ise and sign Noah
was justified and saved, with his family. Afterward God gave him
another promise, and for a sign the rainbow. Again, he gave Abraham a
promise, with the sign of circumcision. Circumcision was Abraham's
baptism, just as the ark and the flood were that of Noah. So also our
baptism is to us circumcision, ark and flood, according to Peter's
explanation. 1 Pet 3, 21. Everywhere we meet the Word and the Sign of
God, in which we must believe in order to be saved through faith from
sin and death.

11. Thus the children of Israel had God's word that they should
inherit the promised land. In addition to that word they were given
many signs, in particular those Paul here names--the sea, the cloud,
the bread from heaven, the water from the rock. These he calls their
baptism; just as our baptism might be called our sea and cloud. Faith
and the Spirit are the same everywhere, though the signs and the words
vary. Signs and words indeed change from time to time, but faith in
the one and same God continues. Through various signs and revelations,
God at different times bestows the same faith and the same Spirit,
effecting through these in all saints remission of sins, redemption
from death, and salvation, whether they lived in the beginning or at
the end of time, or while time progressed.

12. Such is Paul's meaning when he says the fathers did eat the same
meat, and drink the same drink as we. He, however, qualifies with the
word "spiritual." Externally and individually Israel had signs and
revelations different from ours; but the Spirit and their faith in
Christ was identical with our own. Spiritual eating and drinking is
simply believing in God's Word and sign. Christ says (Jn 6, 56), "He
that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in
him." And in the preceding verse, "My flesh is meat indeed, and my
blood is drink indeed." That is, He that believeth in me shall live.

"For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them."

13. In other words, they believed in the same Christ in whom we
believe, though he was yet to come in the flesh; and the sign of their
faith was the material rock, from which they physically drank water,
just as we in partaking of the material bread and wine at the altar
spiritually eat and drink the true Christ. With the outward act of
eating and drinking we exercise inward faith. Had the Israelites not
possessed the word of God and faith as they drank from the rock, the