What is this all about?  How do we get from the Exodus story of the Red Sea crossing to baptism?  I hope this blog might help.  I never imagined how saving  the Hebrews from Pharaoh’s army had anything to do with baptism. 

Actually there is some dispute as to where the Red Sea might be.  Some believe it was called the Reed Sea from the words Yam Suf and the words Red Sea was a mistranslation from the Greek text.  This particular area of water was quite accessible to the slaves that were now on their way out of Egypt.  Normally it would have been shallow and marshy  except during monsoon season when the small streams became raging torrents.  We will let the “experts” decide that.  However, there is one area where chariot wheels have actually been located.   Could they be from Pharaoh’s army?  

But this we know.  The miraculous crossing of this sea, wherever it might be, was completely orchestrated by God.  Truly divine intervention.  How I remember Charlton Heston raising his arms and saying, “behold the glory of the Lord,” or words to that effect.  Those of you who are old enough remember that scene in “The Ten Commandments” and
recall it as one of the memorable highlights of the movie. 

So how does this miraculous crossing predate the idea of baptism? According to Jewish historians and rabbis, this crossing was a type of baptism or cleansing . 

Pharaoh was considered a personification of Satan, who demanded the “souls” and allegiance of his people, while Egypt was the place of sin and corruption. Paganism
consisted in the worship of the Pharaoh himself and other idols. some in the form of animals which were considered sacred.   (Remember the Golden calf episode?)

When the Hebrews escaped Egypt they were leaving their old life of “sin and corruption.” In other words they “died” to their old life, entering into a new life of promise.  They passed through the “waters” and came out on the other side as free people  having left the old behind and were “cleansed” to become a new people belonging to God.   They were no longer slaves of sin but “reborn” by passing through the water into a new life.

This symbolism may be equated with
baptism.  So baptism isn’t a Christian idea.  Far from it. Cleansing was originally a  Levitical purification rite found in the Hebrew scriptures. The priest used some form of water to ritually “wash” as way of preparing  himself to present sacrifices to a holy God. 

During the 2nd temple period…..the time of Jesus…. most purification ceremonies such as leprosy; a woman after her menstrual period; anyone touching dead body….all these
required immersion before worshipping
in the temple .

People would immerse themselves in a water filled pool called a mikvah.   Many such sites have been located around Jerusalem as well as other sites in Israel that were places of worship.  People knew they were sinful and needed to be “cleansed” before offering sacrifices or prayers to God.  They did this as a form of repentance before entering God’s presence.

The Greek New Testament expresses immersion into the mikvah with the term baptizo where we get the word baptism.   The person entering the mikvah immerses himself or herself by wading into the water and bending the knees to completely submerge in the water.  This “dunking” might be done several times to wash away  ritual uncleanness and in repentance, praying while immersing themselves. 

To the Jewish people, the immersion ritual also symbolized death and resurrection.  This was to remember their freedom from death in Egypt to a new life (resurrection) in their promised land.

 So when we read Acts 2 and Peter’s
 sermon to those gathered for Pentecost, the idea of acknowledging Yeshua (Jesus) as Lord and immersing themselves for repentance, was not a new idea. John the Baptizer, also employed immersion as the physical token of repentance.  The penitent entering the water of the Jordan, died to sin and emerged from the water reborn to a life of repentance and righteousness. 

One of the rites that Jews required of a Gentile to be accepted into their faith was the rite of baptism…..along with circumcision for men.  Baptism was important for all new proselytes to Judaism. 

Paul emphasized that his new Gentile converts need not undergo the rite of circumcision in order to accept the Jewish Messiah.  They need not become Jews. But he  did write in his letter to the Romans (6:3-7),
“Do  you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ 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.⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ 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. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin. ”

Is Paul remembering his Jewish roots?