Examples

Some people like to tell us that the Old Testament is gone. It's really of no use. That, of course, is nonsense. We read in 1 Cor. 10:11, "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction." One use for the Old Testament (just one of many) is that it provides examples of truths that we need to heed. What things happened in 1 Cor. 10 that we need to heed?

¹ I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, ² and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ and all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. ⁶ Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did (1 Cor. 10:1-6).

"These things took place as examples for us." That's what Paul says. What things? Oh, there was baptism in the Red Sea, and we have baptism. There was "spiritual food" and "spiritual drink", and we have those. There was the Rock that was Christ, and we have that Rock. There are parallels here. You can see them. And Paul concludes that the reason we have these examples is "that we might not desire evil as they did".

First, what was the evil they did? Paul lists a few things in the passage that follows. There was idolatry, sexual immorality, and "grumbling". But Paul says "evil" here, suggesting possibly a singular evil. What was it? I think it's found in the passage. They had a cloud and they were walked through the sea and they were baptized and they were given food and drink and they had the Rock ... and they grumbled. It wasn't enough. They had it all and it wasn't enough. They had the very presence of God visibly offered in a cloud by day and a fire by night ... and they sought other gods. They had a very real experience with God at Mt. Sinai ... and they preferred sexual immorality to obedience to God. They had everything God provided and it wasn't enough.

Is that where we are? Is that where you are? "Yeah, God, sure, I have my health ... but it's not enough." "I have a job and a family ... but it's not enough." "I have enough to eat and a place to live ... but it's not enough." "I have the justification that the blood of your Precious Son provides and your Holy Spirit in me ... but it's not enough." Not pretty, is it?

So, what was the result of the evil they did? "With most of them God was not pleased." That ought to ring an ominous bell for us. "Most of them." We're talking about Israel, here ... God's chosen people. God was not pleased with most of them.

I don't know about you. I don't want to be numbered among "the average" in this reckoning. I don't want to be in the "most" category. I want to be one of the exceptions, one of those with whom God is pleased. I think that begins with gratitude. I think that starts with gratitude for all that God gives us, from the good to the ugly, knowing that God works all things together for good. I think that includes gratitude for tough times ... which are for our benefit. I don't want to be an idolater who isn't satisfied with my God or sexually immoral who isn't satisfied with the satisfaction God provides or a grumbler who isn't satisfied with all that He gives. I want to learn from others' mistakes. How about you?