When the men of Israel went into battle, they inevitably came into contact with blood and dead bodies. This required ceremonial cleansing that they might be allowed back into the community, and also cleansing for any spoils that they may bring back from the battle. Instructions for this cleansing are found in Numbers 31:21-24.
“Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.” – Numbers 31:23Anything that could withstand fire was placed in the fire for purification. But it also must have been purified with the water of cleansing. “Water of separation” refers to the required cleansing after the time of a woman’s period (nida – Strong’s H5079). Everything that could not withstand fire, including the soldiers themselves and their clothing, must “go through the water.”
What a wonderful picture of the “purification” of Believers by baptism, or immersion into water (baptizo – Strong’s G907). This picture includes the “water of separation” prescribed in the Book of Numbers. Christians are a separate, chosen people (I Peter 2:9). The Apostle Paul confirms this foreshadow in First Corinthians.
“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” – I Corinthians 10:1-2At the miracle of crossing the Red Sea on dry ground, the Children of Israel passed through two walls of water held back by the power of the Lord. They passed through the water and were baptized into the Law of Moses. Moses, as sanctified or set apart as he was, could not save them. The Bible scholars Matthew Henry and David Guzik state that Israel was identified with Moses and brought under the Law by the “baptism” of passing through the water.
Baptism and Communion, the Lord’s Supper, are considered sacraments by Christians. The word “sacrament” is not a Scriptural word, but comes from the Latin sacramentum, which means an oath of allegiance or obligation. Sacramentum was used to describe a Roman soldier’s oath of allegiance to the emperor, just as Christians declare their allegiance to the Lord Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
The water of the baptistery or the pond or the stream does not cleanse us or purify us. Rather it is the act of obedience (a good conscience toward God) that does spiritually purify us by the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” – I Peter 3:21How essential it is, if we believe that Baptism is important, is a sacrament, that everyone who declares the name of Christian, or follower of Christ, be immersed and to “declare allegiance” to the Lord Jesus. May His Holy Name be praised forever!