To cross the Rubicon is a metaphor which means to take an irrevocable step that commits one to a specific course.
Before the Roman Empire
Before Rome was an Empire, it was a Republic. Julius Caesar was a general of an army of the Republic, based in the north of what is now Northern Italy. He expanded the borders of the Republic into modern France, Spain, and Britain, making him a popular leader. His popularity, however, led to tensions with other powerful Roman leaders.
Having successfully led his troops in the north, Julius Caesar became Governor of Gaul, part of modern-day France. But his ambitions were not satisfied. He wanted to enter Rome itself at the head of an army. Such an act was forbidden by law.
At the Rubicon
When Julius Caesar led his troops from Gaul in January of 49 B.C., he paused on the northern end of a bridge. As he stood, he debated whether or not to cross the Rubicon, a river separating Cisalpine Gaul—the piece of land where Italy joins the mainland and at the time inhabited by Celts—from the Italian peninsula. When he was making this decision, Caesar was contemplating committing a heinous crime.
If Caesar brought his troops from Gaul into Italy, he would be violating his role as a provincial authority and would essentially be declaring himself an enemy of the state and the Senate, fomenting civil war. But if he did not bring his troops to Italy, Caesar would be forced to relinquish his command and likely be forced into exile, giving up his military glory and ending his political future. . . .
The Die is Cast
The Roman historian Plutarch reported that at this critical moment of decision Caesar declared in Greek and in a loud voice, “let the die be cast!” and then led his troops across the river.
A die is simply one of a pair of dice. Even in Roman times, gambling games with dice were popular. Just as it is today, once you have cast (or thrown) the dice, your fate is decided. Even before the dice land, your future has been foretold. The phrase itself is an expression meaning roughly: “let the game begin,” and comes from a play called Arrhephoros (The Flute Girl), a comedy written by the Greek playwright Menander in the 4th century B.C. Menander was one of Caesar’s favorite dramatists.
Therefore, by crossing the Rubicon, he started a five-year Roman civil war, Caesar threw the dice, not only sealing his own political future but effectively ending the Roman Republic and beginning the Roman Empire.”
By N.S.Ill
Updated July 15, 2019. ThoughtCo
Note: the Rubicon is a small, shallow river.
So far the historical record.
The First Sin
To look at the consequences of crossing the Rubicon from a spiritual viewpoint, Adam was the first to cross the line of no return. He was created in the image of God after the world was made, and God provided him a companion—Eve—who was the apple of his eye.
The law of God was written in their heart. We do not know how long their joyful life in the Garden of Eden, and the companionship with God and angels lasted.
They were instructed not to separate themselves from each other and not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16–17; Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 53–54) for there would be the irrevocable consequence of facing death “for in the day that thou shalt eat thereof, thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:17
However, a day did come when Eve wandered away from Adam’s side while he laboured in the garden, (Ibid., p.53–54), and blissfully rejoicing in the beauty of trees, flowers, birds, etc. around her, she came near the forbidden tree. By looking at it she sensed danger but stayed and was startled as a voice from the forbidden tree addressed her.
We know well the story how Eve yielded to the tempting voice and finally took of the fruit to eat it (Genesis 3:6). Then, with hands full of the fruit she came to Adam, excitingly relating what she had experienced (Ibid., p. 56). Adam was alarmed and perceived that the fateful event had occurred which he was warned against. But Eve was lovely and beautiful as ever, there was not a hint that death could be upon her. Adam recognized the enemy—the fallen angel Lucifer—now Satan—who spoke through the serpent and so cleverly deceived his wife. He loved Eve so deeply and could not imagine life without her, and although knowing the consequences, he willingly ate the forbidden fruit. . . .
The thrill of the taste the fruit had rendered was short lived. Despair, the knowledge of good and evil—sin—and guilt came over the pair. The fear of meeting God in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8) made Adam and Eve shrink and to be afraid.
Adam had crossed the line; there was no turning back to the former state, and they were driven from Eden, their beloved home. Adam had been made king over the earth and animals, but now lost this position; man became subject to a ruler who had nothing in common with the loving character of God the Creator.
The die was cast for the posterity of Adam, for all generations after him had and must live with the result of transgressing God’s holy commandment.
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Caesar had several years of great triumph, power and glory. But then he was brutally assassinated by his own acquainted ones. Was it worth to go against the set order not to cross the Rubicon to return to Rome with an army? Or choose a life of peace and tranquility with less fame and power? . . .
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But God did not forsake fallen man. The same day, after He gave judgment upon the pair and cursed the serpent and the ground (Genesis 3:16–19), He promised them a Saviour (Genesis 3:15).
A substitute had been provided before the foundation of the earth (Revelation 13:8); for this reason Adam and Eve did not have to die on that fateful day. But they lost communion with heaven; the result of disobedience immediately began to show its grave effect in their characters when they would not admit their sin, but rather accused one another, even God Himself.
Exiled, Adam and Eve very sadly began to experience the thorns and thistles in their lives outside of Eden, and unspeakable grief filled their heart when Cain, their first son, killed his brother Abel. . . .
The drama of misery increased as human beings multiplied on earth. Sinful beings were no more in the likeness of God, but in the likeness of fallen Adam. The began to degenerate more and more as ages went and lose moral strength. Evil passions marred the character so that man became a mere shadow of what God had created in the beginning.
Few were faithful, choosing to obey God, shunning evil, and their hopes focused on the coming of the Promised One. Millennia passed by. . . .
The Incarnation
Then the time was fulfilled when “God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” Galatians 4:4
Christ decided before the creation of the world to give Himself as an offering to atone for the transgression of
God’s holy law, should this event ever take place. And the biblical record tells us that the terrible tragedy did occur.
Then, the Son of God, leaving His heavenly home and His inconceivable glory, stepped down to the deepest depths into an ocean of extreme woe, where surges of Satan’s onslaughts pressed upon Him on every side with the strongest force the adversary of God could bring forth, to attempt to overcome the man Jesus.
No created being ever, throughout eternity, is able to comprehend the magnitude of Christ’s decision to cross a Rubicon of a different kind—not to seek His glory on earth but suffer every kind of insult, mockery, hate, cruelty and a horrible death to save a world lost in sin.
His incarnation is a mystery that can never be explained and what immense humility it must have been for Christ to be planted as a seed in Mary’s womb. . . .
He came in the form of a servant “made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7), the man Jesus Christ, who took our guilt and became Sin for us, to bear the penalty in His body, to be crucified in the end.
By His voluntary death and sacrifice Jesus reconciled us to the Father. By His resurrection and ascension Jesus became our Mediator and Saviour, the only “name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
The disastrous curse, facing eternal death from transgressing God’s holy law, is turned around full and complete by the good news of the gospel to the soul whose mind has been convicted by the Holy Spirit. Accepting Jesus Christ as a personal Saviour, confessing and repenting with a very sorrow-filled heart and spirit, the former life, contrary to the mind of Christ, becomes a life of obedience, humility and faith. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. “There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1). And there must be no returning to the old life, but a bold, courageous going forward in the faith of Jesus, following His footsteps to whatever lies ahead.
Crossing over a Rubicon, not to be found a traitor, but a humble, meek and obedient servant of Christ, sanctified through His word and, at the end, be transformed into His likeness.
Let the die be cast, to go through suffering, reproach, persecution, hostility for the truth and Jesus’ sake! It is a matter of decision. —–
Warning
Beware anyone who crosses the most disastrous Rubicon whose waters sink the soul into the depths of eternal condemnation and death, by committing the sin against the Holy Spirit! By resisting God’s gentle voice convicting you of some wrong, and doing nothing against it; by neglecting devotion and prayer, grieving thus the Holy Spirit. Continuing in this state, the heart hardens more and more until the wooing of God’s soft voice will one day fall on deaf ears, the Holy Spirit will be gone forever, there will be no return.
Let your mind reflect on these things, and let nothing come in between you and Jesus; make the decision to be always on His side! Amen
Edda Tedford, Canada