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"baptism", and it is admitted that the circumcision here in view is the spiritual reality of
which circumcision made by hands was but a poor type.
The burial with Him in baptism, is further expanded as being "dead in (`to') your sins
and the uncircumcision of your flesh". It is not possible in the space available to attempt
an exposition of Col. 2:, but we believe sufficient has been shown from the Scriptures to
show that the baptism "unto Christ", and so unto His death, looks back, not to the
ceremonials of the Tabernacle service, but to the crossing of the Red Sea and again the
crossing of the Jordan where Israel were baptized "unto Moses" and where the waters
stood on a heap as far back as "Adam", a symbolism that awaited the exposition of the
secret that had been silenced (Rom. 16: 25, 26). It was the glory of Paul's ministry to
make this known, as he does in this inner section of the epistle to the Romans
(Rom. 5: 12 - 8:) where Adam and his one offense is first spoken of as having a place
in the great scheme of Redeeming Love.
No.6. The Third Reckoning (cont.).
The first and last "Baptism" of all Scripture.
pp. 195 - 200
We dealt with various aspects of baptism in the preceding articles of this series, but
the subject is of such importance that we have reserved the present study for one
particular baptism that has a bearing upon the use of the terms in Rom. 6: and Col. 2:;
we refer to the baptism of all Israel unto Moses at the Red Sea, and the repetition of this
baptism with similar miraculous accompaniments under Joshua at the River Jordan.
First it will be necessary to establish the typical connexion of these two events. In
Psa. 114:, we have these two great events linked together. "The sea saw it, and fled:
Jordan was driven back"; "What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan
that thou wast driven back?" (Psa. 114: 3, 5). The Psalm opens with the words: "When
Israel went out of Egypt", and leaves us without doubt as to what "sea" is intended.
These two men, Moses and Joshua, together provide a type of the twofold work of the
Lord Jesus Christ, Who both died and rose again.
"Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this
people" (Josh. 1: 2).
The types of the O.T. set forth not only the death of the Saviour, His spotlessness,
His innocence, and the substitutionary nature of His offering, they also set forth His
resurrection. This could have been accomplished in one of the three following ways:
(1)
The person (Moses), or the offering (the Lamb) could have been literally raised from
the dead.
(2)
The person or the offering need not to have died.
(3)
Two persons, or two offerings could be used in foreshadowing the death and
resurrection of Christ to the believer, the one dying, the other being free to live.