destroyed and the children of Israel finally freed from the bondage of Egypt.

What a picture of our salvation! The rod/staff in Moses’ hand is a type of the cross. Remembering that Jesus spoke of His death at Calvary as a baptism, the crossing of the Red sea is a type of our baptism into Christ. The cross is the power of God to those who are saved. It is devastating in its effects when applied to the heart.

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God…….But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

I Cor.1:18-24

The following things were accomplished by this baptism through the Red Sea, and the lessons for us are clear.

1. The works of the devil destroyed

Firstly, they had been delivered/ redeemed from the authority of Pharaoh, they no longer belonged to him. By crossing the Red Sea the Egyptians no longer had any claim on the children of Israel. They could no longer insist on the Israelites being their slaves. The Israelites could not return either, the point of no return had been reached.

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy (=undo) the works of the devil.

I Jn.3:8b

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood He ( ie Christ) also Himself likewise took part of the same that through death He might destroy (=render powerless) him that had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Heb.2:14-15

In direct fulfilment of Gen.3:15 the Lord Jesus came to undo the works of the devil. By His death and resurrection He accomplished that objective. Satan’s power is destroyed, death no longer has dominion, Hallelujah!

As a result we have been delivered, from Satan’s power. We are no longer under his authority, the devil has no claim on us anymore. By this baptism into Christ we are translated from the kingdom of darkness and placed into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. No longer are we  subject to the fear of death. We are truly free from the devil’s authority.

2. Being made free from sin

Secondly, by being freed from the authority of Pharaoh the Children of Israel had been freed from the very slavery that the Pharaoh had imposed upon them, and enforced by the Egyptian system. No longer were they subject to making bricks, and then without straw but keeping up the tally. Instead they were now free men and women to obey God and worship Him.

We too have been freed from the slavery imposed on us, namely sin. Egypt’s first born had been destroyed at the Passover. The first born in our lives, the body of sin has been destroyed so that we become servants of righteousness, as we have already discussed in a previous study. Rom.6

3.Translated from the kingdom of darkness

Thirdly, the children of Israel had been physically removed from that kingdom to be brought to another. The Israelites were no longer citizens of Egypt but were to become citizens of another kingdom. They had been cut off once and for all from the life source of Egypt, the Nile and had another life source, God Himself.

But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Gal.4:26

For our conversation (= citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Phil.3:20-21
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Heb.12:22-24

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

I Jn.2:15-17

We, too, have been brought to another kingdom, or to use the description in Colossians, we have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son, Col.1:13.

This means that by being baptised into Christ, by the Spirit, we are cut off from the world’s system as well as from Satan’s authority. Our citizenship is no longer of this world, but is in heaven. We are born from above, the heavenly Jerusalem, and so belong to that heavenly city. Thus we are exhorted not to go back and love the world. God has set us free from its system!

Summary.

In Conclusion we have seen that God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus has delivered us from Satan’s dominion and slavery. We are no longer under the authority of the devil.  The body of sin being crucified we are now servants of righteousness. God has translated us to the kingdom of His dear Son. Christ is our Passover, we have redemption in Him and  we feed on Him.

We also belong to the heavenly city, citizens of heaven. We have been cut off from this world’s system and its springs, and all our springs are in Jesus Ps.87:7.