Encore Post: The night of the first Passover, the people of Israel prepared for the darkest of the plagues God sent to Egypt to free them from slavery. The killed a perfect lamb for the feast. They spread the blood on their doorposts to mark their homes. The prepared dinner quickly, prepared to leave Egypt in haste. They made their bread without leaven. They wore traveling clothes.
That night God himself visited every home in Egypt and took the life of every firstborn in Egyptian households. He did this through the destroying angel. Many theologians believe this angel is the Angel of the Lord — the second person of the Holy Trinity. The outcry was great and Pharaoh finally let God’s people go and told them to go quickly.
God led the people out of Egypt to the shore of the Red Sea where they camped. He did so with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. In this pillar, the Angel of the Lord was present to lead them. Soon Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued Israel with his armies. The pillar moved from before the people to stand between them and the Egyptians.
God directed Moses to hold his staff over the Red Sea. Winds blew for hours to part the sea. God then had Moses lead the people through the sea on dry land. Once they were on the other side, the pillar of the cloud of God’s presence moved from between Israel and the Egyptians to the front of the people. The Egyptian army charged into the sea, where the wheels of their chariots bogged down. God then had Moses put down his staff. The sea closed over the Egyptian forces drowning them. The people of Israel were now free and safe.
When Jesus was transfigured, Moses and Elijah appeared with Him and spoke about Christ’s coming Exodus (a word that gets lost in translation. Most English versions use “departure” for its meaning). By His death and resurrection, He would lead all God’s people through death to life. St. Paul tells us that the cloud and the Red Sea were a kind of Baptism (1 Corinthians 10:1-2), which points to the Sacrament of Baptism. In Baptism, our sinful nature is drowned and we are free to serve God as His redeemed people.
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Indiana
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