Things Written for Our Example

by Micky Galloway

Old Testament history clearly exhibits that God is, and always has been, true to his promises. It also makes known the principles of righteousness that He requires of we who are in Christ. In Abraham, we see a life of faith, one who "by faith obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance … not knowing whither he went" (Hebrews 11:8). In Joseph, we learn of God's providence (Genesis 45:5-8; 50:20). In Elijah, we learn the meaning of courage as we see him on Mount Carmel, challenging the prophets of Baal (I Kings 18). Such studies contribute to our understanding of faithfulness in the Christian's life. Let's strive to emulate the faithfulness of these and other Old Testament worthies (Hebrews 11).

The apostle Paul used Old Testament history to teach the Corinthians the importance of being faithful to God (I Corinthians 10:1-13). In verses 11 and 12, he said, "Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Truly, "whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning" (Romans 15:4). Let us learn the lessons from history. Christians can be rejected just as easily as the Israelites, who had received so many of God's blessings, were rejected when they became unfaithful. The abundance of special blessings did not ensure God's unconditional acceptance of these people. God's people today are the recipients of "exceeding great and precious promises" (II Peter 1:4), but this is not a guarantee of unconditional salvation. Using Israel as an example, Paul warned the Corinthians that the same thing could happen to them.

The context of I Corinthians 10 is crucial. The word "for" (verse 1) demands that we connect it with the previous two chapters. Chapter 8 warned them concerning the careless exercise of their Christian liberties. Chapter 9 reinforces this with Paul's own example of self-denial and forbearance. He recognized the need for self-discipline, "lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected" (I Corinthians 9:27).

Consider the abundance of the blessings God showered on Israel. With a mighty hand, he delivered them from Egyptian bondage. Paul does not want the Corinthians, many of whom were Gentiles by birth, to be ignorant of the great lessons to be learned from Israel's history. The Israelites ALL had the privilege of being "baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." The word "all" is repeated five times in the first four verses of 1 Corinthians 10. This emphasizes that the entire Jewish nation was privileged to have a covenant relationship with God. This "baptism unto Moses" obligated them to recognize his divine commission and to submit to his authority. This voluntary act suggested their willingness to submit to Moses' authority as God's chosen leader. Truly, being Moses' disciple was considered a great honor (cf John 9:28). They all experienced the miraculous receipt of food and drink during the long journey, through a barren wilderness, toward the Promised Land (Exodus 16,17,20).

"Howbeit with most of them, God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness" (I Corinthians 10:5). We can't help being impressed with the contrast emphasized here. All of this great nation (perhaps three million people), started out on the same level of divine favor. They all began the journey toward Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey, with the same miraculous deliverance. They all ate the same food and drank the same water, both of divine origin. They all shared the same prospect of reaching Canaan. However, "with most of them God was not well pleased." All but two, Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:30), who were twenty years old and older when they left Egypt, forgot God's goodness and forsook Moses' and God's commandments. Of this vast multitude, only two were permitted to enter the Promised Land. A nation of people who had been the recipients of God's richest blessings was scattered in death throughout the wilderness. As a warning to the Corinthians, and to Christians in all generations, Paul called attention to the tragic and pitiful failure of an entire generation and the dreadful consequences of their disobedience.

In spite of God's blessings, the Israelites sinned and proved themselves unfaithful. What did they do? By learning why many in Israel failed to enter the rest God provided, we can avoid making the same mistakes. Paul mentioned several specific places where they fell short.

1. They lusted after evil things (Numbers 11:4-35; Psalms 106:7, 21). Their concept of what God had prepared for them never seemed to rise above the physical. They tired of manna and wished for the meat, melon, leeks, and onions of Egypt.
2. They committed idolatry (Exodus 32). As they journeyed to Canaan, instead of looking to God, they looked back to Egypt (Acts 7:39) and built and worshiped a golden calf. God was sorely displeased, and 3,000 Israelites died.
3. They committed fornication (Numbers 25:1-9) as they played the harlot with the women of Moab and worshiped their idols. As the result, 24,000 died of a plague.
4. They tempted the Lord (Numbers 21:4-9). They tried God's patience as they journeyed from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea. They were reluctant to go around Edom, and they complained, "Our soul loatheth this light bread." God sent fiery serpents to bite the people, and many of them died.
5. They continually murmured. As a result of this sin, on one occasion 14,700 died (Numbers 16:41-50). This followed on the heels of the deaths of the 250 who followed Korah (Numbers 16:31-35). The entire generation (except Joshua and Caleb and those who were under 20 years old) that left Egypt with great hope died during 40 years of wilderness wandering. "Because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:19), they could not enter into the Promised Land.

Down through the ages, this example of Israel's failure became a familiar warning to the Hebrews. "Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness…" (Hebrews 3:7-19). God said, "I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest" (Numbers 14:20-35). The Hebrew writer warned, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." The danger of apostasy – the danger that "rises from an evil heart of unbelief" – was as real to the Hebrew Christians as it was to their fathers in the wilderness. The pity is that today's Christians who, by keeping their hearts with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23), could avoid this same tragedy, often do not.

The danger of apostasy is as real now as it was for the Hebrews and the Corinthians. God has blessed us so richly. He has delivered us from sin's bondage (Romans 6:26ff; Colossians 1:13). Sin's bondage is far more wretched than was Israel's bondage in Egypt! He has allowed us to be baptized into Christ (Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3ff). Being united with Christ is the greatest of honors. Through his word, God graciously leads us as we journey toward a heavenly Canaan where we will receive the promised "rest." "Let us fear therefore, lest haply, a promise being left of entering into His rest, anyone of you should seem to have come short of it" (Hebrews 4:1). The fact that we enjoy rich blessings in Christ does not guarantee receipt of the "rest" reserved for the faithful.

Unfortunately, Christians today ignore the lessons to be learned from the past and, in spite of God's blessings, commit the same sins. We compromise our efforts by holding hands with the world and approving sinful things because they are socially acceptable. Too often, fornication and adultery are found and tolerated within the church (cf I Corinthians 5:4, 9; Galatians 5:19). We tempt God by calling into question the need to adhere to the "doctrine of Christ" (II John 9-11). We try to transform him into a god who accepts everything and condemns nothing, who maintains fellowship with all kinds of beliefs and those who teach them. When we suffer, we grumble and complain, failing to give place to the chastening of the Lord (cf Hebrews 12:4-13; Revelation 3:19). We think the only way to worship an idol is to erect and bow before an image of stone or precious metal. Indeed, idolatry is the act of putting other things before God (cf Matthew 6:33). How foolish are man's thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9) when he seeks to justify his idolatry (cf II Chronicles 25:15; 28:22-23).

We do not have to fall. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it" (I Corinthians 10:12-13). Our temptations always bring with them a way to escape. Faithfulness is necessary, and it is possible. "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away from them" (Hebrews 2:1). Let us not fall as Israel did, but with God's grace and Christ's strength, let us learn to use discipline and self-control to successfully overcome the world and its evil.