Referring to the water of baptism typified by the flood in Genesis, 1 Peter 3:20 speaks of being “saved through water” (Gk.). We have pointed out that both Noah’s family and the children of Israel were saved through water. Through water God’s people were saved from Egypt and its slavery, that is, from the world and its usurpation (13:3, 14). Furthermore, they were saved to the wilderness of separation, that is, to a realm which is for the accomplishment of God’s purpose (3:18). In the wilderness the people built the tabernacle as God’s dwelling place. This was for the fulfillment of God’s purpose. The water through which they were saved and separated from Egypt brought them into a realm where there was no bondage or slavery. In this realm there was the freedom to fulfill God’s purpose by building the tabernacle as God’s dwelling place on earth. This indicates that through water we are saved from the world to a realm where we can accomplish God’s purpose.
Immediately after crossing the Red Sea, Moses and the children of Israel sang a song to the Lord (15:1-18). This song must have been composed by Moses. In Revelation 15:2-4 it is referred to as the song of Moses. In Exodus 15 the children of Israel sang this song on the shore of the Red Sea; they praised God for victory over the forces of Pharaoh by His triumphant deliverance through the judging waters of the Red Sea. In Revelation 15 a number of overcomers sing this song again on the glassy sea as an indication that they are victorious over the power of Antichrist, who is judged by God with the fire of the glassy sea (Rev. 19:20). In both cases the principle is the same: God’s people are saved through the sea, and now they can sing praises to God.
In 15:1-12 the children of Israel praised God’s salvation and victory. Salvation is related to God’s people, and victory is related to God’s enemy. At the same time God defeated the enemy, He also saved His people. How beautiful is the poetic expression of praise concerning this!
Using the perfect tense, verse 13 says, “Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.” Notice that this verse speaks of God’s habitation, even though the temple as God’s dwelling place was not built until centuries later.
Verses 14 and 15 say that the peoples will be afraid, that the inhabitants of Philistia will be sorrowful, that the princes of Edom will be amazed, that trembling will take hold of the mighty men of Moab, and that the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away. In poetic form, this is a prophecy that the children of Israel would defeat the Philistines, the descendants of Esau and Moab, and all the Canaanites, and would take possession of the good land.
In verse 17 we are told that the Lord would plant His people in the mountain of His inheritance, in the place which He has made to dwell in. This place is the sanctuary which His hands have established. Pay attention to the phrase “the mountain of thine inheritance.” Although we regard the good land as the inheritance of the children of Israel, here Moses speaks of it as the inheritance of God. The children of Israel were to be planted as a living organism on the mountain of God’s inheritance. I believe that the mountain here refers to Mount Zion. With respect to God’s sanctuary, this verse also uses the perfect tense: “The sanctuary, Jehovah, which thy hands have established” (Heb.).
Verse 18 refers to the kingdom: “Jehovah shall reign for ever and ever” (Heb.). God’s habitation, God’s house, brings in God’s kingdom. When God has a habitation, a house, on the earth, His kingdom will be established through His house. Today the church is firstly God’s house and then His kingdom. The church will bring in His kingdom to the earth (Eph. 2:19-20; Rom. 14:17; Matt. 16:18-19).
As we read 15:1-18, we realize that the goal of God’s salvation is the building of His dwelling place for the establishment of His kingdom. Even though Moses did not enter into the good land, much less see the building of the temple, he could still praise the Lord for His sanctuary, His dwelling place.
The mention of God’s habitation here indicates that baptism leads to the church life. Baptism saves people out of the world into a realm that is for God’s purpose. The purpose God desires to fulfill in this realm is the building up of His dwelling place, which is typified firstly by the tabernacle and then by the temple. The tabernacle was built near Mount Sinai. Centuries later, the temple was built on Mount Zion. However, as God’s dwelling place, the tabernacle and the temple are one. The tabernacle was constructed within a year after the exodus from Egypt, and it remained with the people until the temple was built. The contents of the tabernacle were then placed in the temple. This points to a blending of the tabernacle with the temple, both of which typify the church.
God’s goal in bringing the children of Israel through the Red Sea was to have a dwelling place. Before the tabernacle was erected, God did not have a dwelling place on earth. He could have such a dwelling place only after He had secured a people who had been redeemed, who had passed through the Red Sea, and who had entered into a separated realm where they were free from all bondage.
Exodus 40:2 says, “On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.” This indicates that on the first day of the second year, according to the new calendar, God’s dwelling place among the children of Israel was set up. We cannot emphasize enough that to have such a dwelling place is the goal of God’s salvation. Moses knew that God’s goal was not merely to save His people out of tyranny; he knew that it was to have a people set free from the world and brought into a realm of freedom for the building of His dwelling place. Because Moses knew God’s heart, God’s will, and God’s goal, he could truly be called a man of God.
As we read through the Old Testament, we should focus our attention on this goal. In chapter fifteen Moses used three expressions related to God’s goal: habitation, dwelling place, and sanctuary. These expressions describe the same thing. God’s habitation is the place where He dwells, and this place is His sanctuary. Today the church is God’s habitation, His dwelling place, and the sanctuary.
After the tabernacle was erected, war broke out. God’s enemies rose up in an attempt to frustrate the building of the temple. These enemies included the peoples, the Edomites, the Moabites, the Philistines, and the Canaanites. The peoples signify the unbelievers, the heathen. The descendants of Esau, the Edomites, signify those who are natural, those who are not chosen, redeemed, regenerated, and transformed. The descendants of Lot, the Moabites, signify the fleshy ones, for their source was an act of incest, a grossly sinful and fleshy deed. The Philistines signify worldly Christians, those who live between Egypt and the good land. There are a great many such worldly believers today. Finally, the Canaanites are related to the evil powers in the heavenlies.
Just as the children of Israel were troubled by all these enemies, so we in the Lord’s recovery have also been attacked by the evil powers of darkness. The aim of all the attack, opposition, and evil speaking is to hinder the building of God’s dwelling place for the fulfillment of His purpose. God’s purpose is the building. This is God’s goal, and it is our goal as well. But the intention of the enemy in his attack is to keep God’s people from reaching this goal. Nevertheless, in the eyes of God, this goal has already been achieved. This was the reason Moses used the perfect tense in speaking of God’s habitation. In the same principle, the apostle John used the past tense in describing the New Jerusalem to indicate that from God’s point of view His purpose to gain the building has already been accomplished. All the attack and opposition are actually positive signs, indicators that the building of God’s temple is assured.
As we baptize new converts, we need the faith and the boldness to speak to them about the goal of their baptism. We must tell them that baptism is intended to bring them to God’s habitation, to the mountain of God’s inheritance, where His people are planted. When we have been brought through baptism to the place of God’s inheritance, God will be able to build the dwelling place as His sanctuary.
In 15:20 and 21 we see that Miriam followed Moses’ lead to praise the victory of Jehovah. The order here is good and proper: the men took the lead, and the women followed. The song of Miriam is actually a repetition of part of the song of Moses. Although she praised the Lord for triumphing gloriously, she did not speak of God’s habitation. This indicates that although the sisters may be very zealous and inspired, they may not be altogether clear about God’s goal. Nevertheless, their praises are still good. But as these verses show, the sisters should follow the brothers, not go ahead of them.