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The Ninth Sunday After Trinity
Paul Presents Old Testament Examples of Sin
July 20, 2008

TEXT:  NKJ 1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 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." 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 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. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 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.
 
Paul’s text lesson follows his presentation of several Old Testament examples of God’s people being showered with God’s grace—but they failed to obey Him
 
NKJ 1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
 
We are all familiar with the stories of God’s people being rescued from the bondage of Egypt—the Passover—the crossing of the Red Sea—the Ten Commandments on the mountain—the 40 years of wandering in the desert wilderness—the manna and quail provided by God each day—the water from the Rock—all these things were given to all of the Israelites—but not all were truly God’s people—they didn’t fear God or look to Him for their hope
 
Every day in the desert, God provided everything the Israelites needed to sustain life—God provided their only hope of life—yet they continuously looked to the things of this world for pleasure and survival—they worshipped false gods—they intermarried with foreigners—and they failed to remember the commands of God
 
Consider Paul’s lesson in our text—the Old Testament example serves as a reminder that God’s discipline of the Israelites serves notice that He will also punish the sins of Christians today—Paul provides a list of the sins he was seeing in God’s people—lusting after evil—idolatry—sexual immorality—temptation—complaining—God shed His blessings upon all of the Old Testament Israelites—and the people followed the lust in their hearts and did what they pleased—Paul says it is no different today—most of us reject the things of God and pursue the lusts of the world
 
So what do we learn from this lesson that we can apply to our daily lives?—examine the actions of the Old Testament people—when they were hungry and there was no food—Moses—their mediator—asked God to feed the people—God fed them for 40 years until the need was no longer there—when the people were thirsty and there was no water—God provided a Rock to give them water—and they drank for the full 40 years—we are told that the Rock followed them around the desert for the 40 years—and this matches the historical stories that the Israelite recorded
 
All through the Old Testament we can see a familiar pattern—God provides—the people are thankful—the people give glory to God—the people become complacent—the people complain—God punishes the people—the mediator—Moses—intervenes on behalf of the sinful people—God forgives—and the cycle repeats—this provides the lesson Paul wants to teach us—we will consider one example of God’s anger and Moses’ mediation on behalf of the people
 
NKJ Numbers 11:1 Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the LORD, the fire was quenched.
 
The entire chapter of Numbers demonstrates the relationship of God and His Old Testament people—they cried out for food and God gave them manna—they cried out for meat and God gave them quail—poor Moses was caught in the middle of the people and God-the example offers us a view into the future—Moses prays to God—God grants Moses what is requested—and the people complain about something else—God became angry with the Israelites not only because they complained—but especially because they did not cry out to Him directly for help—they sought help in the things of this world— they turned to the worship of idols for their hope—even Aaron the brother of Moses became caught up in the idol worship—and he did it while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments from God—that was only two months into the miracle journey out of Egypt
 
NKJ Exodus 32:1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." 2 And Aaron said to them, "Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." 3 "So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!" 5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD." 6 Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 7 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. 8 "They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!' "
 
If Aaron could fall into idol worship within such a short time after walking across the dry land in the bed of the Red Sea—it might well happen to any of us—that is Paul’s lesson—be on guard against sins of immorality and idol worship—we are all tempted by the devil—and we must be careful not to fall
 
God still provides all things for His people—including us Christians today—God doesn’t deliver manna each morning for His people—but He does give us the Bread of Life, Jesus—consider this lesson from Jesus
 
NKJ Luke 12:15 And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 "And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' 18 "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." ' 20 "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." 22 Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 "Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 "And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 "If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 "If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? 29 "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 "For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
 
Knowing these things—how many of us complain because we want more—wanting more is a natural human trait—but it is also a sin—we are to be satisfied with what we have—God provides—who are we to question what He provides?—we are not to look to the world and desire more—we are not to covet our neighbor’s possessions—we are to be satisfied with the lot we have in this life—our home is not here but in heaven
 
NKJ Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
 
But when we sin—Christ, our Mediator, fills us with the Holy Spirit of God—and the cycle repeats—Paul says that is not what God intended for us
 
I find it interesting that among the things God provided in the wilderness for His people were manna, and water—God nourished His people and each time they ate or drank they were reminded that their very lives were dependent on God—there was not water or food for the 3.5 million Israelites in the wilderness desert—today God provides for our very existence with the same elements—Jesus says He is the Living Water—the Bread of life
 
NKJ John 6:33 "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." 35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
 
NKJ John 7:37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 40 Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."
 
NKJ John 4:9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." 11 The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 "Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" 13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
 
The rescue of God’s people crossing the Red Sea is referred to as a baptism—God’s people ate the manna and drank the living water for 40 years—and once again the Old Testament reveals the true understanding of the New Testament
 
NKJ 1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
 
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!