It has often been said that the passage of the children of Israel through the Red Sea is a type of Christ dying for His people, and that crossing the Jordan is a type of the believer dying with Christ. Let us see if there are any signs of this distinction in the Old Testament, where both these events are recorded.
Some, perhaps, have often repeated the above-named difference who know not how far it is made manifest by God Himself in that which He has caused to be written; surely it is profitable for us to examine whether what we hold is really based upon the teaching of the word of God itself.
The historical course of events is plain. There was first the keeping of the Passover, when the Israelites were sheltered under the blood while the destroying angel smote all the first-born of Egypt. Jehovah made the wonderful declaration to Israel: “When I see the blood I will pass over you.” There was not a house of the Egyptians in which there was not one dead; but the Israelites were perfectly safe, and none were slain.
This is clearly typical of a believer being sheltered under the blood of the Lord Jesus: there is no destruction for him, but he is in the perfect safety that is attached to the infinite value of that precious blood. But he is still in Egypt, and needs deliverance from the power of the enemy. This he receives by the passage of the Red Sea.
Israel was brought out of Egypt with a high hand. Pharaoh 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.” (Exod. 15:99The 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. (Exodus 15:9).) Vain boast! Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore.
Now Moses and the children of Israel could sing. We do not read of their ever singing in Egypt. How could they sing when in slavery? But now they can celebrate in a song the deliverance Jehovah had wrought for them. He was declared to be “a man of war.” He was “glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders.”
One instinctively turns to the passage that declares that our Lord became man that “through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” (Heb. 2:1414Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (Hebrews 2:14).) “He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” (Eph. 4:88Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Ephesians 4:8).) Thus the great enemy of souls has been conquered in the death of Christ, and we have been delivered from the power of darkness.
It should be noticed that in the song of Moses they sang of redemption, from which we learn that we are not only redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, but also by His power over the enemy. The Israelites were perfectly safe under the protection of the blood, but they could not sing of redemption until they were brought out of Egypt, and saw the destruction of Pharaoh and his host. So we need to know the annulling of the power of Satan before we can see and rejoice in our being translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son.
But the people were still in the wilderness, and in their song they had to speak of the possession of the promised land as a future thing. “Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, Ο Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in. in the sanctuary, Ο Lord, which thy hands have established. The Lord shall reign forever and ever.” (Exod. 15:17, 1817Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. 18The Lord shall reign for ever and ever. (Exodus 15:17‑18).) It was all settled by God Himself, but its accomplishment was still a future thing.
Various passages speak of God bringing the people out of Egypt, and into the promised land, without a word as to the wilderness; and Deut. 1:22(There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.) (Deuteronomy 1:2) tells us that it was only an “eleven days journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir, unto Kadesh-barnea.” Yet, alas! they had to wander about for forty years till all had died except Caleb and Joshua.
At length they arrived at the Jordan; let us seek to gather instruction by comparing the passage over Jordan with the passage over the Red Sea.
The first thing that strikes one in the passage of the Jordan is the fact that the priests carried the ark of the covenant into the midst of Jordan, and remained there until all the people had passed over. There was no ark in the Reel Sea.
It is also to be remarked that in the Jordan the water overflowed all its banks, typifying that death was in its full power: this is not said of the Red Sea, At Jordan also the priests who carried the ark dipped their feet in the brim of the water before the water fell back so that they could pass into the bed of the river. At the Reel Sea Moses had merely to lift up his rod, and stretch out his hand over the sea, and the waters divided. There it was power exercised for the people; but at the Jordan the priests realized the power of death, and had to go forward in faith: not alone, but with the ark of the covenant typifying the presence of the Lord. There was association in the passing through the Jordan which is not seen in the passage of the Reel Sea, though we partake of the blessings flowing from the death of Christ for us.
The peculiar character of the passage of the Jordan is further seen by the twelve stones that were set up in the midst of Jordan where the priests’ feet had been, and by other twelve stones being taken up from the midst of Jordan and carried over for a memorial unto the children of Israel. What could be a more vivid type of the believer’s being dead and buried with Christ, and also his rising out of death with Christ?
When their children should look upon that cairn—that pile of stones, and ask, “What mean ye by these stones?” they were told to answer them, “That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off; and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel forever.” (Josh. 4:77Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. (Joshua 4:7).)
Now why should this be done at the Jordan any more than at the Red Sea? Ah, is it not to teach us that we need to be reminded of the one much more than of the other? Is there a Christian anywhere that does not know and often repeat that his only hope of salvation is in what Christ has done for him? But how comparatively few there are that see and embrace by faith the teaching of the Jordan, that there the believer died with Christ, and rose with Him?
This is true of all Christians, but all do not know it, and do not see that their being dead with Christ gives them an entirely new standing. Their old standing in Adam has been swept away by their dying with Christ, and they have now a new standing in Christ. Do you not see the need of the pile of stones? And is there not a need that we, as well as our children, should look again and again at that cairn, and ask, “What mean ye by these stones?”
The apostle had to remind the Colossians of these great truths. “If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances ... after the commandments and doctrines of men?” “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” (Col. 2:20, 22; 3:120Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Colossians 2:20)
22Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? (Colossians 2:22)
1If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (Colossians 3:1).)
There is still another word given to the Israelites that we must not pass over. When they were told that the ark of the covenant would go before them and a space was to be left between, the command was, “Come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.” Not simply that they had not crossed a river before, but they had not passed THAT way; they had not entered into death who has?
Thus all the details of the passage of the Jordan tell of something peculiar, of something very different from crossing the Red Sea. As has often been pointed out, the Red Sea was a passing out—out of Egypt; whereas the Jordan was a passing in—into the promised land.
In the epistle to the Colossians, as we have seen, we are spoken of as having died and risen with Christ; but in the epistle to the Ephesians the true standing of the Christian is further stated by describing us as being made to sit together “in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” What marvelous grace to once poor lost sinners!
As the battles of the Israelites began after they had passed the Jordan, so we are exhorted in the Ephesians to put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (or, “in the heavenlies,” where we are said to be sitting in Christ Jesus).
We have thus seen that there is a marked difference in the passage of the Jordan from that of the Red Sea. God Himself has given us the description of both, and has surely some deep lesson for us to learn in the peculiar way in which He brought His people through the Jordan. We must never forget that it was the entrance into the promised land, and that it brought them immediately to Gilgal, where they were circumcised, typical of the Spirit’s power in the mortification of the flesh. Jehovah declared “ This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.” (Josh. 5:99And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day. (Joshua 5:9).)
Communion followed in keeping the Passover. Then on the morrow they ate “the old corn of the land,” typical of Christ as the center of heavenly things. Then the manna ceased, Christ known after the flesh. (2 Cor. 5:1616Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. (2 Corinthians 5:16).) The captain of the Lord’s host appears, and the people are ready for their wars. All this typifies the true place and conflict of the Christian. Let us challenge our souls as to how far we enter into it, and how far we glorify our Lord therein.
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