Cross the Rubicon

Part I

Barely exceeding the appearance of a wide stream, the water course flowed Northeast out of the mountains towards the Adriatic Sea.  Although, not much of an obstacle in the physical realm, the shallow river delineated the northern boundary of Italy.  As a result, it defined a lawful line in the sand and, quite literally, a point of no return.  A Roman clad general stood at the edge of the river contemplating his next actions.  Behind him, numbering in the thousands, stirred a fervently barbaric army of soldiers awaiting his next command.  The general kicked some loose pebbles into the slow moving water and then turned to his loyal 13th Legion.  Lifting his sword into the air, he exclaimed, “Even yet we may drawback, but once cross yon little bridge, and the whole issue is with the sword."

A thunderous cry erupted and surged through the ranks.  They had no desire to stop marching.  They would go wherever he led.  The general turned around again and eyed the other side of the river.  The decision burdened his mind, and seemed to press his shoulder armor deep into his spine.  To cross the river was tantamount to treason and a declaration of war.  Earlier, he had been ordered by the Roman Senate to disband his army.  And yet, here he stood still in command, speculating the verboten.  It was expressly prohibited for him to enter Italy leading an army.  By Roman law, all who crossed the boundary river under his command would be sentenced to death.

Standing on the edge of the river, the general gazed into the shallows where calm waters pooled.  A reflection of a war-hardened and emotionally cold warrior stared unblinkingly back.  Selfish ambition and pride crowned the reflection.  He considered himself one of the greatest military leaders of all time.  He was not far from the truth.  His victories had stunned the Senate and expanded Roman control far beyond what was thought possible.  In strength and influence, none could compare.  He had even militarily eclipsed Rome itself.  He was powerful.  “Too powerful”, he mused.  Hence the reason, he had been ordered to disband and return.  The Senate and the great Pompey, himself,  feared the military might that the mirrored reflection represented.  Rightfully so, for the general was confident that his army wielded enough power to make him sole dictator of Rome.

A cynical grin curved across the small pool of water before the reflection of Julius Caesar rippled away.  His fighting days were not over.  He would not dissolve into quiet nothingness.  He stepped into the flowing water of the river with a wave of his sword.  “The die is cast,” he asserted solemnly as he and his army exploded with a deafening roar across the Rubicon River.

On January 10, 49 BC, Julius Caesar and his 13th Legion crossed the Rubicon River, and declared war on the Rome Republic.  By 45 BC, Caesar had gained complete civil war victory, garnering leadership of the Roman government.  His brazen actions effectively ushered in the Roman Empire which later cemented the historical axiom that all roads lead to Rome.  Likewise, Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon bore it’s own idiom down through the war-ravaged centuries to the present.  Appropriately then, “Cross the Rubicon” means to reach the point of no return, to take an irrevocable step, or to take an action with definitive consequences.

This is a picture of a mangled T-29 Convair propeller hub.  On February 25, 1962, a three-man crew departed Amarillo, Texas on a liaison flight.  The crew included Captain Richard E. Bellamy, pilot,

Major J. E. Lunsford, copilot, and Staff Sergeant E. L. Fairey, flight engineer.  With a northwesterly flight route, the flat topography quickly gave way to rising terrain.  Their selected altitude was barely adequate as they flew into mountainous terrain with deteriorating weather.  The foul weather transformed into a blinding snowstorm.  Flying blind with no reference to the horizon and cruising at a reported altitude of 14,000 feet, they figuratively placed their lives on the roll of the die.  They were above most obstacles, but not all.  Tragically, the flight course winged them into a box canyon guarded by a couple of mountains towering approximately 200 feet above their cruising altitude.  They had “crossed the Rubicon” with no idea of the giants that lay ahead.  The consequences proved to be deadly.  Due to accumulating snow depths and continued bad weather, the wreckage wasn’t located until May 18, 1962.

It took a couple of attempts for my son and I to find the Convair T-29 wreckage.  As a result, we had ample opportunity to hike the rugged country.  It is steep and unforgiving, but beautiful and captivating at the same time.  To embrace it safely, the high country must be respected and approached according to natures’ terms.  For hikers, those prerequisites for entering include trekking poles, supportive boots, good cardio, plenty of water, snacks, clothing layers, and a wary eye for approaching weather.  For airplanes and flight safety in the mountains, the prerequisites are altitude, airspeed, ample power, and then, if in doubt, more altitude.  Sadly, extrapolating the flight path just beyond the impact point of the T-29, the jagged peaks shrink away.  The Convair flight crew would have cleared the rest of the mountains along their journey.  Just two hundred feet higher, and they probably would have reached their intended destination.  That’s all they needed.  However, the decision to “Cross the Rubicon” without abiding by the sine quibus non of flying in mountainous terrain (i.e. more altitude) had serious ramifications.

As always, when another adventure comes to an end, I spend some time reflecting.  Most times I learn something valuable to apply in my own life.  Then, eventually, I write it down.  Here’s what I learned.....

“Crossing the Rubicon” is not necessarily a bad thing.  For the flight crew of the Convair, it was disastrous, but that was simply because they ignored the conditional terms of flying in the mountains.  Very likely, due to the snowstorm, they were not sure of their position, but even that would have necessitated an immediate climb.  There has to be an understanding that “Crossing the Rubicon” comes with mandatory rules and prerequisites.  Accordingly, Julius Caesar knew that when he crossed the Rubicon, he was going to war.  There was no doubt, he was starting a fight.  There were definite consequences associated with the action.  As long as we understand the consequences of “Crossing the Rubicon” and are prepared for it, there can be huge gains by going across.  Really, “Crossing the Rubicon” can represent a very exciting way to live.  Much like entering a new frontier, there is much exploration to be done on the other side.  There is potential for great victories.  It can represent a whole new life where there is no desire to turn back.  Beyond the point of no return, our old lives are gone, and we courageously move forward into more productive and victorious lives.  That sounds exciting, but there is a catch.  Going across has to be done with a keen awareness of the pitfalls, dangers, and giants in the land.  The risk has to be mitigated to justify the crossing.  There is always the possibility of horrible defeats if we cross unprepared and unwilling to obey the rules imposed on the other side.  The Convair flight crew crossed over without obedience to safe altitudes, and they paid a hefty price.  Julius Caesar crossed over with the strength of the 13th Legion behind him.  There were risks, but his mighty army tempered them.  With an awareness of what lay ahead and the willingness to fight, Caesar gained victory and sole dictatorship of Rome.

It always amazes me how many life lessons are spelled out in the Bible.  Many people think that the Bible especially the Old Testament is nothing but a boring historical text with no application to our current lives.  Therefore they either skip to the more “applicable” New Testament or they simply let dust settle on their Bibles.  But the Old Testament is really quite fascinating, and is chocked full of lessons for everyone especially growing Christians.  As a whole, the Bible is the best “self-help” “life guide” a person can study.  Within it’s many pages, we can learn the “do’s and don’ts” of life and be taught by the Greatest Teacher.  Many people complain that God is too quiet, and that He doesn’t provide guidance anymore.  They want burning bush experiences or mountain top revelations in order to believe or act.  Albeit very cool and faith stimulating, those awe inspiring events are not necessary anymore.  God doesn’t have to thunderously boom instructions out of a pillar of fire because He has already written a lively instruction manual for us to follow.  With the Living Word, we have everything we need to walk with Him.  All of the directions and answers to life are nestled between the pages starting with Genesis “In the beginning” to the final Revelational “Amen”.  Now, I will admit that some passages of Scripture are less than straightforward and do not make for easy reading, but, in those cases, they were intentionally written that way so that we would have to meditate and think upon the Word.  With the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can slowly begin to understand the meaning.  The Bible was penned by men, but authored by God.  Therefore, it takes the Holy Spirit’s guidance to understand the deeper meanings.  The Bible is not a one-and-done read.  On the contrary, the Bible will require multiple passes.  Individually, most books of the Bible will take many study sessions to glean all the information that God has presented.  The Bible is intricately woven together with promises, rewards, and consequences that are illustrated throughout centuries of real life historical examples.  Approximately forty different writers separated by multiple centuries penned the books of the Bible, yet the Bible remains consistent throughout its' pages.  Amazingly, despite a 1500 year time span, all the books of the Bible, in point of fact, direct readers to one central theme — Jesus Christ!  Without contradiction, the Bible is obviously God “breathed”!

With those principles in mind, the first six books of the Bible paint a vivid picture of Gods’ dealings with Man.  As such, they are critically important to understand as we try to make sense of our own Christian journeys.  As Paul wrote to believers in Corinth, “These things happened to them (Israelites) as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Those examples harken us to pay close attention.  There are patterns and symbolism throughout the Old Testament that bring the books to life.  To simply read it as a historical text, is to miss the interactive mural that God has painted for us.  It is a wonderfully orchestrated symphony of events directed by God that begs us to hear our own footsteps and heartbeats as we walk along with the Israelites.  Much like the Israelites, God never intended for us to stay in Egypt or roam around in the wilderness and suffer spiritual defeats.  The Promised Land was and is waiting.  There were and are victories to be won!  God wanted us to “Cross the Rubicon”, or more aptly, the Jordan, with these words in our hearts and on our lips; “It is the Lord our God we must follow, and Him we must revere. We must keep His commands and obey Him.  We must serve Him and hold fast to Him.”  To do otherwise, is not honoring the conditions and prerequisites on the other side which ultimately brings about major consequences.  But before we can cross the Jordan, we must first cross the Red Sea.  The two are emphatically linked.

Within the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) we find the famous narrative describing the Israelites in slavery suffering under harsh Egyptian rule, and their eventual providential exodus under the leadership of Moses.  Appropriately named, the Book of Exodus chronicles the events, including the Ten Plagues that lead up to  the Israelites’ release from bondage.  Although allowed to defiantly march away while the Egyptians buried their firstborns, the Israelites were soon pursued as Pharaoh with his hardened heart and his Egyptian army set chase.  Then the amazing finality of deliverance occurred as God parted and the Israelites crossed the Red Sea.

The story of the parting and crossing of the Red Sea is one of the most amazing miracles described in the Bible.  Besides the action packed storyline, it presents a wonderful message of deliverance from slavery that foreshadows our own deliverance from the slavery of sin.

There are many things in the Old Testament that illustrate New Testament truth.  Called “types”, they are symbolic pictures that point us to what God planned all along — Jesus Christ.  As the Apostle Paul describes in First Corinthians, the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea was their baptism into Moses.  Paul continues describing the symbolism surrounding the exodus events with a Christ-centered representation.  

“For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:1-4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

With such prefigurative narrative, the crossing of the Red Sea not only describes the historical and physical salvation of the Israelites from slavery, but symbolically represents the redemptive work of Christ to save us from the slavery of sin.  In Romans we read,

“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Practically speaking, the crossing of the Red Sea is the moment that a person identifies with Christ, and therefore accepts His redemptive work on the cross.  That person believes the good news of the Gospel and becomes a follower of Christ.  God has parted the Red Sea and provided an escape from the consequences of sin if we will cross over.  Reaching the other side, the believer finds a new life in Christ.  It is the resurrectional identification with Christ.  To cross the Red Sea is to leave the worldly Egypt behind, and find freedom from sin in a Christian life.

As such, to cross the Red Sea is to gain salvation!  What a wonderful gift, but there are rules and conditions on the other side that must be honored or we will spend a lot of time wishing for the things of Egypt and living deflated and defeated Christian lives.  Remember, to cross over should be considered a point of no return.  Longing for the things of Egypt (the world) after crossing the Red Sea is detrimental and very much like flying blind.

So what are the rules of engagement on the other side? 

Moses proclaimed these words to the Israelites before they finally crossed the Jordan.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Then Jesus also offered up the first and greatest commandment in a passage of Scripture in Matthew.

Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:37-38‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If we continue reading Exodus, we see the same sentiment expressed by God to the Israelites after He provided water for them in the desert.

God said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭15:26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Soon after crossing the Red Sea, God issued the Ten Commandments to Moses on top of Mount Sinai, and, once again, the number one commandment on the list -- 

“You shall have no other gods before me.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

That theme remains consistent throughout the Bible.  God is to be feared, trusted, and loved with every ounce of our being.  Nothing nor no one takes His place of centrality in our lives.  That is the primary rule to be obeyed in order to live a life of abundance on the other side.  What happens if we don’t honor those terms?

Exodus Chapter 32 describes the Israelites violating the main rule when they cast an idol and bow down to it in worship.  In true blatant fashion, they disregard the first command and brazenly seek another god.  As a result, a life of abundance in a land flowing with milk and honey quickly morphs to bloody plague-littered consequences.  About three thousand Israelites were immediately killed by their own.  It would have been worse and the death toll much higher if Moses hadn’t interceded on the Israelites’ behalf.  Throughout the time spent in the wilderness, we learn valuable lessons from the Israelites’ pattern of noncompliance.  Over and over again, their disobedience and contemptuous testing of God lead to dire consequences.  In fact, their final defiant act of not trusting God brought about a forty year wilderness experience that resulted in nothing but a moving funeral procession while an entire generation of Israelites died.  Obviously, the Promised Land they had marched out of Egypt to find remained an unreachable destination because they didn’t learn to abide by the conditional terms after crossing the Red Sea.  

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Promised Land was theirs for the taking.  They had everything they needed to cross the Jordan  and possess the land except faith.  Unfortunately, without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and thusly, the demonstrated lack of it cost the Israelites dearly.  

To cross the Red Sea is a wonderful and joyful event that should invoke a song in our hearts (Exodus 15).  The gift of salvation keeps us from drowning in the sinful waters of this world and wasting away as slaves destined for Hell.  However, God never intended for Christians to stop in the wilderness just on the other side of the Red Sea.  God never intended for us to wander aimlessly in the wilderness contemplating our old lives and wishing for the things of Egypt.  He wanted us to continue walking with Him as He remained in the center of our lives (Where did the tabernacle reside amidst the encampment of Israel?).  God wants us to mature, learn, trust, and then, in faith, cross the Jordan.  Crossing the Red Sea is great, but crossing the Jordan is where the full armor of God is donned and spiritual battles are won.  In the wilderness, discouragement and despair proliferate and lead to defeated Christian lives, but beyond the rolling waters of the Jordan River the walls of Jericho tumble down.  The giants looming in our personal lives will tremble and fall if we will cross to the other side of the Jordan.  Across the Jordan, mighty victories can be won and victorious Christian lives can be lived.  But, first, we must honor the conditional terms of crossing.  We must understand that crossing the Jordan is “Crossing the Rubicon” and defines a point of no return.  There are requirements to cross safely and rules to be followed on the other side.  Noncompliance will quickly snatch defeat from assured victory.  We cannot ignore the prerequisites or else we won’t conquer the giants on the other side.  We must be strong and courageous in the Lord.  We must obey His commands.  There will be battles to fight, and we must have the strength of Christ in us to win.  Christ leads the way to the Promised Land.  The die is cast.  It is time to move in faith.  Let us prepare to bravely “Cross the Rubicon” as we boldly cross the Jordan.

(To be continued….)