Watch Out!

OPENING PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, I daily need your help and grace. Infuse me with your enabling so I will be your authentic disciple.

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-13

Warnings From Israel’s History

10 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”[a] 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ,[b] as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation[c] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[d] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Footnotes

[a] 1 Corinthians 10:7 Exodus 32:6

[b] 1 Corinthians 10:9 Some manuscripts test the Lord

[c] 1 Corinthians 10:13 The Greek for temptation and tempted can also mean testing and tested.

[d] 1 Corinthians 10:13 The Greek for temptation and tempted can also mean testing and tested.

[e] 1 Corinthians 10:13 The Greek for temptation and tempted can also mean testing and tested.

REFLECT:

How’s your self-control? How consistent is your walk with God?

Here, Paul builds on what he was saying in the previous chapter (9:24-27). He is teaching more about Christian self-control, encouraging the Corinthian believers to learn from the people of Israel in Moses’ time, their ancestors in faith (v 1). They had seen God do amazing things, freeing them from slavery in Egypt (vs 2-4). But these people, who were richly blessed, are a warning to the Corinthians not to act as they did (vs 6,11).

What went wrong? They had made foolish decisions in the wilderness time: they worshipped a golden calf (v 7; see Exodus 32:1-6); their men had sex with Moabite women and participated in pagan sacrifices (v 8; see Numbers 25:1-9); they tested God’s patience by complaining against Moses (v 9; see Exodus 17:1-7). Each time they offended God, many died (vs 5-10). They had left Egypt, but continued living like Egyptians.

It was all too easy for the believers to whom Paul was writing to fit into Corinth’s culture of self-sufficiency and self-promotion, rather than holding fast to Christ (v 12). So Paul calls them to take warning from the Israelites and focus on God to see how to avoid giving in (v 13).

APPLY:

Where are the pressure points between your culture and being a faithful Christian? What resources are available to help you stand against today’s pressures in culture? Make use of them.

CLOSING PRAYER:

Beloved Lord, I mess up so often, but you never leave me. I thank you that you never stop believing that I can and will do better. Lord, with your help I will go on.

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