Examples-For Our Admonition

(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph; happy reading!)

1 Cor. 10: 6-11

Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not {lust | crave} 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.

Taking examples from the history of Israelites, Paul instructs us in these verses, to be wary about and to learn from the errors and wrongs of the children of Israel. A nation was born when the children of Israel journeyed from the land of slavery-Egypt, to the Promised Land.

The people of Israel saw God delivering them out of the hand of Pharaoh through the working of mighty miracles. And when they were on their way, God fed them with manna from heaven and gave waters out of the rock in the wilderness; guided them by a pillar of fire by night and with a cloud by day. But, out of the so many who crossed the Red Sea and danced for joy with Miriam, only two could finally make it into the Promised Land some 40y later-Caleb and Joshua.

 

How could they all miss it? What did they do wrong? Paul lists out 5 things that the Israelites did wrong. We can either learn from their mistakes and go on into the Promised Land, or make our own mistakes and maybe miss it all. It will be a real shame if we do not take to heart the admonition of Paul, and find ourselves all at sea, groping in the dark. You see, the Bible is full of success stories as well as failure stories. If you read the books of Moses, you will see that our God, being patient and longsuffering, gave the Israelites 10 chances to mend their ways! Paul picks out 5 of the things that they did wrong and I would like to share these with you today.

(i)                  THEY CRAVED [Numbers 11: 4-6]

They lusted after food! Food is considered to be good, only if it is allotted to you. If you lust after food that is not yours, it becomes an evil thing. We must learn to be content with what food God has given us. Jesus has taught us that we should not seek after food, of what to eat. In the parable of the Sower, Jesus explains that these are the ones sown among thorns…cares of this world,…and the desire for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (Mark 4: 19)

(ii)               THEY BECAME IDOLATERS [Exodus 32: 4]

A strange thing happened when Moses was in the mount receiving the commandments from God- The Israelites took off their gold ornaments and made a molded calf; then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

Beloved, do not let anything (or any person) take the place of God in your life, or do not even let them between God and yourself. John the wise, signs of his first letter with these commandment “My children, keep away from idols” (1 John 5: 21). There was a king who was wise during the Old covenant days-Solomon, and he being subject daily to pressures from his wives-many of them foreign, bowed down to idols. The wise Solomon became a fool, because he chose to walk the way of disobedience!

Do not be lovers of your self, but be lovers of God.

(iii)              THEY COMMITTED SEXUAL IMMORALITY [Numbers 25]

The king Balak employed Balaam to curse the children of Israel; but Balaam could not, because God had already blessed the children of Israel. Then Balaam gave evil counsel to Balak saying that he should send women from his (Moabite) camp into the camp of Israelites to commit lewdness and immorality. Soon, the camp of Israel was into all sorts of trouble and divided among themselves, committing harlotry and provoking God’s fierce anger upon themselves. And while writing to the church in Pergamos (the compromising church), Jesus recounts this incident again in Rev. 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.

This is a warning for all of God’s people-to beware of all the pitfalls on your journey to the Promised land. Because in the world, adultery and immorality are taken lightly today; it is tolerated. But we must hold the value of His commandments and remember the failures of Israel. Jesus has asked us to go a step further and be blameless in our conscience and pure in our thoughts-this is our standard, let us do it.

(iv)              THEY TEMPTED CHRIST [Numbers 21: 4-6]

Some of them, in their journey, murmured against God and Moses- and this became a snare to them. Even in our life journey, sometimes the Lord leads us by a longer route to get us to the place where He promised, He would take us. It may seem to us too roundabout and quite unnecessary-but God knows what is best for us. The children of Israel had a simple choice to follow- the pillar of fire by night, and the cloud by day (Ps. 105: 39). But some of them became impatient and murmured and tempted Christ in the wilderness; they simply did not know God’s ways (Ps. 95: 10).

The steps of the children of Israel were from the Lord; they did not choose their own way (Prov. 20: 24). In this age of instant gratification, we fail to learn patience. But my beloved, it is with faith and patience that we inherit the promises of God. We must learn to rest in Christ alone.

(v)                THEY GRUMBLED [Numbers 16: 41]

There was a man named Korah who rebelled against God, and he perished along with his family. But then the next day, a crowd gathered together in front of Moses and started grumbling… accusing them of killing the ‘people of the LORD’!

Beloved, honor those who fear the Lord. David writes in Psalm 15 “LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?” and includes this list of people: In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the LORD… (Ps. 15: 4)

We may think some of these are small matters, and does not need correction; but be warned by the examples of the Israelites. We may think we know it all, and consider ourselves immune to such perversions, but Paul continues with a warning to such thinkers in 1 Cor. 10: 12 “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Paul also encourages those who are tempted: No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Cor. 10: 13)

God Himself led the Israelites; yet a great many of them failed to enter the Promised Land. God is leading us by His Spirit, and we have the examples from the Old Covenant for our own admonition, that we may learn from the mistakes of Israelites. Faith, patience, obedience are all inter-twined with one another; one will fail without the other. Therefore, remember not to lust after anything-no not even food, not to become idolaters-allowing something or some person more prominence in our life than God Himself. Do not commit sexual immorality, and do not try the Lord in your long journey. Do not grumble and complain against God’s just ways.

May God open up our understanding that we may learn from these incidents in the history of the children of Israel. Amen.