A.Who could be more secure in their standing before God than the nation of Israel after coming out of Egypt?
1.They had seen the plagues of God driving Pharaoh into submission.
2.They had walked across the floor of the Red Sea by the power of God.
3.They had seen the cloud and the pillar of fire to guide them into the wilderness.
4.They received manna from heaven and water from the rock as their food and drink to sustain them.
5.There was every reason to believe that God was in their favor.
B.Yet there is a group of people who may have more reason to feel secure in their standing before God, and that group is the church.
1.As the Lord’s church, we have received God’s ultimate favor in the form of the sacrifice of His Son, Christ Jesus.See Ephesians 5:25-27; Romans 8:32.
2.With His own blood, Christ purchased the church for His own possession.See Acts 20:28.
3.Through His complete word, God guides His people.See 2Timothy 3:16-4:2.
4.The church has a better covenant than that which Israel received.See Hebrews 8:6.
C.However, Israel’s sense of security proved to be false, not because of God, but because of themselves.
1.In 1Corinthians 10, Paul uses the example of Israel as a warning to the church today.
2.In this example, we see Israel’s mistakes and why many of them never entered the promise land.
D.The lesson to the church is in verse 12, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
E.Let us consider Israel’s example in 1Corinthians 10:1-12 and learn from it.
II.A LESSON FROM ISRAEL’S HISTORY
A.Paul wanted his readers to be aware that Israel was once in a position similar to the church (vv. 1-2).
1.Israel received a type of baptism when they passed through the Red Sea and under cloud.
2.Through this baptism, they were disciples of Moses as Christians are disciples of Christ.
3.If Christians feel secure because they have received baptism into Christ, they must remember that the Israelites also felt secure having received a type of baptism.
4.Notice that Paul said all of Israel received the blessing of this baptism.
B.Paul also pointed out that Israel received spiritual food and drink (vv. 3-4a).
1.Paul referred to the manna that Israel received (Ex. 16) and the water that God gave them from the rock (Ex. 17:1-7; Num. 20:2-13).These were material figures of their spiritual sustenance.
2.If Christians feel secure because they have partaken in the bread of life (John 6:35), they must remember that Israel also had reason to feel secure, having received food and water from God.
3.Again, notice that Paul says that all of Israel received these blessings.
C.The rock from which Israel drank was Christ (v. 4b).
1.In Deuteronomy 32, Jehovah is described as the Rock.Christ is identified with Jehovah of the Old Testament, and here He is called a spiritual rock.
2.The reason Paul made the specific reference to Christ here is for the sake of the readers.The Corinthians believed that their relationship to God was secure because they had Jesus to watch over them, but they needed to realize that Christ watched over Israel also.
3.Again, let us notice that all of Israel had Christ overlooking them.
D.Despite all of Israel having these many blessings and favor shed upon them, most of them were not pleasing to God and did not enter the promised land (v. 5).
1.Even though all of Israel received baptism in the sea and the cloud, spiritual food, spiritual drink, and the protection of Christ, most of them were ultimately lost.
2.The warning is this: all members of the church may have received baptism, may have partaken of the bread of life, and may have been overseen by Christ, but not all should be secure in their standing before God.
E.Why were so many of Israel lost?
1.It is obvious that their loss was not because of God, for He blessed them with all that they needed.
2.The reason for their loss was their own obstinate, faithless, and disobedient behavior.
F.“These things happened as examples for us.” (vv. 6-11)
1.“We should not crave evil things as they also craved.” (v. 6)
a.Do we sometimes envy the world?Do we want to be as they are?
b.Israel craved such things, and the results of their behavior should deter us from the same.
2.“Do not be idolaters.” (v. 7)
a.The quote, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play” comes from Exodus 32:6 when Israel had made the golden calf and declared that it was the god that delivered them from Egypt.
b.The Corinthian Christians had come out of idolatry, and certainly some of them were tempted at times to go back.
c.Today, we still have our idols (covetousness, Col. 3:5).Anything that we place above God becomes our idol.
3.“Nor let us act immorally.” (v. 8)
a.The example cited by Paul is recorded in Numbers 25 when the Midianites, under the counsel of Baalam (Num. 31:16), caused Israel to turn aside to false gods through the use of Moabite prostitutes.As a result, 23,000 died of the plague in one single day.
b.The Corinthian Christians had issues with immorality, and their culture encouraged it.They needed this instruction desperately.
c.We likewise need this instruction and example because our culture is wrought with immorality of every kind.
4.“Nor let us try the Lord.” (v. 9)
a.This reference is to Numbers 21:5-6 when Israel tested God’s patience by complaining about the manna from heaven.As a result, God sent fiery serpents among them that killed many of them.
b.The Corinthian Christians were putting the Lord to the test by participating in idolatrous feats and committing various other sins.In their false sense of security, they tested God to see just how secure they were.
c.We also sin if we become dissatisfied with the Lord’s blessings and His way.If we decide to substitute our own ways for His, we test the Lord’s patience.
5.“Nor grumble.” (v. 10)
a.There are several records of Israel grumbling in the wilderness.
i.From Numbers 21 (see above).
ii.From Numbers 14, when Israel heard the report of the spies sent to Kadesh-barnea.Because of their rejection of God’s plan, all of the adult Israelites, except Joshua and Caleb, were condemned to die in the desert.
iii.In Numbers 16, the people grumbled against Moses when Korah and the 250 men who rebelled with him were killed.As a result, a plague broke out in Israel and killed 14,700 of them.
b.Who are humans to sit in judgment of the Almighty God?How dare we ever grumble against him!
6.“Now these things happened to them as an example.” (v. 11)
a.If Israel was punished severely because of this kind of behavior, should we not expect punishment if we do the same?
b.These things are “written for our instruction” so that we do not repeat the mistakes of those in the past.If we are wise, we will heed this instruction.
III.CONCLUSION
A.“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
1.Paul said, “Take heed,” i.e., listen to what happened to Israel.Don’t repeat history!
2.We have every reason to be confident in Christ, but Israel also had every reason to be confident in their position.
3.We must not allow that confidence to go beyond what is revealed in the Scriptures.
4.God has favored us by giving Christ as a sacrifice.However, He is not indebted or obligated to us.His blessings in Christ are not a license to sin with impunity.
B.This passage destroys the Calvinistic teaching that one who is saved can never fall from grace.
1.While that doctrine may be comforting for some, it is simply false.
2.When Paul wrote “lest he fall,” he removed all doubt regarding the possibility of a saved person falling from God’s grace.
C.Remember, this message was to the Lord’s church at Corinth.
1.Just as Israel was God’s people and fell, so also can many of God’s people in the church fall.
2.Unfortunately, like Israel, there are likely to be many who will not heed the examples of history.
