Israel camped by the Red Sea, and the army of Egypt pursued them. The cloud, that shielded Israel by day and was a pillar of fire to them by night, moved from before them to come between them and their enemy. The cloud became darkness to one and light to the other. As God moved for Israel and divided the waters in the night so the Children of Israel could cross through the sea, the same God confused the enemy and overcame them. That is the message of the cross. To those who believe the cross, because of the One who hung there, the cross becomes our salvation; but to the unbeliever the same cross is confusing. Just as the waters of the sea overcame the enemy of Israel as morning broke – there is a new morning coming and God desires that the cross overcome our enemies.

God destroyed the Egyptian army so Egypt would know the Lord is God. It is the same with the new morning that is coming – so those who are in unbelief will believe that the Lord is God. The baptism in the sea is two way. As the army fled, God closed the sea back on them. God destroyed what was fighting against Him as they fled. The army of Egypt said, “Let us flee from among Israel because God is fighting for them.” When they believed for Israel, they turned to flee and were consumed by the sea. The believer is to be a witness to the fact that the Lord is God by letting the Lord fight for us. Our hands are not against the enemy. When the unbeliever believes for us, that God is for us, they turn from persecuting us and seek to remove themselves from among us. The sea then returns on the unbeliever and destroys the enemy of belief, which is unbelief.

The baptism of Israel is a baptism of believers; the baptism of those fleeing is the destruction of unbelief. The enemy’s means of fighting against God is removed; the army of enmity is destroyed. The baptism of water washes us clean, and the baptism of fire (we learn obedience by the things we suffer (remember the fire was towards Israel in the night)) removes (separates) from us the unbelief that would defile us. Once Israel was removed from Egypt, the army pursued them to defile them again and return them to Egypt. But God redeemed Israel from Egypt and from the attempt of the Egyptians to return Israel to their former master. The cross does this for us; God redeemed us from our sins and helps us with our unbelief that would cause us to return to our former master. God gives us a gift of faith; faith gives us our testimony when we let God fight our battles (when we work our faith). The testimony witnesses to the unbeliever and destroys unbelief, so that they believe for us that God is with us.

Now comes the part of God’s plan that is all God. It is God who hardened the heart of the unbelieving Egyptians so they would pursue Israel, see the wonders of God, and believe for Israel that God was with them. It was God’s plan for the enemy to know the Lord is God. Even if they could not believe for themselves, they believed for Israel. When God is ready, He will soften the heart of the unbeliever and they will believe. Our part is to witness the love of God to them so they will believe for us that God is with us. Jesus witnessed God’s love on the cross to help us to believe for Him (that He is the Son of God), that belief became a belief in Him and faith in God. Love someone today!

   © 2011, Tim D. Coulter Sr.