What Old Testament events foreshadow the baptism seen in Acts 8:38? \Acts 8:38 — Philip and the Eunuch in the Water\ “And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.” (Acts 8:38) \Why Look Back? The Old Testament Sets the Stage\ Throughout Scripture, God uses water to judge, cleanse, and launch His people into fresh beginnings. Each scene below whispers ahead to the moment in Acts 8 when a repentant heart meets living water. \Noah’s Flood — A Worldwide Washing\ • Genesis 7:23: “So He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the earth…” • 1 Peter 3:20-21 connects the dots: just as the ark carried eight souls safely through judgment, baptism now signifies salvation through the risen Christ. • Picture the parallels: judgment on sin, a righteous remnant preserved, and a brand-new world awaiting—much like the believer who rises from the water into new life. \Red Sea Crossing — Out of Bondage, Into Freedom\ • Exodus 14:22: “So the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.” • 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 calls this passage “baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” • Israel leaves slavery, Pharaoh’s armies drown, and a covenant people emerge on the other side—mirroring sin’s burial and resurrection life in Christ. \Jordan River Crossing — Stepping Into Promise\ • Joshua 3:17: “All Israel crossed on dry ground until the whole nation had completed the crossing of the Jordan.” • The ark (God’s presence) leads the way; the waters stand still; a new chapter begins. In baptism, Jesus leads believers through water into Spirit-filled inheritance. \Naaman’s Sevenfold Dip — A Gentile Made Clean\ • 2 Kings 5:14: “So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times… and his flesh was restored.” • Obedient faith, humble submission, complete cleansing—exactly what the Ethiopian eunuch demonstrates by asking, “What prevents me from being baptized?” \Levitical Washings — Daily Lessons in Purity\ • Leviticus 15:31: “Thus you are to keep the Israelites separate from their uncleanness…” • Repeated ceremonial washings taught Israel that sin defiles and water purifies; Christ fulfills the symbol with one decisive baptism of repentance and faith. \Circumcision Replaced by Baptism — A Covenant Sign\ • Genesis 17:11: “You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this shall be a sign of the covenant…” • Colossians 2:11-12 explains the fulfillment: “[You were] buried with Him in baptism…” What once marked Israel’s males in the flesh now welcomes every believer, male and female, into covenant grace. \Prophetic Promise of Clean Water — Ezekiel’s Vision\ • Ezekiel 36:25-26: “I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean… I will give you a new heart…” • God pledges inner transformation symbolized by water—realized when the eunuch rises from the Jordan waters with joy. \Bringing It Together\ • Every Old Testament water story crescendos in Acts 8:38. • Judgment gives way to mercy, slavery to freedom, uncleanness to purity, old covenant to new. • The Ethiopian’s baptism isn’t an isolated ritual; it’s the fulfillment of a storyline God has been telling since Genesis—one that now invites each of us to enter, believe, and be made new. |
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