Immersion

Weekly Torah Lesson

Parasha: b’schlach – when he let go
Torah: Shemot 13:17 – 17:16

13 And Moshe said to the people, Fear you not, stand still, and see the salvation of Avinu, which he will show to you today: for the Mitzryimians whom you have seen today, you shall see them again no more forever.

** “salvation”…”Deliverance” from our enemies…also “sins” or “demons” etc is normally defined as “the forgiveness of our sins”. The “Red Sea experience is a physical manifestation of the spiritual process that we also experience when we are immersed in water as an outward, physical act depicting the inward, spiritual process of sorrow, confession, repentance and forgiveness of our sins.

*** “14 Avinu shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. 15 And Avinu said to Moshe, Why cry you to me? speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16 But lift you up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the middle of the sea. 17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Mitzryimians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honor on Paro, and on all his host, on his chariots, and on his horsemen. 18 And the Mitzryimians shall know that I am Avinu, when I have gotten me honor on Paro, on his chariots, and on his horsemen.

*** 21 And Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea; and Avinu caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on the dry ground: and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left. 23 And the Mitzryimians pursued, and went in after them to the middle of the sea, even all Paro’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch Avinu looked to the host of the Mitzryimians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Mitzryimians, 25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drove them heavily: so that the Mitzryimians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for Avinu fights for them against the Mitzryimians. 26 And Avinu said to Moshe, Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come again on the Mitzryimians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen. 27 And Moshe stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Mitzryimians fled against it; and Avinu overthrew the Mitzryimians in the middle of the sea. 28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Paro that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. 29 But the children of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea; and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left. 30 Thus Avinu saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Mitzryimians;

*** “1 Moreover, brothers, I would not that you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized to Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Meshiach.” (1Co 10:1-4 )

*** “Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yeshua HaMeshiach for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Ac 2:38 )

*** “When John had first preached before his coming the immersion of repentance to all the people of Israel.” (Ac 13:24 )

*** “3 Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Yeshua HaMeshiach were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by immersion into death: that like as Meshiach was raised up from the dead by the glory of Avinu, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” (Ro 6:3-4 )

*** “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1Co 12:13 )

*** “Buried with him in immersion, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of Avinu, who has raised him from the dead.” (Col 2:12 )

*** “The like figure whereunto even immersion does also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward Avinu,) by the resurrection of Yeshua HaMeshiach:” (1Pe 3:21 )

One more lesson to remember:

*** and Israel saw the Mitzryimians dead on the sea shore. 31 And Israel saw that great work which Avinu did on the Mitzryimians: and the people feared Avinu, and believed Avinu, and his servant Moshe.

** Just as Israel actually saw the bodies of their enemy washing up on the shore, we too can be assured that our “enemies” are cleansed from our spirit through the Salvation process.