Last week we read about baptism defined as immersion in water. We also read about the purpose of baptism: Jesus said “he who believes and is baptized shall be saved” and Paul said “repent and be baptized for forgiveness of sins.”

Both Peter and Paul compare baptism to Old Testament events. In I Corinthians 10:1-2, Paul writes about the similarity of baptism to the Israelites leaving Egypt when they crossed the Red Sea. He writes that they were under the cloud as they passed through the sea – surrounded by water, just as in baptism. Passing through the sea and the cloud saved them from the Egyptian army pursuing them.

In I Peter 3:20-21, Peter writes about Noah and his family, eight people, being brought safely through the water. He writes, “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you.” Noah’s ark was surrounded by water, the rising flood and forty days of rain.

Coupled with this baptism of water was the faith of the Israelites in following Moses out of Egypt and through the sea, and the faith of Noah to spend years building the ark while trying to warn his neighbors. Faith and obedience saved them all.

Imagine the faith it would take to walk into the Red Sea as the Israelites did with water miraculously held up on both sides. Imagine the faith to spend about a hundred years building the ark, being the only righteous man.

Peter and Paul often reminded the people of their history using the Old Testament to teach lessons of faith, obedience, and the connection to God’s promises. Here in these verses they used historical events to teach about the importance of baptism.