In the previous article, we discussed how God used water as the dividing line between life and death for those during Noah’s time. Peter wrote that Noah and his family were saved "by water" (1 Peter 3:18-22). Peter wrote that baptism was the anti-type of this salvation by water. We will now consider how God used water as a dividing line between bondage and freedom during the time of Moses.

In the book of Exodus we read of God’s freeing Israel from Egyptian bondage. He chose Moses to lead them out of Egypt and to the Promised Land. In Israel’s exodus from Egypt they found themselves in a type of cul-de-sac from which there seemed no escape (Exodus 14:2). However, God divided the Red Sea which enabled the Israelites to cross over and escape from the advancing Egyptian army (Exodus 14:21-31). The Egyptian army followed the Israelites through the divided waters but God closed the waters upon the army and all of them perished. In this way, God used water as the dividing line between bondage and freedom.

The apostle Paul refers to this incident in First Corinthians 10. He wrote, "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea [emp. rb], all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ" (1 Corinthians 10:1-4 NKJV). Thus God, through His inspired writer, Paul, tells us that what occurred when Israel crossed the Red Sea was a type of baptism. Therefore, as the waters of the Red Sea were a dividing line between bondage and freedom so the whole occurrence which God calls a baptism would be a dividing line between bondage and freedom.

Now, consider all we’ve previously stated with the following words Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome. He wrote, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin [em. rb]" (Romans 6:1-7 NKJV).

It is evident from the Scriptures, that God chose water to be the dividing line between bondage and freedom for the Israelites. Further, He identified it as a type of baptism. For those of us who would be free from the bondage of sin, He has again chosen water through the avenue of baptism to be the dividing line.

(next week part 3)