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The
two pictures
of the cross
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There are two great
pictures of the cross in the Exodus story. The first picture is well
known. The blood of the Passover lamb applied to the doorposts of
the Hebrew houses is clearly understood to be a picture of the
forgiveness we now have because of the blood of Jesus. The Hebrews
applied the blood to the doorposts so that the death angel would see
the blood and pass over the household. The Hebrews were thus spared
and shielded from a terrible judgment.
Let’s look at a simple
but very important point here. The Hebrew firstborns were delivered
from the judgment of the death angel for the purpose that they might
live. The goal delivering them from death was so that they might
live. Similarly, Jesus suffered death for us so that we might
experience life. This life is in heaven and we get to experience
measures of this life down here on earth. By faith we need to fight
and contend for this life while here on the earth. The point being
made is that life is the goal and purpose of being saved from death.
There is another equally
significant and equally huge picture of the cross in the Exodus
story. Just as the forgiveness we have through Christ’s death is
depicted by the blood on the doorposts of the Hebrew households; so
the Hebrews crossing the Red Sea is a picture of the deliverance
from sin we have through Christ’s death. The Lord split open the Red
Sea thereby making a way for the Hebrews to escape out of Egypt. His
splitting open the Red Sea is a picture of the New Testament truth
that we have been crucified with Christ. Therefore, because the Lord
has made a way for us to come out of our sin and self-centeredness,
we can walk out of it just like the Hebrews walked out of Egypt.
In this picture, living
in the land of Egypt is like living in sin or self-centeredness.
Pharaoh reigning in Egypt is a type of Satan reigning over those who
live in sin or for self. Pharaoh’s soldiers are a type of demons.
Egyptians are a type of the unsaved living in the world and sin. The
Hebrews and mixed multitudes are a type of the church, Jewish and
Gentile, which is called out. Interestingly, the Greek word for
church, "ekklesia," means the "called out ones." Also, the cloud by
day and the pillar of fire by night are a picture of the Holy Spirit
leading people out of sin (Egypt) to the cross (Red Sea opening) and
then into all practical righteousness (their journey to the Promised
Land).
What a glorious picture!
Let me repeat. When God split open the Red Sea for the Hebrews to
escape, He was also portraying Christ crucified. He was portraying
the truth of the cross whereby "...if One died for all, then all
died; and He died for all, that those who live should no longer live
for themselves, but for Him...."(2Corinthians 5:14-15) He was
portraying the truth that "... my 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." (Romans 6:6)
This picture gives us
great insight into the cross. First of all, notice that the Hebrews
and the mixed multitude were trying to get out of Egypt. They were
strongly motivated to get out. This be-line they were making
straight out of Egypt is a great picture of repentance.
The opening the Lord
made for them in the Red Sea would do them no good if they weren’t
interested in getting out. If some just sat there on the shores of
Egypt and enjoyed the view, they would not have experienced
deliverance out of Egypt. Similarly, just knowing that you have been
crucified with Christ, is not sufficient to experience deliverance
from a sin or sins. The believer needs to have a genuine "want to"
to have this truth of the cross help him in any specific area of
sin. A half hearted desire or no desire to get out of some area of
sin will prevent him from experiencing deliverance in that area. He
needs prayer for the Holy Spirit to give him the desire. Also, God
actually used Pharaoh, a type of Satan, to motivate His people to
get out of Egypt. The devil, because of his cruelty and malevolence,
can often times chase God’s people out of some area of sin.
I need to mention an
important aspect of this Exodus picture. This picture applies to a
new believer first coming out of sin and to a seasoned believer who
has a particular sin problem. Whenever a believer is in some kind of
sin, living in that sin is like living in Egypt. The Holy Spirit is
seeking to lead him out through the cross. In other words, this
Exodus picture is excellent for the new believer and the long time
Christian.
This picture makes clear
another huge problem in the body of Christ today. A person who wants
to get out of a sin, might have no revelation or confidence that he
is dead to sin because of the cross. Such a person, and there are
millions of such people, would be like the Hebrews trying to cross
the Red Sea without knowing that the Lord had already made an
opening available for them to cross. Imagine them trying to build a
bridge across, or trying to swim across, or imagine them trying to
form a life chain to get across. Christians today have what they
consider so many other options to get out of their sin problems
other than the way the Lord has made. Psychological techniques,
prescription narcotics (including marijuana!), and various self help
formulas are just a few of an endless list of "cross substitutes."
Another aspect of this
picture of our deliverance out of sin is how improbable this way
appears to the natural mind. God’s opening of the Red Sea is hard
for the natural mind to believe. Similarly, our being dead to sin
because of Christ’s death is likewise hard for the natural mind to
accept.
When the Hebrews were
crossing the Red Sea, one conversation might have gone this way:
"Tell me. Exactly what is holding this water up? My Egyptian physics
friend told me that this can’t happen." The other might have
replied, "All I know is that I’m about forty five steps out into the
Red Sea and I can still talk about it. God lives, aye?" In a like
manner, a therapist might say to a simple minded believer, "What do
you mean that you are dead to sin? Isn’t that a bit of a simplistic
attitude towards your problems?" The believer might reply, "All I
know is that I am a free person because of what Jesus did for me.
I’ve been walking out of this stuff for weeks now and it’s working."
Another aspect of this
picture of the cross relates to how contagious this faith in our
deliverance can be. As one person starts walking across, others gain
confidence when they see him. As difficult as it might be for the
natural mind to comprehend that a person is dead to sin in Christ;
when they start walking directly out of their sin, onlookers gain
confidence. Some new believers might have virtually no knowledge
except the simple confidence that Jesus set them free because He
died for them. This simple confidence is what the bread of the
Lord’s Supper is all about.
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