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Timothy: I Corinthians 10:1-13
Bad Examples of the People of Israel

Dear God, my Beloved Father, I respectfully offer my praise and gratitude to You. You are the Almighty God and my Father in Heaven. Please remind me of the purpose You have for me in allowing me to continue living in this physical body, so that I may wholeheartedly fulfill the tasks You have prepared for me. Please sanctify me every day with Your truth, the Eternal Living Word of Yours. I ask for grace and strength from Christ for my physical body and wisdom from the Holy Spirit for my spirit. I thank the Triune God.

Father, I would like to present my reflection on I Corinthians 10:1-13 as follows:

1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

Verses 1 and 2: Paul is writing a letter to the Church in Corinth, which has many Gentile believers and only a few Israelite believers. Most of the believers in Corinth may not be familiar with the historical stories of the Israelites, as recorded in the Old Testament. Therefore, Paul took this opportunity to retell some of the bad examples of the Israelites as a lesson for the Church in Corinth. From the beginning of the letter, Paul had the intention that, although he was writing to the Church in Corinth, the content of the letter was for all believers everywhere. Therefore, the lesson about the bad examples of the Israelites is also a lesson for the universal Church at all times.

When the people of Israel were rescued by You from the slavery of the Egyptians, during the day, You used a pillar of cloud to guide and provide shade for them. At night, You used a pillar of fire to light and warm them. You opened a way for the people of Israel to cross the Red Sea by making the waters recede on both sides, revealing the dry seabed for them to walk through. You used Moses as their leader throughout their journey from Egypt, through the desert, and into the Promised Land of Canaan. They walked with Moses under the cloud and crossed the Red Sea like one person. Therefore, they were “baptized unto Moses,” which means they became one with Moses.

Father, I understand that today, every person in Your Church is baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and into Christ Himself, to walk together with Him through this life and into the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, the Church is the body of Christ, and each member is a part of it.

3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Verses 3 and 4: During the 40 years that the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, they were fed by You with bread from heaven called manna, which symbolizes the body of Christ. In terms of their spiritual life, their souls were nurtured by You through Your commandments and laws, which are known as the Word of God, a representation of God in the person of the Word. The Israelites were also given water to drink from a rock at Horeb and from a rock at Meribah, which symbolizes Christ. The water represents the life that comes from Christ, and since life is in the blood, the water also symbolizes the blood of Christ.

Father, I understand that the phrase “the holy rock that followed them” implies that Your care for Your people through Christ is constant, no matter where or when. Even though in the Old Testament, God the Word had not yet become Christ, He was still present with Your people, the chosen Israelites.

5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

Verses 5 and 6 explain that millions of Israelites aged 20 and over, except for Joshua and Caleb, fell in the wilderness due to their lack of faith and disobedience to You. As a result, they were not allowed to enter the Promised Land. The evil desires that the Israelites craved were food, drink, sexual immorality, and seeking comfort, even if it meant becoming slaves. They preferred to return to a life of slavery to eat and drink what they desired rather than endure hardship for a time and then live in freedom, with plenty, in the Promised Land. The Israelites chose to return to a life of slavery because of their desires for the flesh, and this was a contemptuous rejection of Your salvation and the promises of blessings bestowed upon them.

7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

Verses 7 and 8: The first idol worship of the Israelites after leaving Egypt was the worship of God through the statue of a bull, in the manner of the people of Egypt. In fact, they did not worship idols but worshiped God through the image of an idol. The Israelites indulged in sexual immorality with the women of Moab when they were invited to eat food offered to idols. The worship of God in an improper way and eating food sacrificed to idols caused the Israelites to commit serious sins and to be severely punished. Paul advised Your people in the Church not to commit similar sins. Unfortunately, today, in almost all Christian denominations, many people worship God but do not follow the truth of Your Word but follow the rituals of superstition and foreign religions that those denominations have established. Today, many of Your people also commit sexual immorality when they view sexually explicit content on websites.

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

Verses 9 and 10: Paul advised Your people not to test Christ, the head of the Church, as the Israelites of old did by complaining and calling manna a contemptible food, testing Your patience with their ingratitude. Paul also advised Your people not to grumble or complain against Christ whenever facing adversity. Paul encouraged Your people to not be anxious, but to present all things to You in prayer (Philippians 4:6). Murmuring is a bad habit of speaking to oneself to express dissatisfaction with someone or something. Your people can sin by murmuring about You or Christ or any members of the Church, especially the pastors and elders, when things do not go their way.

11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Verses 11 and 12: The bad deeds of the Israelites were recorded in the Bible as examples for Your people, especially for the saints in the Church, who are Your holy people in the final era of human self-rule. I understand that the Church is the group of people upon whom the end of the ages is coming to usher in the era of the Kingdom of a Thousand Years. We need to be alert, reflect on Your Word every day, and carefully follow it to be firm in faith, full of wisdom, to overcome every scheme of the devil and every temptation, and to accomplish every good work that You have prepared for each person. I understand that “thinketh he standeth” means one thinks that they have knowledge of God’s Word, are secure in God’s watchful care, and therefore are not vigilant against every scheme of the devil. I understand that “take heed” means to be sober and alert, to observe everything, to respond to every danger in time, and to keep oneself from stumbling into sin.

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Verse 13: I understand that in the Greek language of the Bible, the same word can mean temptation when it comes from humans or Satan and trial when it comes from God. Humans and Satan create adversities to make God’s people doubt Him, leading to sin and rebellion against God, just as Satan did with Job. You allow adversities to happen to test the faith of Your people, just as You allowed Satan to tempt Job. Whether it is temptation or trial, You never allow them to exceed the endurance of Your people. You always provide a way out for them as long as they have faith in You. Only the temptations that come from the sinful nature of each individual can hold them if they do not wholeheartedly rely on the omnipotence of God to put to death those desires in their flesh.

Dear Father, I thank You for this lesson today, for it refreshes in me the teachings of Paul to God’s people. May the Eternal Living Word of God always sanctify us and grant us wisdom. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Timothy Christian Huynh
05/12/2023