Ignorance to Insight (2)

Israel’s Historical Failures

“A mistake is only truly a mistake if we don’t learn from it.”

“Experience is the best teacher if you can afford the tuition.”

The NET Bible (Second Edition) (Chapter 10)

Learning from Israel’s Failures

1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea,

2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

3 and all ate the same spiritual food,

4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

Guidance/Freedom - under the cloud & passed through the sea (Verse 1 and 2)

Spiritual nourishment from Christ (Verse 3 & 4)

5 But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were cut down in the wilderness.

6 These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did.

7 So do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”

8 And let us not be immoral, as some of them were, and 23,000 died in a single day.

9 And let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by snakes.

10 And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.

Idolatry - Verse 7

1. Worshipping Idols - Golden Calf

In First Corinthians 10:14, Paul’s exhortation to flee idolatry is related to his larger discussion of the issue of eating meat sacrificed to idols.

Douglas Mangum, “Idolatry,” ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).

2. Abusing your Liberty - 1 Cor. 8 (Meat sacrificed to idols)

(Example: Pool table in youth building)

Immorality - verse 8

1. Israelite men sexually active with Moabite women (23,000 died)

Beware of the four seductions of men:

Sloth

Silver

Sex

Self

Testing - Verse 9

The Israelites detested God’s provision, desiring instead the food from Egypt.

Mark Taylor, 1 Corinthians, ed. E. Ray Clendenen, vol. 28, The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2014), 233.

Complaining - Verse 10

Describes the action of expressing one’s internal reaction to a situation, either to oneself or to others.

Philippians 2:14-15

14 Do everything without complaining and arguing,

15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

11 These things happened to them as examples and were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

12 So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall.

13 No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.