Trinity 9 (2024)

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Main Point

The Text

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

So we are picking up in the middle of this letter where St. Paul discusses disorder in the Corinthian Church. The church in Corinth had a divisive leadership problem, and at the same time they looked at the Grace of God as a liscense to live very unChristian lives, that is they wanted to have one foot in the world of Christianity and one foot in the world of Paganism.

This is likely animated from the fact that being a Christian had no social benefits and meant losing some social standing. At the same time there was much to be gained from participating in Pagan life. We will circle back.

At the moment he is looking at the experience of the people of Israel in the desert and pointing to how they are the church of God as it existed before Jesus, and he is going to draw out some warnings from their lives.

[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.

They had God’s presence and care (The Cloud), and They had proto sacraments (They had a baptism, bread, and wine) For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. This is in every way the church before Jesus. Paul is going to point out some of their errors in comparison to the current errors of the Corinthian church.

[5] Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

Even as God’s chosen people and as a proto church, God was angry with them. And his anger lead to real consequences in the desert.

[6] Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.

A most important principle in the reading of the New Testament is using the NT to interpret the Old. If the NT interprets the Old then under this set of rules we look at the OT in that light. And St. Paul just let us know that the disobedience of the Israelites is there for our learning and benefit.

[7] 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] We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. [9] We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, [10] nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.

In his interpretive work Saint Paul is going to give us three admonitions or three “do nots”

Eating in disobedience: Eating temple food: As an act of worship and politics.

Sexual immorality: As an evil indulgence and worship and politics.

Grumbling and compliant: When you think about how wrong the top two are and complaint is in there with them. That should really give you some pause. The first two ended with the destruction of Israelites who under the care of God had proto sacraments. And complaint also ends that way.

[11] Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.

Again it is for the benefit of the Corinthian church who now straddles from one age into the new. The Pre-Christ church to the church in the time of Christ.

[12] Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

Sin has spiritual consequences and we will go there in a moment, but let us also remember the natural consequences of these things.

[13] No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Finally, as we are the church of Christ under his care like the Israelites were under his care, God will provide for us a way to beat temptation.

Well let us spend some time in that connective tissue into our own age.

First off the things that are foreshadowed in the church pre-Christ are ours in thier best form now.

The presence of God in the cloud, out infront of the people, is now the presence of God in the Holy Spirit in our hearts. As the cloud moved around to guide them the HS is in you guiding you.

The baptism of the Red Sea is now made complete in our actual baptism. The Red seas meant the church was free from a physical slavery in Egypt. You are free of the Spiritual slavery of Sin. It destroyed the work of the physical pharaoh and his army, and it destroyed the work of Satan and his army. They are geographically no located to approach the holy land, and we are geographically able to approach heaven.

They ate and drank physical food in the desert that kept thier bodies alive and foreshadowed the provision of God in the Holy Land. We have our souls fed foreshadowing the care of God in Heaven.

Second, citizens of the kingdom of God, have a primary citizenship

The eating of food given to idols was an act of false worship, and from what we read most Pagans didn't really believe in its spiritual power. But Loyalty to the cults of state means showing a patriotism to the state that was politically useful So Christians in Corinth and other places might be tempted to participate in the eating of fellowship meals with false God’s not as a true act of worship, but of politics. And St. Paul is saying that it is as much a treason to God as those who actually believe it. We need to be mindful of what our politics are asking of us.

Yes, there is a reason that a person might indulge in temple prostitution that goes beyond politics, but at the same times, the politics were beneficial. And Ironically the OT looks at Idolotry as adultery against God. Time spent with the temple prostitute was not only adultery to a family but to God.

Complaints and dissatisfaction are being presented as wickedness on par with Idolatry and Adultery.

To see God’s care and provision as lacking is to call his character into question. It is to accuse other gods as being better. It cost the people of Israel dearly. And it will cost your souls dearly.

On one hand I want to offer you the comfort that Jesus Christ has paid the cost of our disobedience. Those times we eat with false gods for prestige, we offer our bodies to idolatries like sexual sins, or other bodily sins like vanity, when we speak the words of complaint. The death of those sins is put on Christ on the Cross

On the other hand the work of sacraments, the physical tokens given to us by Christ is to be received in faith and transform us. The faith that saves us should be changing us, and working along with the sacraments to transform what we love. If we are not more and more forsaking Idolotry of power, flesh, and complaint, we need to examin ourselves and see if true faith is present.

And let us cling to Christ, and say those words all the louder,

We do not presume to come to this your table, O merciful Lord,

trusting in our own righteousness,

but in your abundant and great mercies.

We are not worthy so much as to gather up

the crumbs under your table;

but you are the same Lord

whose character is always to have mercy.

Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord,

so to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ,

and to drink his blood,

that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body,

and our souls washed through his most precious blood,

and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us.  Amen.