1Cor 10:1-13 | KingComments | STEP | Paul directly connects of this chapter to the end of the previous chapter. There it is about someone who preaches, a person who does a certain service for God. What now follows is about people who outwardly belong to God’s people, but who inwardly are not partakers of it. The history of the people of Israel serves as an illustration. There you see people who partook in many privileges that God had given to His people. Yet they did not enter the promised land, but were laid down and died in the wilderness. That says a lot to us as Christians. Many call themselves Christians. They are baptized and they even partake of the Lord’s Supper, but still will perish eternally. Why? Because they lack the new life inwardly. They were never truly converted and have never really repented of their sins before God. Those people think that God is satisfied with them keeping certain statutes, like baptism and the Lord’s Supper. In professing Christianity they are called sacraments. In the protestant churches they have two sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s Supper; in the roman-catholic church they have five more sacraments. These so-called sacraments have in common that they are only outward signs. Just take a look at baptism and the Lord’s Supper. What do they consist of? With baptism common water is used. The Lord’s Supper is celebrated with common bread and common wine. But just look at what these outward matters, as baptism and the Lord’s Supper, mean to a greater part of professing Christianity. People sometimes say that you receive new life through baptism or that by partaking of the Lord’s Supper you become a partaker of eternal life. It is said that an inward renewal appears through participation of these outward signs. Many people in professing Christianity believe this and base the assurance of their salvation on that. That is a gross error that will lead many of these people into destruction. . To stop this error, Paul refers to the history of Israel. He starts with “I do not want you to be unaware”. This phrase makes you see that he finds it important that the Corinthians should know this. Then he summarizes the privileges of Israel. First, there is “the cloud”. In Exodus 13 you read that the Lord dwelled in this cloud and in that way showed His people the way, after they departed from Egypt ( ). In Exodus 14 the cloud stands in between the Egyptians and Israelites in such a way that the Egyptians couldn’t come near the Israelites ( ). The cloud, as a symbol of the Lord Himself, presents guidance and protection. Next they “all passed through the sea”. . How that happened you read in Exodus 14 ( ). The going through the sea resembles baptism, like what is said here that “all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea”. To be baptized means ‘to be added to’. Moses was their leader. He was appointed by the Lord. They had to listen to him; otherwise they couldn’t stay with the people. . The following privileges mentioned, concern food and drink. After all, they needed food for life and strength for their journey through the wilderness. In Exodus 16 and 17 God provides His people with manna from heaven to eat and water from the rock to drink ( ). But do you notice how this food is referred to in our chapter? There is mention of spiritual food and spiritual drink. Wasn’t that plain manna that they ate and wasn’t it literal water that came from the rock? Yes, it was, but what Paul means to say is that the literal manna and the literal water have a spiritual meaning. The Israelites weren’t aware of that then and that’s why it isn’t mentioned in that sense in the book of Exodus. We can be aware now that these things have a spiritual meaning because we have the whole Bible. In the Gospel according to John, in chapters 6 and 7, the Lord Jesus also speaks about the manna and the water. He says, after He has spoken about the manna: “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven” ( ). In chapter 7 of that Gospel the Lord Jesus speaks about “rivers of living water” ( ). The following verse gives the explanation: “But this He spoke of the Spirit” ( ). Now you may ask: ‘If the Israelites didn’t know that, why is it written like that here?’ This is because they were not to take it for granted that they were so well taken care of. It was the care of God that was apparent again and again when the manna was there each morning for the taking. The same applies to the “spiritual rock”. Of course it was literally a rock to the Israelites. The fact that they always had water to drink was due to God’s care for them. God could give them that care because He was anticipating the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore here it is said: “The rock was Christ.” Whatever blessing God gave to His people, it was only because Christ would become the Redeemer of the people. The same applies to us, who live in the time after the coming of Christ. We too owe each blessing to Christ and to the work that He has accomplished. . After Paul had summarized various privileges, to which all partook – the word ‘all’ is mentioned at least five times in –, it is shocking to read in : “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.” How could that have happened: so many privileges and still die? It cannot be otherwise than that the people dealt with those privileges in a wrong way. And that can happen to us as well! We are no better at all. . Therefore we should be willing to learn from the things that happened to Israel. These things are examples that should impress us because God uses them to warn us. Do you know how the people started to have troubles, which caused them to be laid down in the wilderness? This is how: they started to hate the manna. That made them “crave evil things”. They started to long back for Egypt and reminded themselves, ‘how well they were doing there’ ( ). Out of convenience sake they forgot how they groaned under the yoke of slavery. Why is this history our example now? Only when the Lord Jesus – He is the real manna, as you know – remains everything for our heart and life, we shall not long again for the things from the world. You have been freed from the world through the work of the Lord Jesus. You owe Him everything. However, if you start to get bored with reading the Bible to know Him better, if you get bored to pray and to testify to Him, briefly, when your taste changes, then you will surely think back about the time when you were living in the world. What a fun you had back then! You did everything you liked to do. You conveniently forget how miserable you were then. Then, before you know it, whether you are aware of it or not, you will do things again that belong to your former life. Really, this is how it works. Therefore we ought to take these examples seriously. Stay close to the Lord Jesus. He really is sufficient. You don’t need more than Him. Now read 1 Corinthians 10:1-6 again. Reflection: Think about how you may apply this section in your own life.

‏ 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Things That Happened As Examples for Us

Paul directly connects 1Cor 10:1-13 of this chapter to the end of the previous chapter. There it is about someone who preaches, a person who does a certain service for God. What now follows is about people who outwardly belong to God’s people, but who inwardly are not partakers of it. The history of the people of Israel serves as an illustration. There you see people who partook in many privileges that God had given to His people. Yet they did not enter the promised land, but were laid down and died in the wilderness.

That says a lot to us as Christians. Many call themselves Christians. They are baptized and they even partake of the Lord’s Supper, but still will perish eternally. Why? Because they lack the new life inwardly. They were never truly converted and have never really repented of their sins before God.

Those people think that God is satisfied with them keeping certain statutes, like baptism and the Lord’s Supper. In professing Christianity they are called sacraments. In the protestant churches they have two sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s Supper; in the roman-catholic church they have five more sacraments. These so-called sacraments have in common that they are only outward signs.

Just take a look at baptism and the Lord’s Supper. What do they consist of? With baptism common water is used. The Lord’s Supper is celebrated with common bread and common wine. But just look at what these outward matters, as baptism and the Lord’s Supper, mean to a greater part of professing Christianity. People sometimes say that you receive new life through baptism or that by partaking of the Lord’s Supper you become a partaker of eternal life. It is said that an inward renewal appears through participation of these outward signs. Many people in professing Christianity believe this and base the assurance of their salvation on that. That is a gross error that will lead many of these people into destruction.

1Cor 10:1. To stop this error, Paul refers to the history of Israel. He starts with “I do not want you to be unaware”. This phrase makes you see that he finds it important that the Corinthians should know this. Then he summarizes the privileges of Israel. First, there is “the cloud”. In Exodus 13 you read that the Lord dwelled in this cloud and in that way showed His people the way, after they departed from Egypt (Exo 13:21-22). In Exodus 14 the cloud stands in between the Egyptians and Israelites in such a way that the Egyptians couldn’t come near the Israelites (Exo 14:19-20). The cloud, as a symbol of the Lord Himself, presents guidance and protection. Next they “all passed through the sea”.

1Cor 10:2. How that happened you read in Exodus 14 (Exo 14:21-22). The going through the sea resembles baptism, like what is said here that “all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea”. To be baptized means ‘to be added to’. Moses was their leader. He was appointed by the Lord. They had to listen to him; otherwise they couldn’t stay with the people.

1Cor 10:3-4. The following privileges mentioned, concern food and drink. After all, they needed food for life and strength for their journey through the wilderness. In Exodus 16 and 17 God provides His people with manna from heaven to eat and water from the rock to drink (Exo 16:13-15 ; Exo 17:6).

But do you notice how this food is referred to in our chapter? There is mention of spiritual food and spiritual drink. Wasn’t that plain manna that they ate and wasn’t it literal water that came from the rock? Yes, it was, but what Paul means to say is that the literal manna and the literal water have a spiritual meaning. The Israelites weren’t aware of that then and that’s why it isn’t mentioned in that sense in the book of Exodus. We can be aware now that these things have a spiritual meaning because we have the whole Bible.

In the Gospel according to John, in chapters 6 and 7, the Lord Jesus also speaks about the manna and the water. He says, after He has spoken about the manna: “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven” (Jn 6:49-51 ; 31-35). In chapter 7 of that Gospel the Lord Jesus speaks about “rivers of living water” (Jn 7:38). The following verse gives the explanation: “But this He spoke of the Spirit” (Jn 7:39).

Now you may ask: ‘If the Israelites didn’t know that, why is it written like that here?’ This is because they were not to take it for granted that they were so well taken care of. It was the care of God that was apparent again and again when the manna was there each morning for the taking.

The same applies to the “spiritual rock”. Of course it was literally a rock to the Israelites. The fact that they always had water to drink was due to God’s care for them. God could give them that care because He was anticipating the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore here it is said: “The rock was Christ.” Whatever blessing God gave to His people, it was only because Christ would become the Redeemer of the people. The same applies to us, who live in the time after the coming of Christ. We too owe each blessing to Christ and to the work that He has accomplished.

1Cor 10:5. After Paul had summarized various privileges, to which all partook – the word ‘all’ is mentioned at least five times in 1Cor 10:1-4 –, it is shocking to read in 1Cor 10:5: “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.” How could that have happened: so many privileges and still die? It cannot be otherwise than that the people dealt with those privileges in a wrong way. And that can happen to us as well! We are no better at all.

1Cor 10:6. Therefore we should be willing to learn from the things that happened to Israel. These things are examples that should impress us because God uses them to warn us.

Do you know how the people started to have troubles, which caused them to be laid down in the wilderness? This is how: they started to hate the manna. That made them “crave evil things”. They started to long back for Egypt and reminded themselves, ‘how well they were doing there’ (Num 11:4-7). Out of convenience sake they forgot how they groaned under the yoke of slavery.

Why is this history our example now? Only when the Lord Jesus – He is the real manna, as you know – remains everything for our heart and life, we shall not long again for the things from the world. You have been freed from the world through the work of the Lord Jesus. You owe Him everything.

However, if you start to get bored with reading the Bible to know Him better, if you get bored to pray and to testify to Him, briefly, when your taste changes, then you will surely think back about the time when you were living in the world. What a fun you had back then! You did everything you liked to do. You conveniently forget how miserable you were then. Then, before you know it, whether you are aware of it or not, you will do things again that belong to your former life. Really, this is how it works.

Therefore we ought to take these examples seriously. Stay close to the Lord Jesus. He really is sufficient. You don’t need more than Him.

Now read 1 Corinthians 10:1-6 again.

Reflection: Think about how you may apply this section in your own life.

Who Thinks He Stands …

At the end of the last part I wrote: Remain close to the Lord Jesus. If you do that, you have no pleasure in doing bad things. If you don’t do that, the same will happen to you as happened to the Israelites. In 1Cor 10:6 you actually find the root, the first cause of all other sins that the people of Israel committed. When the desire for a life with and for Christ weakens, then other desires or cravings come instead. You will be dragged into an intoxication of food and drink and having fun.

1Cor 10:7. Paul refers here to the ‘festivities’ around the golden calf (Exo 32:1-6). Moses had been away already so long; that’s why they wanted a visible god. In that way they lost sight of the LORD and sink into a pool of debauchery. They became idolaters. Idolatry means: to replace God and Christ for something else. That can easily happen. It doesn’t necessarily have to be things which you know are sinful and wrong. You see that with the people of Israel.

What was their idolatry? The answer is directly given: food and drink and play. Are those wrong occupations? Not really, but regarding Israel it was wrong. The people lost connection with Moses, their great leader. He was gone for a long time. The people didn’t see him anymore and they didn’t hear him anymore. Therefore they then said to Aaron that he should make a god. Aaron did that and the golden calf rose on its pedestal. Afterward they ate, drank and feasted. What was then the cause of them eating, drinking and playing? It was because Moses had been away for such a long time.

How is this an example for us? The Lord Jesus has been away for such a long time already. It seems like He will never come back. Okay guys, let us make ourselves comfortable in this world and let’s have fun. We will also make ourselves a god, one we can really be friends with, a good one. Life will be one big party! Only, it will be a party without the true God. These kinds of sounds are heard from people who confess to be Christians, but do not consider the coming of Christ.

In Matthew 24 the Lord Jesus speaks about the attitude of Christians who confess Him but lose the sight of His return (Mt 24:48-51). To not become an idolater it is important to remain focused on the coming of the Lord Jesus. Of the believers in Thessalonica is said that they “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven” (1Thes 1:9-10).

1Cor 10:8. The next warning is not to act immorally, i.e. not to commit fornication. In popular language fornication is called ‘to cheat’, i.e. have strange sexual intercourse. In Biblical language it is not otherwise. The history that is referred to is written in Numbers 25. The fornication or the playing the harlot was that men from Israel married Moabite women (Num 25:1-2). They married strange women who didn’t belong to God’s people. They fell in love with people of whom God said that they should not love them (Deu 23:3-6).

This history is an example for us as well. When we love and have friendship with people who don’t want to have anything to do with God, we ‘cheat’ also. This is of course not about the love of Christ that should inspire us to preach the gospel to sinners so that they may be redeemed. It wouldn’t be a good thing if we would not love lost people. No, it is about expressions of love in practice, whereby God’s involvement is not asked for.

James is straight to the point when he says: “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?” (Jam 4:4). Adultery is a form of fornication. You should be aware of it that in the world there was, and there still is, no place for Christ. The world rejected Him and still rejects Him. Everyone who hasn’t chosen Christ belongs to the world and lives in hostility toward Him. This is the way God looks at it and we ought to do the same.

They might speak friendly and appreciative about Him, but that doesn’t change the fact that God sees them like that. He who commits fornication like that and goes on with living in fornication, will finally have nothing left of being a Christian. The testimony of such a person will finally disappear totally.

1Cor 10:9. Here we are warned not to try or to tempt Christ. Doubt enters the heart of the people about which way God wants them to go. They wonder if God means well with them and express their suspicion about it. This sowing of doubt is the work of satan. This is how he came to Eve in the garden of Eden, in the guise of a serpent, and whispered to her: “Indeed, has God said?” (Gen 3:1). This is how he injected her heart with the poison of suspicion.

Since then he always operates in this way, and with much success. If thoughts of doubt arise in you about God, be assured that this is from satan. Do not give in to these thoughts. Keep on trusting God, in spite of all appearances which may give the impression that God doesn’t care about you. Otherwise the poison of the serpent will slowly affect you deeper and deeper and will let you perish with the world.

1Cor 10:10. Paul also warns against grumbling. Grumbling is one of the sins that was very often committed by the people in the wilderness journey. Time and again they found something to express their dissatisfaction about God. Does that also bother you sometimes? Make sure that you will not be infected by the spirit of dissatisfaction. It will absorb out of you all joy and gratitude that you normally have toward God. You will lose the experience of a joyful life with God. Grumbling spoils your life and makes you become a sourpuss without testimony.

1Cor 10:11. Actually the whole history of Israel is one big illustration. Everything that had happened to them happened to be as a warning for us. You may wonder: Was that necessary? Absolutely! If you’re not alert, you can easily follow the world and easily join the grumblers with complaining; you will like to join humanitarians or environmentalists and will want to put your trust in macrobiotics to keep your body healthy, etcetera. You will also fall into the trap of handsome guys or attractive looking girls. You may pray and give thanks for your food and join a church or gathering and then? Exactly, you will get under the spell of worldly temptations. So do not do what Israel did. You have been warned.

We live in “the ends of the ages”. There is nothing left but judgment, for there is no hope anymore that man will yet fulfill what God asks of him. Total corruption of man has become apparent in every which way. The history of Israel is a striking illustration of that.

1Cor 10:12. He who still has any confidence in himself, despite this extensive argumentation of the apostle, can be sure that he is close to a fall. You and I do not have any assurance in ourselves that we will not fall. He who thinks that he stands, only because he calls himself a Christian and because he thinks he acts as a Christian, will surely fall from faith, for his faith is only a lip confession. A confession is important, but only when it comes from a living and personal relationship with God and with Christ, it is valuable.

1Cor 10:13. Fortunately, everyone who has such a relationship with God can count on the faithfulness of God. Whatever the temptations may be that could have caused you to fall into a trap, God is still there. He is above the circumstances and He will surely help you to get through, if you do not trust yourself but Him. Then He will also make a way of escape with the temptation, that you may be able to endure it. Everything that can happen to you has been weighed by God. He will not allow you to be tested beyond what you are able, although sometimes it might seem so. Always trust on God’s faithfulness, despite all appearances and despite your emotions in such situations. He never disappoints anyone who puts his trust in Him!

Now read 1 Corinthians 10:7-13 again.

Reflection: What lessons do you learn about yourself in these verses and what do you learn about God?