1 I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.
The more time I spend dwelling in the Word, the more I begin to see how much Christianity and Judaism share as faiths. Paul references the Exodus in this portion of 1 Corinthians, and all I can see are common themes. In Christian baptism we pass through the waters to die to ourselves and are reborn on the other side. The Hebrews fleeing Egypt passed through the waters of the Red Sea to be made free on the other side. In the wilderness, they feed on spiritual food and drink provided by God. Each week, as we gather around the Table of Grace, we are nourished by bread and wine so that we can head back into the ‘wilderness’ of our lives.
For clarification on the end of this passage, in some Jewish traditions, it was believed that a rock that brought forth water followed the people of Israel throughout their time in the wilderness. This life-giving rock of the Exodus Paul equates with the presence of Christ amongst the Israelites so many years before His birth. And this simply reinforces in my own understanding of my faith the presence of Christ woven throughout the Old Testament beginning at Creation (see John 1!).
We have more in common than we like to believe or let on. Guess that makes sense when you have the same God.
Gracious Shepherd, thank you for the entirety of scripture so that we can witness Your love for us in the fullness of its story. Amen
Chad Ryberg
Cryberg@livinglord.org
Prayer Concern: Those seeking work.
-
Living Lord Lutheran Church
Contact
