Overcoming Temptation!

Last week we began a quick study on temptation. There is no Christian so mature, so God like, so holy that they are above temptation. Temptation lies behind corner of your life! There is absolutely no escaping it. So if we can’t avoid temptation then how do we overcome it? This is where our scripture from last week needs to be remembered. Jesus is our great example for overcoming temptation. He teaches us how to overcome temptation by identifying the reality of temptation and not just the surface view of them. Then He teaches us that knowing the word of God is essential in overcoming temptations. Then, the main thing we need to understand is Jesus won this battle of temptation not for Himself, and not just for the will of The Father. But He endured the temptations, and beat the temptations from the devil so that we may have victory in them as well. We can overcome temptations because our Lord overcome temptations. Like the song, there is still and always will be “Victory in Jesus!” not just in salvation, not just in death, but in the everyday life of believer.

Recap On Last Week:

I. Temptation #1: Forsake The Will of God.

II. Temptation #2: Forsake The Word of God.

III. Temptation #3: Forsake The Worship of God.

Temptation -Testing

“Temptation” and “testing” (both Heb. nsh; Gk. peirázō)

The Context:

1 Corinthians 5. The Negative Example of Israel in the Wilderness (10:1–13)

Paul’s point is that one’s identification with the people of God coupled with extraordinary spiritual experiences does not preclude the possibility of spiritual disaster. In spite of God’s perpetual presence and provision, Israel committed serious sins and perished in the wilderness

1 Corinthians 5. The Negative Example of Israel in the Wilderness (10:1–13)

First Corinthians 10:1–13 divides into three units. First, in 10:1–5 Paul recounts God’s redemption and provision for “all” Israel, who, in the end, displeased God and incurred God’s judgment. For this reason the Corinthians must heed the example of the Israelites so that they would not crave the same forms of evil and fall under God’s judgment (10:6–11). Third, the concluding exhortation and warning stresses both human frailty and God’s faithfulness to provide the path of escape to those who encounter common temptations (10:12–13).

Here, Paul calls the churches attention to Israel’s wilderness wondering in the days of Moses. Paul warned that the Corinthian church risked repeating Israel’s idolatress by falling into the same temptations.

We are Paul’s audience today! lets take what He says to heart today.

The Recount of Redemption. Vs. 1-4

1 Corinthians 10:1–4 “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

Moreover- Points us back to Ch. 9: 27...

I do not want you to be unaware - Paul uses this to amplify the importance of what he is about to say.

that all our fathers were under the cloud- The cloud and the sea were both powerful reminders of Israel’s deliverance through Moses, Yahweh’s appointed deliverer. In the exodus narrative the cloud was more than a mere symbol of Yahweh’s continual presence and leadership; Yahweh himself went before his people “in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way” (Exod 13:21–22)

The New King James Version Chapter 13

And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

At the Red Sea the cloud moved around behind Israel in order to separate them from the Egyptians (Exod 14:19–20).

The New King James Version Chapter 14

And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night

2. all passed through the sea- A remarkable display of God’s provision and redemption.

3. all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea- The phrase “baptism into Moses” is uniquely Pauline since, as far as we know, there is nothing in Jewish literature that antedates the phrase. Paul’s intent is clear, however, which is to establish the parallel between the experience of ancient Israel in her salvation from the Egyptians and the believer’s deliverance from the bondage of sin symbolized in Christian baptism (Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27; see also 1 Cor 1:14; 12:13; Acts 8:16; 19:5). Just as Israel identified with Moses in the events of the exodus, so too believers identify with their deliverer, Christ, in the new and greater exodus. The phrase “baptism into Moses,” lays the groundwork for Paul’s main point, namely, that Israel’s identification with God’s divinely appointed leader and her participation in the deliverance of the exodus did not prevent most of them from perishing in the wilderness. God’s blessings flow to those who are obedient, not merely to those who identify with Christ in baptism.

Romans 6:3 “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?”

Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

1 Corinthians 1:14 “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,”

1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”

Acts 8:16 “For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Acts 19:5 “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

4. all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink. - God’s provision of food and drink in the wilderness

5. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”- Christ is continually present among the Corinthians as signified in the drinking of the cup and the breaking of the bread (see 10:14–22; 11:27–31).

Notice the use of the word “ALL.” Used 5 times in four verses. All saw the Lord provide, All were without excuse, and All could testify to the power of God in redemption and provision. VERY SIGNIFICANT.

The Repulsive Representation. V. 5-11

1 Corinthians 10:5–11 “But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

But- Sharp Contrast…

Idolatary- Idolatry, the key issue in the discussion of meat sacrificed to idols in chaps. 8–10 (cf. 10:14), heads the list of evil cravings that the Corinthians must avoid at all costs. The citation of Exod 32:6b locates Paul’s warning historically in one of Israel’s most appalling acts of apostasy in the worship of the golden calf as Moses was receiving the law on Mount Sinai. Aaron complied with Israel’s demand for “gods who will go before us,” fashioned the Israelites gold into the form of a calf, and shamelessly associated the idol with Yahweh (Exod 32:1–5). Paul chooses the portion of the narrative that focuses on eating and drinking in the presence of the idol since this most closely associates Israel’s action to the Corinthian context. The reference to eating and drinking stands in sharp contrast to Israel’s eating “spiritual” food and drinking “spiritual” drink mentioned in 10:3–4, thus all the more highlighting the egregious nature of the sin. Psalm 106:21 sums it up well: “They forgot the God who saved them.”

Exodus 32:6b “Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”

Exodus 32:1–5 “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.””

Psalm 106:21 “They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt,”

2. Sexual Immorality- Paul’s second exhortation, “We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did,” unlike the previous warning, is followed by a description of the subsequent punishment, which was twenty-three thousand deaths in one day. Although Paul does not quote the Old Testament, the number of deaths ties the example to the account of Israel’s harlotry with the Moabite women and their idolatrous worship of the Baal of Peor recorded in Num 25:1–9. What may be implicit in the first example of the golden calf is explicit here, namely, the close association of sexual immorality and idolatry. The first two examples of Israel’s craving of evil things clearly link two of the major emphases of the letter in the warnings against sexual immorality and idolatry (6:18; 10:14). Garland suggests that although the primary reference in 10:8 is to literal acts of immorality, there is also a strong metaphorical sense in the abandoning of God for the idol (cf. Rev 2:14, 21).

Paul mentions twenty-three thousand who fell (died) in one day, whereas Numbers records an additional thousand who died under God’s judgment. The actual solution to the problem of the missing thousand should not divert our attention from the focus of the passage. Both Paul and the Old Testament passage report round numbers, and Paul adds that twenty-three thousand died in one day, a detail not recorded in Numbers. It is possible that Paul drew on an exegetical tradition, as in 10:1–5, which offered further details of the story. Paul’s exegetical and intertextual moves in the use of the Old Testament Scriptures can be quite complex. Koet suggests that Paul modeled his wording after Exod 32:28, which records three thousand deaths in one day, and integrated an approximation of twenty-thousand from Num 25. By doing so he connects the punishment in Num 25 with the punishment in Exod 32.

Numbers 25:1–9 “Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.” And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man o…”

Revelation 2:14 “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.”

Exodus 32:28 “So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.”

3. Testing God- Numbers 21 records that the people grew impatient and complained bitterly against God and Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” (21:5). Once again the contextual link between the Corinthian situation and the example of Israel is apparent in the mention of food and drink. The Israelites detested God’s provision, desiring instead the food from Egypt. In response the Lord sent venomous snakes among the people and many perished.

4. Grumbling- Hays notes that the fourth and final warning “is the most difficult to connect to a specific OT text and also the most difficult to relate to any known behavior of the Corinthians.” Paul may have in mind Israel’s bitter complaint recorded in Num 14 against Moses and Aaron and ultimately Yahweh. The Israelites expressed regret for leaving Egypt (14:1–4), demonstrating their unbelief (14:11). Although Moses’ intercession saved the Israelites from imminent judgment (14:12–19), only Joshua and Caleb would enter the promised land due to Israel’s disobedience and contempt for Yahweh (14:22–23). The Lord referred to Israel as a “wicked congregation” that grumbled against him (14:26–27). God declared that the dead bodies of those who grumbled against the Lord would fall in the wilderness, and of those twenty years old and upward, only Joshua and Caleb would enter the promised land (14:28–30). The spies who brought back a report that caused the people to grumble died from a plague (14:36–38). The Num 14 passage includes key connections with 1 Cor 10:5–10, including grumbling, testing the Lord, and dead bodies falling in the wilderness. As Hays points out, if this is the correct background text, then Paul concludes with an example that is comprehensive in scope, implicating virtually the entire nation in judgment.

There are, of course, other possible textual connections, such as Num 16, which records Israel’s complaint against Moses for the punishment of Korah. The mention of the “destroying angel” in 1 Cor 10:10 is found neither in Num 14 or 16. Nevertheless, the implication is that the same instrument of death unleashed against the Egyptians struck those who, although delivered by the angel, experienced wrath in their disobedience.173 It may be that Paul has no specific Old Testament text in mind, but rather his admonition in 1 Cor 10:10 is a general and summary statement of the numerous references to grumbling in the exodus narrative. Some think that Paul singles out grumbling because the Corinthians have been murmuring against him. This view assumes a particular historical reconstruction underlying the letter, and it is plausible since the other three examples seem to cohere closely with the Corinthian situation.176 On the other hand, grumbling/complaining was one of the most persistent of Israel’s sins and is a common human response to testing.

VS. 11- This verse makes essentially the same point as 10:6, that God’s judgments on Israel serve as a warning to all believers. “These things” refers to God’s judgment on the Israelites in the exodus for their idolatry, sexual immorality, testing Christ, and grumbling.178 These events were written down for a purpose, namely, for our instruction/admonition. The Old Testament Scriptures are more than mere historical record; the situations of the Old Testament are analogous to situations in the New. Scripture transcends the local historical situation and is always relevant to God’s people.

The Rebuke of The Redeemed. Vs. 12

1 Corinthians 10:12 “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”

In context, the phrase “the one who thinks he stands” targets “those with knowledge” mentioned in 8:10.

Paul has persuasively made his case that those who “know” and who think they stand may lack the most essential knowledge of all concerning the ways of God. In context, the meaning of “fall” is to die (10:8), which had already occurred in Corinth over abuses of the Lord’s Supper (11:27–30). “Falling” may also be synonymous with standing before God “unapproved” (9:27). Both certainly entail God’s judgment.

Conclusion

Temptations … put nothing into a man, but only draw out what was in him before.

John Owen (Puritan Divine and Statesman)