Baptized Unto Moses!

It is simply allegory in the same way it was used in Galatians 4:22-23

You really answered your own question in the first part of your sentence.

 

This very well could have implied that the Children of Israel were "baptized" into the Mosaic covenant. This would regulate their conduct and bind them to the principles and precepts under this covenant. It would be similar to Christians today being baptized "into Jesus Christ" (Romans 6:3) which should certainly regulate our conduct and bind us to His precepts.

 

When we look at Baptism in Scripture we see that one of the distinctives is that it identifies the one baptized with the one they are "baptized into."

Here, in view (and this is my view, lol) is simply that the Children of Israel were associated with Moses, which will eventually be contrasted with our association, not with Moses, but with Christ.

He goes on to contrast the result of sin for those of Israel, and basically says we should not follow their example, lest we reap the same reward. That National Israel is in view is seen here...


1 Corinthians 10:18

King James Version (KJV)

18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?


Usually when National Israel is mentioned, it is for the purpose of contrasting conditions then with conditions now.

Going back to identification being a characteristic implication (though it is not limited to it), we see this here:



Acts 19

King James Version (KJV)

1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.


Their association was with John. In the passage you quoted, those in view were associated with Moses.

We are Baptized into Christ, not Moses, not John.


God bless.

 

They were as baptizo means identified with Moses in the crossing of the Red Sea and the cloud which followed.

 

Vines =

B — 1: βαπτίζω
(Strong's #907 — — baptizo — bap-tid'-zo )

"to baptize," primarily a frequentative form of bapto, "to dip," was used among the Greeks to signify the dyeing of a garment, or the drawing of water by dipping a vessel into another, etc. Plutarchus uses it of the drawing of wine by dipping the cup into the bowl (Alexis, 67) and Plato, metaphorically, of being overwhelmed with questions (Euthydemus, 277 D).

It is used in the NT in Luke 11:38 of washing oneself (as in 2 Kings 5:14 , "dipped himself," Sept.); see also Isaiah 21:4 , lit., "lawlessness overwhelms me." In the early chapters of the four Gospels and in Acts 1:5; 11:16; 19:4 , it is used of the rite performed by John the Baptist who called upon the people to repent that they might receive remission of sins. Those who obeyed came "confessing their sins," thus acknowledging their unfitness to be in the Messiah's coming kingdom. Distinct form this is the "baptism" enjoined by Christ, Matthew 28:19 , a "baptism" to be undergone by believers, thus witnessing to their identification with Him in death, burial and resurrection, e.g., Acts 19:5; Romans 6:3,4; 1 Corinthians 1:13-17; 12:13; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12 . The phrase in Matthew 28:19 , "batizing them into the Name" (RV; cp. Acts 8:16 , RV), would indicate that the "baptized" person was closely bound to, or became the property of, the one into whose name he was "batized."

In Acts 22:16 it is used in the Middle Voice, in the command given to Saul of Tarsus, "arise and be baptize," the significance of the Middle Voice form being "get thyself baptized." The experience of those who were in the ark at the time of the Flood was a figure or type of the facts of spiritual death, burial, and resurrection, Christian "baptism" being an antitupon, "a corresponding type," a "like figure," 1 Peter 3:21 . Likewise the nation of Israel was figuratively baptized when made to pass through the Red Sea under the cloud, 1 Corinthians 10:2 . The verb is used metaphorically also in two distinct senses: firstly, of "baptism" by the Holy Spirit, which took place on the Day of Pentecost; secondly, of the calamity which would come upon the nation of the Jews, a "baptism" of the fire of Divine judgment for rejection of the will and word of God, Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16 .

Both these terms show identification:thus witnessing to their identification with Him in death, burial and resurrection, e.g., Acts 19:5; Romans 6:3,4; 1 Corinthians 1:13-17; 12:13; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12 . And The phrase in Matthew 28:19 , "batizing them into the Name" (RV; cp. Acts 8:16 , RV), would indicate that the "baptized" person was closely bound to, or became the property of, the one into whose name he was "batized." Closely bound that is identified to the one in which we are baptized with or in the name of. And thus Vines point, "Likewise the nation of Israel was figuratively baptized when made to pass through the Red Sea under the cloud, 1 Corinthians 10:2"

 

Yep missed the whole part of Vines definition

 

Let me repost since you seem to have missed it Vines states

"Both these terms show identification:thus witnessing to their identification with Him in death, burial and resurrection, e.g., Acts 19:5; Romans 6:3,4; 1 Corinthians 1:13-17; 12:13; Galatians 3:27; Colossians 2:12 . And The phrase in Matthew 28:19 , "baptizing them into the Name" (RV; cp. Acts 8:16 , RV), would indicate that the "baptized" person was closely bound to, or became the property of, the one into whose name he was "baptized."

Thus Baptizo to identify the subject of the Baptism. Of course if you feel that you were dipped into the Holy Spirit instead of Him coming to indwell you with His presence then Paul would be wrong to say that our bodies are the Temple (Naos the shrine containing the object of worship) of the Holy Spirit then then being dipped in Him by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit would be counter to scripture it would seem. and of course that would mean that the Isrealites were dipped into the river getting wet instead of walking dry shod as they crossed in between. But I guess you are entitled to interpret our way.

 

Sometimes Presbyterians like to use this to poke fun at Baptists and they say the only ones who were baptized here were pharaohs soldiers.

They fail to see what they should see here.

In this passage they identified with Moses {as a type of Christ}

They were not water baptized.....The water speaks of death.....it was death to the Egyptians......

ex14;
26 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.

27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore



EX15;
8 And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

9 The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

10 Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

11 Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.

13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.



In like manner;
21 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:

In Jesus we are rightly related to death....being alive in Him. Those in the ARK were rightly related to the death waters that destroyed the world of the ungodly.

Our water baptism pictures His death in our place,and his resurrection unto life, and us in Him.
Jesus spoke of His baptism of fire[judgment}
Presbyterians step into it when they try and poke fun.....