Baptism by the Flood

“For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth,” Genesis 7:17

Baptism is a symbolic act. It symbolizes a death, a burial and a resurrection to new life.

Water used in a baptism is a symbolic vehicle. It symbolizes cleansing and washing away sin. Submersion in water means death and burial. The lifting out of the water symbolizes cleansing, refreshing, washing clean and a new life and a new beginning. The water of baptism is a symbol for the Holy Spirit in His grace giving renewal. Water is a gift from God and has a primary role in baptism.

Before the Cross:

In the story of Noah’s ark there is a baptismal story. Noah obeyed God and he and his family were saved from God’s anger when God decided to destroy His creation with a flood.

The water was death to a sinful, corrupt world. The flood water caused death and buried all the living creatures who were not in Noah’s ark as the waters covered the earth. God was cleansing the world for a new beginning.

God had washed away the sin of the world and Noah and his family were saved to start new life on the dry ground when the waters receded. The baptism by water was completed.

There was a baptism but sin was not eliminated. Man would sin again even after the earth was baptized and cleaned. Sin was not conquered. God promised…