Bible Study 1 Corinthians 10

Warnings from the Wilderness – Learning from the Past to Live in the Present

Text: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Main Idea: God calls us to learn from Israel’s failures, flee from temptation, and trust in His faithfulness to help us stand firm.

There’s an old saying: Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. The Apostle Paul takes this approach in 1 Corinthians 10, reminding the church in Corinth of Israel’s past failures. He warns them—and us—not to fall into the same traps.

Context & Background

1 Corinthians is written to a struggling church in Corinth, a city filled with immorality, idolatry, and cultural pressures. Paul uses Israel’s history as a cautionary tale, comparing their wilderness journey to the Christian walk. He warns against overconfidence, reminds them of God's faithfulness, and urges them to flee from sin.

Tonight, we continue in our study to the Corinthians. Paul if you remember is continuing to address the subject of food sacrificed to idols. And Paul is really dealing with a deeper issue than the surface issue. I almost sense that Paul is addressing the membership to remember not to get so caught up in church life as to get caught up in Christian life.

In other words, the people of the church are losing too much energy internalizing their workings within the church than they are their externalizing their witness and allowing their lives to be used as instruments of Jesus.

Paul had shared in prior times that yes, that idols are nothing more than inanimate objects and it really doesn’t matter if you eat meat sacrificed to idols, but for the sake of the gospel, there should be some restraints or restrictions that the believers place on themselves for a higher calling of not causing their immature or new believer brothers and sisters to stumble. In other words, there are Christian freedoms we could exercise, but it may be best to limit those freedoms for the good of a new believer or someone that you sense doesn’t understand your actions.

He now addresses the church to be very careful that they do not take too much pride in their freedoms. When believers fail to exercise self control, they expose themselves to dangers and pitfalls in the Christian life.

The Perils of Presumption – Blessings Do Not Guarantee Obedience

(1 Corinthians 10:1-5, Numbers 14:1-4, Hebrews 3:16-19)

Paul points out that the Israelites were blessed with God's presence (cloud, sea, manna, water), yet they still fell.

They experienced God's provision but took it for granted, leading to rebellion and disobedience.

Illustration: A championship team that wins one year but loses focus the next—past success doesn’t guarantee future victory.

Application: Just because we’ve been blessed by God (salvation, church, spiritual growth) doesn’t mean we can live carelessly. We must walk in daily obedience and humility.

1 Corinthians 10:1–5 NKJV

1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

At this point, you realize that it would have been the Jewish converts that would have been more prone to eat the meat sacrificed to idols than the Corinthian converts.

Paul goes into OT history and addresses the Israelites that crossed the Red Sea, but were not able to go into the Promised land.

“Brethren, I do not want you to be unaware”

Brothers let me remind you about something from our ancestry.

“under the cloud”

Exodus 13:21–22 NKJV

21 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.

Psalm 105:39 “39 He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night.”

We will learn in just a few moments that the people were so extremely close to God, but spiritually so far away.

Do you believe that can happen in the Christian life?

They saw the direct presence or manifestation of God both day and night and ended up taking it for granted.

Would anyone want to share tonight as to how that can happen? What can transpire at church to cause you to be spiritually lacking, yet her most times the doors open?

“passed through the sea”

Exodus 14:21 “21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.”

Exodus 14:22 “22 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.”

Exodus 14:29 “29 But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.”

Nehemiah 9:11 “11 And You divided the sea before them, So that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; And their persecutors You threw into the deep, As a stone into the mighty waters.”

They lived out the miracle of God freeing His people. They lived it firsthand.

Affiliation

Paul is saying to the young church to not get too caught up in your affiliation of the church as some prideful membership as if you are also a graduate of Alabama or Auburn or you are an officer in the military.

Integration

Again, you are thinking of your rights and privileges and exploiting those. Think about your responsibilities and assignments to stay in touch with the Lord and to be used of Him.

1 Corinthians 10:3–4 “3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

The language is more of the same. You ate the manna, you ate the quail, you drank from the rock at Horeb where Moses was called to provide the water.

Numbers 20:7–13 “7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” 9 So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. 12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” 13 This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the Lord, and He was hallowed among…”

The conclusion of those first five verses was the reality that even though these were God’s chosen people. No other Israelites had seen the divine manifestation of God as this group that were delivered across the Red Sea, yet all of them lest Caleb and Joshua did not get to go into the Promised land.

They were so close to God and yet so far away.

Numbers 14:29 “29 The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.”

Numbers 14:37 “37 those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord.”

Jude 5 “5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.”

Love is an action word, Agape love is a demonstrated unconditional love.

Belief is an action word as well. Real belief is manifested in a changed life.

V. 4 Nothing was lacking. Christ our Rock was there in the midst of all they were experiencing.

1 Corinthians 10:5 “5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.”

Scattered-to be thrown down or strung out.

They were divided.

What had them divided? Impatience, tired of travel. Not satisfied with the food options. Struggling with change.

The Danger of Desires – Sinful Cravings Lead to Destruction

4 ways the people of Israel proved faithless.

(1 Corinthians 10:6-10, Exodus 32:1-6, Numbers 25:1-9, James 1:14-15)

Paul lists Israel’s key failures:

Idolatry – Golden calf (Exodus 32)

Sexual immorality – Moabite seduction (Numbers 25)

Testing God – Complaints and demands for comfort

Grumbling – Constant dissatisfaction with God's provision

Illustration: A termite-infested house looks fine on the outside but is being eaten away from the inside.

Application: Are we tolerating sin in our lives? Small compromises can lead to big failures. We must identify and repent of idolatry, immorality, and ingratitude before they destroy us.

Acts thru Corinthians Lessons from the past (10:1–13)

They repeatedly complained to Moses and God about their conditions in the desert (

complaining

idolatry

sexual immorality

grumbling

1 Corinthians 10:6–11 “6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 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.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 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.”

Intense Cravings

Numbers 11:4 “4 Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat?”

Psalm 106:14 “14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert.”

Idolaters

Exodus 32:4 “4 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!””

1 Corinthians 5:11 “11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.”

1 Corinthians 10:14 “14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”

Luke 16:13 “13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.””

The Scene of the Golden Calf

Exodus 32:2–6 NKJV

2 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.” 3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 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!” 5 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.” 6 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.

The point:

Even though the church at Corinth with the greatest privileges of God are not immune to temptation.

Numbers 25:1–9 NKJV

1 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel. 4 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.” 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.” 6 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. 7 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; 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. 9 And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

Numbers 21:6–9 “6 So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.”

The Promise of Provision – God’s Faithfulness in Temptation

(1 Corinthians 10:11-13, 2 Peter 2:9, Matthew 4:1-11)

Temptation is common to all, but God provides a way out.

We must not rely on our own strength but on God's provision.

Illustration: A fire escape in a burning building—God always provides an exit in temptation, but we must choose to take it.

Application: When facing temptation, look for God’s escape route—Scripture, prayer, accountability, and fleeing from sin.

Conclusion: Standing Firm in Faith

Paul’s warning is clear: Don’t repeat Israel’s mistakes. Stay humble, resist temptation, and trust in God’s faithfulness.

Challenge: What area in your life is at risk—pride, idolatry, or temptation? Ask God for strength to stand firm.

Closing Verse: "Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12)