Baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and Sea

 

I Corinthians 10:1-2

 

“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea”

 

The only mode of scriptural and spiritual baptism that God has appointed is burial in water and being raised from a typical grave made of water. That is emersion in and rising from water is the only God appointed mode. Other modes of baptism are spurious. Baptism is the believer’s declaration (his confession) of his faith in Christ. That is, that the subject of baptism is convinced that being heir of God through covenant union with Christ he was crucified with Christ. And that he was buried and raised up together with Him, as it is written: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). This verse declares the believers crucifixion with Christ and the following verses declare the believers mystical resurrection, ascension and session with Him, as it is written: “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:5-6). Wheresoever the Head of the body is, there the body is also (Colossians 1:18; Romans 12:5). Christ Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high, His presence there is the pledge, guarantee and security of the saints of all ages being present with Him there. Representatively they are there now in the Person of Jesus Christ, as Brother Augustus Toplady has written: “More happy but not more secure, the glorified spirits in heaven”.  

 

Christ as considered mystically or considered in the “mystery of the gospel” is absolutely hidden to the world through the unbelief of the natural man, as it is written: “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19-20). Gospel preachers declare boldly the mystery of the union of Christ and His body of believers which is the church of God, as it is written: “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:12-13).

 

The mystery as hidden from the world is made known to the children of the covenant of God by revelation of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, as it is written: “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (I Corinthians 2:6-13).

 

The children of the covenant of God are not “baptized unto Moses” as were the children of Israel who were baptized in the cloud and in the sea. The children of Israel being baptized unto Moses were baptized into subjection unto Moses and the law of works which was given later. As natural men they were delivered from the slavery of Egypt and into the servitude of the law. And as touching natural men the law worketh wrath, as it is written: “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15). And “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Galatians 3:10).

 

Those who are baptized into the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13) are baptized into His death, as it is written: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death” (Romans 6:3). Christians believe that they are joined to Christ in death and resurrection because they are joined to Him in spiritual and eternal life (Romans 4:25; Colossians 3:1-4) because of justification (Galatians 3:12; Romans 8:10; Colossians 1:27). Christians having died with Christ are “dead to the law by the body of Christ” (Romans 7:4) and by the grace of the Spirit of Jesus Christ they walk in newness of life, they walk in the freedom of the Spirit of Christ, as it is written: “For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” (Romans 6:7-12). Christians are dead to sin, and alive in Jesus Christ unto God to live unto God (II Corinthians 5:14-15). Christians are indeed dead to the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) and at the same time they are unavoidably involved in a warfare against sin in the flesh, in the world, and they war against Satan and evil spirits, as it is written: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

 

Believers being joined to Christ in death and resurrection are partakers in spiritual warfare with the powers of darkness. And although we live in houses of flesh, we do not war after the flesh, as it is written: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Corinthians 10:3-5). “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Timothy 2:3). “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (II Timothy 1:8-12).

 

The church militant being made up of soldiers of Jesus Christ always triumph through Christ, as it is written: “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ” (II Corinthians 2:14-17). “The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name” (Exodus 15:3).

 

Christ Jesus is the Captain of the host, of the LORD as it is written: “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant” (Joshua 5:13-14)? Christ Jesus is the Captain of our salvation, as it is written: “For 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. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee” (Hebrews 2:10-12). And Christ Jesus is the witness, leader and commander of the people, as saith the Prophet Isaiah: “Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee” (Isaiah 55:4-5).

 

Jesus of Nazareth the Christ of God, has ruined the hosts of Satan and of hell by His death and resurrection as Surety of the New Testament. As Surety, Mediator, and Great High Priest of the children of the covenant (Acts 3:25), Messiah has delivered His chosen and redeemed people from the hand of Satan. He has destroyed Satan and his works, as it is written: “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy 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. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (Hebrews 2:11-18).

 

It is Christ Jesus alone that has won the victory for the elected and redeemed host of the LORD. The host of the LORD sing of the victory of the Lamb, they sing the song of Moses, as it is written: “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest” (Revelation 15:1-4). In the song of Moses there is no mention of the work of the saints.

 

The entire song is concerned with giving glory to God for His deliverance of His elect. As it is written: “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation” (Exodus 15:1-13).

 

It is the grace of God in Christ Jesus alone that is sufficient drown the sins of His people in the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20), which is the blood of the everlasting covenant (Hebrews 13:20), the same with the blood of the New Testament (Matthew 26:28). Christ Jesus has cast the sins of His people into the depths of the sea, as it is written: “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). By His cross death Christ Jesus has put the sins of His elect as far from them as the east is from the west, as it is written: “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). The sins of the people of God are made of no account against them through the death of their Surety, as it is written: “Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back” (Isaiah 38:17).

 

The blood of the New Covenant has justified God in His justification of sinners wherein He remembers their sins no more, as it is written: “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: and they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:6-13).

 

AJ Ison

 

See the writer’s blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com and hear the true gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.