Roaming through Romans #4 - Brick

In Romans 6:1-14, Paul, not surprisingly seeing as though he is a Jew, draws upon the Exodus story as a way to help his readers understand the two types of humanity which he has outlined in chapter 5.

Egypt - was the superpower of its day. In the bible - Egypt is a place, a country a nation where the story begins. But in actual fact, it’s much more. You see, Egypt is what happens when sin becomes structured and embedded in society. Egypt is an empire – built on the backs of Israelites slave labour. Brick, by brick, by brick, by brick, the slaves worked in fear under Pharoah as the ‘Ruling Power’*

The people were set free from slavery; guided by the pillar of fire and cloud; taken through the Red Sea; given their identity as a people at Mt Sinai and on their way to the promised land**.

Bible teacher John Stott puts it this way: "Our baptism stands…like a door between two rooms, closing on the one and opening into the other" The Israelites passing through the Red Sea has shaped, along with John’s baptism and Jesus baptism of death, Paul’s understanding of Baptism. Paul wants his readers to remember that when you were baptized you moved from Slavery to sin (Egypt), to Life in the Messiah (Promised Land). It is a whole new regime, a whole new status, with a whole new master. So you are no longer under your old master, but now obligated to obey your new Master. And he draws upon their baptism to highlight the decisive shift in status. Martin Luther, when tempted and tested inside and out, used to shout – BAPTIZATUS SUM – I have been baptised!!

May we remember our Baptism - may we remember too that we left Egypt and entered into a new life – a new way to be human – with the Messiah. May we remember that we now no longer speak or live like an Egyptian. May when we are tempted and tested remember who we are – and may we shout in the face of the temptation ‘I have been Baptised’.

** Significantly, Sinai was not a country. There was no ruler or governor over this land. Sinai is free from any political and national boundary. So, God meets them in a place where no one owns, because no one owns ‘this God’. And here where no owns this land, he sets them apart and gives them the law, an act of grace, so that his people can live well with their God.

*References: Jesus wants to save Christians too. Rob Bell