Scripture Focus: “Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.” Exodus 14:31 NKJV
When Israel crossed the Red Sea, it was not just a dramatic escape from Pharaoh, it was a prophetic picture of what salvation would look like in Christ. Their deliverance began in Egypt with the blood of the lamb applied by hyssop, a clear foreshadow of salvation by faith through the blood of Jesus. That blood saved them from destruction. Then they passed through the waters of the Red Sea, which the New Testament later describes as a baptism into Moses (1 Corinthians 10:2). This was a picture of water baptism, dying to the old life in Egypt and rising to walk in a new identity under God’s covenant. But that was not all. As they journeyed onward, the pillar of cloud went before them, a visible picture of God’s Spirit guiding, covering, and empowering them. That cloud was a shadow of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which the early church experienced in Acts 2.
This sequence is no accident. God was showing us from the Old Testament that salvation is not a single step, but a complete experience. It begins with the blood of Jesus cleansing us from sin, but it must also move into obedience through water baptism and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Sadly, some still argue that baptism is optional, but Scripture repeatedly affirms its importance. Jesus Himself was baptized, not because He had sin, but to “fulfill all righteousness.” The church in Acts consistently baptized new believers and prayed for them to be filled with the Spirit. If Israel needed the blood, the water, and the cloud, how much more should we embrace the fullness of what Christ has made available? Do not stop at forgiveness. Press into obedience and empowerment. Live in the complete salvation package, blood that saves, water that separates, and the Spirit that empowers.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for the full gift of salvation. Help me to walk in the power of Your blood, the obedience of baptism, and the daily leading of Your Spirit. Amen.
Further Study: 1 Corinthians 10:1–4, Acts 2:37–39, Romans 6:3–4