Luke 9:28-33 And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.The point I want you to see in this passage is that Jesus was taken apart into a high mountain. And there He was transfigured before these people. Matthew wrote of it his in the 17th chapter. We have something in Luke’s account of this story that was not recorded in Matthew's account. That is, the account in which Moses and Elijah spoke to Jesus about something specific. It says they spoke to Him about his “decease.”Here's the thing that is interesting. This word “decease” in the Greek is the word “exodus.” They spoke to Him about his “exodus.”
I think this is a good scripture to look at, along with others, because God is calling His body into a high mountain apart from all else. Matthew says it was after six days. At the end of this sixth day we are in, the body of Christ is being taken up into a high place.
One of the greatest places in the Word to learn about being “brought out” is the book of “Exodus.” The Red Sea crossing is the most powerful display of God's power that we have recorded in the Old Testament. It is used everywhere in the Old Testament. Every time God wanted to tell of His people and what He could do for them, He said, “Man, I opened the Red Sea!”
The most powerful display of the Glory of God, of the power of God, anywhere in the Old Testament is the story of the Red Sea crossing. We need to grasp what this means to us. We need to see the truths in this picture that only the Holy Spirit can reveal to us.
If it is made real to you and you will see it and hear it, it will change your life! It will cause you to have a different outlook on where you are and where the devil is in connection with you today. We need a spirit of Wisdom in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus in this. We have ears to hear and eyes to see.
To begin this lesson, I am going to give you a couple of examples of what I just said about this story. Everywhere in the Old Covenant this story is gone over and over in almost all of the books. Let’s look at Psalm 106 for an example.
If you get a Bible dictionary of some kind, look up this crossing of the Red Sea is mentioned.
Psalm 106:7-9 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea. Nevertheless he saved them for his names sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.There's one place.Let's look at Isaiah 51:
But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The Lord of hosts is his name.God encouraged His people here. He taught His people in this place. He said, “Listen, there is no lack of power on my part. Just think a minute. I divided the Red Sea and my people walked upon dry land.”He goes over and over that again. I'm trying to make a point to you — it's important. The importance of the Red Sea is parallel to the Resurrection in the New Testament. The most dramatic of the expressions of the power of God in the New Testament is the resurrection of Christ. Both of these events happened at the end of three days.
The children of Israel went three days and they were at the Red Sea. On that third day they crossed over. And it's the same thing in the New Testament.
Look with me in Joshua. Here is an interesting point. Even the enemies of the people of God know and fear God's people because of this power that was exhibited at the Red Sea.
In Joshua two, the two spies had been sent over and they were at Rahab’s house in verse 8, And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;
9-10 And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.They were scared because word got all the way to the land of Canaan that God dried up the Red Sea for His people. We can understand that this instance is of utmost important to us.Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 10:11. We read about the children of Israel as they were leaving Egypt and they were on their way to the Promised Land. Verse 11 says, “All these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
Everything that happened to the children of Israel, was a type of something that needs to take place in the people upon whom the ends of this age has come! And here we have, unquestionably, the most important or most powerful display of an event that happened to them. From the time they put the blood on the door until they crossed Jordan, the Red Sea crossing was number one.
If everything that happened to the children of Israel was a type of something that needs to happen to us, because we are the people upon whom the ends of this age has come, then of whatever that was a type, it is at least pretty important to our lives. So we must experience whatever that is a type of. It is obviously important. We must see what that Red Sea crossing represents to us. The answer is found at the beginning of 1 Corinthians Chapter 10. See if you can see what it is.
1-2 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;Here's the message. The Red Sea crossing was a baptism unto Moses. So, as it pertains to us, Moses was a type of Christ. Could that then picture our baptism into Christ? Could it mean that the most important thing that you and I can experience is our awareness of us being placed into Christ, our heavenly Moses, who is leading us into the Promised Land?Can you understand that? You'll never get to the Promised Land if you don't understand that. The cloud in this verse is a picture of the Holy Spirit. And it pictures that the Spirit baptized those believers in type-form into Moses as they crossed the Red Sea. It is picture of the Holy Spirit placing us into Christ and making us one with Him. God's plan is always to take one and make many out of that one. He takes a leader and makes a many-membered people. He takes Christ and makes a many-membered body out of Him.
Let's look at some more scriptures in Corinthians.
12:12-14 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit (cloud) 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. For the body is not one member, but many.How important is it for us to understand what it means to be in Christ? It is very important. You must understand why we are preaching about growing up into Him, and not growing up separate from Him. Growing up into Him.We’re preaching a finished work here. The most important truth a believer can know is his relationship to Jesus. We’re not on Him, were not just with Him, we are “in-Christed.” You must understand this!
Look at Romans’ sixth chapter and we will see how being placed into Christ is the most important thing to learn even when it comes to our actions and about being free from sin and any attitude problems we might be struggling with. It's not about trying harder, but about having your mind renewed to some things.
Notice what Paul says in Romans.
6:1-2 WHAT shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?Well, the question is, how did we become dead to sin? If you are truly born again, you are dead to sin. How did that happen?Verse 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?What do we mean by baptized. A lot of people get water on the mind when they hear teaching on baptism. And we are high on water baptism. Baptism is important. But what we’re talking about today is a Spirit baptism that water baptism pictures. It's a placing into Christ. When you made Jesus Christ Lord of your life, you were born of the Spirit and you were born into Christ. You were placed by the Spirit into the body of Christ. You became a member of His body. One with Him!I like what Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 12:12, he said, “As the body has many members but it is the same body, so also is Christ.”
Notice he didn't say, “So also is the body of Christ.” We would have been tempted to say “so also is the body of Christ.” But Paul knew better. He knew the spiritual truth is that so also is Christ.
We are the body of Christ. We are to express the head in this earth. He didn't want to wash this message down. He said, “the body hath many members, but all of it is just one body.”
Let me paraphrase the statement of 1 Cor. 2:12. “Everything you look at upon me is myself. So also is myself.” All of us are part of Christ.
Look at 1 Cor. 1:30. Here is what the crossing of the Red Sea represents. This is what it speaks of.
You say, “It looks like the major thing that happened in the Red Sea was the destruction of Pharaoh and all of his cohorts.”
You see, the moment you were placed in Christ, you escaped the enemy’s territory. You became off limits to the enemy.
How many of you believe that the journey the children of Israel took from Egypt to Canaan is a type of the journey that you and I are presently involved in? We’re some where on that journey. Do you realize that Pharaoh is a type of Satan, the devil. His army is a type of demons, evil spirits. Do you realize that when the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea and started into the wilderness, they didn't have any more trouble with Pharaoh and his army any longer. Do you believe that is true? If that is true, then we in the church as a whole are wasting a lot of time fighting somebody that is not even our problem. That is a revelation that will set you free.
People, say, “Oh, the devil is bugging me.”
No! His influence is probably still bugging you. Your remembrance of Egypt is still bugging you. But what is bugging us most of fall is what's between our ears. We don't know that the horse and rider has been cast into the sea. That's a tremendous revelation! The scripture says to believers, “Don't give the devil any place!”
The scripture says whatever you bind in earth shall be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. You see, binding and loosing is up to us. We are free from satanic power. We have been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son. How many of you believe that?
When did that happen? It happened when you got saved.
1 Cor. Chapter 1
We wrestle not with flesh and blood, we wrestle with principalities and powers. That defeated foe is not an annihilated foe. He is still here, and still has an existence, but he has been stripped of his power! He has been stripped of his authority. He works in the realm of deception, and in the realm of mental ignorance!
The scripture says Satan goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he MAY devour. Does that tell you that he cannot devour everybody? He is looking for people. Do you know who he is looking for? People who do not know about their personal Red Sea experience. People who have a lack of Knowledge. He feeds on ignorance. We have some things to learn about the defeat of the enemy and the life force that is among us.
1 Cor. 1:30 But of God are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:Do believe you are “of God”? Your birth is of God. “Of God” are you in Christ. How did I get into Christ? You were born into Christ, just as you were born into Adam at the beginning of your existence. When you were birthed of your mother naturally, you were birthed in Adam. Your spiritual mother is the church. When you were birthed of this woman, you were born into the last Adam. You were born into Christ, or were in-Christed with a kind of life. People, I am “of God.”Jesus is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.