Epistles (written)

Tuesday, 30 September 2014

Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 1 Corinthians 10:6

“Now these things” is speaking of those with whom “God was not well pleased.” They had seen the miracles and been sustained by God’s gracious hand, and yet they rebelled in various ways which Paul will explain in the verses ahead. Because of their rebellion he noted in the previous verse that “their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” It is all of this that he is referring to as examples.

This word translated as “examples” is the Greek word typoi. It could be referring either to the pictures of Christ and thus be translated as “types” or “foreshadowing events.” Or it could be translated as “examples” and thus be referring to the scattering of the bodies based on rebellion. As he hasn’t yet explained the examples which caused the deaths, some scholars insist that it is speaking of the pictures of Christ. However, because he just mentioned the deaths of the people and he will continue to explain that, others insist this is what he is referring to. There is no reason to assume that he isn’t speaking of the entire process though. The types of Christ and their subsequent rejection led to the deaths of the people.

Either way, Paul’s continued statement in this verse is that we should learn “that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.” If we have been redeemed by Christ, then we should follow Christ, trust Christ, and fix our eyes on Christ. It makes no sense to call on Christ and then to ignore the very salvation that He has provided.

Life application: The Old Testament is often overlooked by many Christians. And yet, it has been given to show us the logical progression of redemptive history as God slowly reveals Himself and His plans to the people of the world. The Old Testament allows us to know where we have been, where we are going, and the pitfalls to avoid in our walk.

Lord, I remember the tears of joy on the day I realized I was forgiven and free because of the cross of Christ. The weight of my past was lifted and the prospects of living in newness of life lay ahead like a path of gold. But at times, I forget that and find my feet heading off in wrong directions once again. Forgive me for my disobedience, help me in correcting my waywardness, and restore me to the joy of my salvation once again. I thank You for Your merciful hand upon me as I erringly walk in this temporary life on my way to glory! Amen.

Monday, 29 September 2014

But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 1 Corinthians 10:5

Despite the Israelites having all of the privileges which Paul mentioned in the preceding verses (baptism in the cloud and the sea, the spiritual food, and the spiritual Rock), he shows that it didn’t profit them at all in their spiritual lives. He leads into this with the word “but.” Despite all of the proofs and all of the physical demonstrations of God’s presence among them, instead of having faith that He would see their redemption through to a good end, they failed to trust.

What God looks for is faith in Him and His promises. What He got was rebellion and a stubborn, stiff-necked attitude. And because of this “with most of them God was not well pleased.” Because they lacked faith in Him and His provision, He rewarded them with what they accused Him of.

Time and again, the Israelites complained and accused the Lord of wrongdoing. One example is from Numbers 14:2-4 –

“And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, ‘If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! ³ Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?’ ⁴ So they said to one another, ‘Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.'”

After this, Moses petitioned the Lord to pardon the people, but there would be a penalty for their lack of faith. This is recorded later in the chapter –

“Then the Lord said: ‘I have pardoned, according to your word; ²¹ but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord— ²² because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, ²³ they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. ²⁴ But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. ²⁵ Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.'” Numbers 14:20-25

The Israelites would receive the punishment that they deserved. Because of their lack of faith, “their bodies were in the wilderness.” This was the very thing that they had said would happen and so their words were used as a witness against them. Despite this though, there was grace in the sentence. Instead of being snuffed out immediately, they would be allowed to live out their lives and raise their children until they were old enough to assume the responsibility of going into Canaan. This is detailed later in the same chapter –

“But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. ³² But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. ³³ And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. ³⁴ According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. ³⁵ I the Lord have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.” Numbers 14:31-35

In the end, only two of the 603,550 registered males who were of fighting age were permitted the honor of entering the promised land. Figuring in the women, well over a million people would die as they wandered through the wilderness. Such was the price for lacking faith and rebelling against the Lord.

Life application: God asks for faith in His faithless creatures, so a little bit will do. He asks us to trust Him, even when times seem out of control. If we truly believe that He will fulfill His promises, we will continue to trust Him and to praise Him each step of the way. With this, He will be well-pleased.

Heavenly Father, the lesson of those Israelites who perished in the wilderness should teach us that we need to trust You when times are tough or even seemingly out of control. Yes, life takes turns that lead us into deep and dark valleys, but You have promised to never leave us nor to forsake us. Help us to remember that You are there with us in those dark places and that You have a good plan and purpose for those times. Remind us that the dark valley is merely a short walk towards a bright and wondrous mountaintop. Thank You for Your ever-faithful presence. Amen.

Sunday, 28 September 2014

…and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:4

So far in just three verses, Paul has shown the great amount of spiritual connection between the exodus and wilderness wanderings and their correlation to Christ. He has shown that the cloud and the sea pictured being baptized into Moses, meaning the Law given by the Lord. He has also shown that the manna they ate was “spiritual food.” Now he shows that even the water they drank was a spiritual picture of Christ because they “all drank the same spiritual drink.”

One cannot live long without water. God intended this to show that just as we cannot live without water, so we cannot live without being spiritually connected to Him through Christ. We are either dead in sins and trespasses, having inherited Adam’s fallen nature, or we are born again through Christ. To show us that this was pictured in the exodus account, he says, “For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

The people of Israel twice drank directly from water which issued from a rock. The first time was in Exodus 17:1-6 in a place called Rephidim (meaning “resting places”) which was their 11th stop while traveling. The second is recorded in Numbers 20:1-11 at a place called Kadesh (meaning “holy”). This was their 33rd recorded stop. After they received the water, the places were renamed “Meribah,” which means “strife” or “contention” because the people strived with the Lord over the water.

Paul says that in these places “they drank of that spiritual Rock which followed them.” There is a Jewish tradition that the rock literally followed them wherever they went. This is not the intent of Paul’s words. Rather, the idea of “following” them is that wherever they were, Christ was present. They contended with the Lord, claiming that He had left them to die, but then the Lord, through Moses, showed them that He was always there, ready to provide. This is the intent of saying that the Rock “followed them.”

This Rock is then said explicitly to be Christ by Paul. In other words, the natural rock is merely a metaphor which is then left completely out of the true picture. If there was one rock in Rephidim and one rock in Kadesh and both gave water, then the Rock is a picture of Christ. If this is so, then it isn’t just the rock either, but the water which issued from the rock which is also the intended symbol. As it says, “they drank ‘of’ that spiritual Rock.”

Understanding this, the rest of the Bible in both testaments uses the terms “rock” and “water” to describe the Lord. The rock is the unmovable foundation upon which our faith is grounded, such as in the parable of building one’s house upon the rock in Matthew 7. The water is the water of life seen in John 4, John 7, Revelation 22, and elsewhere. The account from John 4 is both memorable and explicit –

“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.'” John 4:13, 14

Life application: When reading the Bible, one should attempt to remember things that are mentioned and see if later comparisons are made. Rocks, water, harvesters, the wind, trees, numbers, milk, types of grain, different types of work, and on and on. All of them having meaning and nothing is arbitrary. Each will give us insights into Christ, into God’s plan of redemptive history, and teach us moral lessons as well. Nothing is superfluous and nothing is left out. The Bible is an amazingly beautiful compilation of words which all form to show us God’s love for us. And it is all centered on the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

Lord God, I know that whatever I read or study will be absorbed into my collective memory and mold me in some way. As this is certain, I will endeavor to read, contemplate, and absorb Your word above all else. As it reveals Your very heart for me, then obviously I will be molded more and more into Your image as I learn and apply it to my life. Thank You for this wondrous gift which will allow me to be shaped by You into a vessel of beauty and holiness. Amen.

Saturday, 27 September 2014

…all ate the same spiritual food, 1 Corinthians 10:3

Not only were those brought out at the exodus “baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,” but they also “ate the same spiritual food.” Again, Paul is showing that the food which sustained Israel is symbolic of the true spiritual food which we participate in when we receive the Lord’s Supper.

Exodus chapter 16 shows the first details concerning the giving of the manna (manna means “what is it?”). There is even a description of it as is recorded in Exodus 16:31 –

“And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.”

This “spiritual food” continued to sustain them for the entire time of their wilderness wanderings. Once Israel had crossed the Jordan, we read this in Joshua 5:10-12 –

“Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. ¹² Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.”

The giving of the manna was never forgotten by the people of Israel and it is referred to at various times in both testaments of the Bible. Even the psalms, while recounting the wondrous deeds of God, remembered the manna which sustained Israel –

“Had rained down manna on them to eat,
And given them of the bread of heaven.
²⁵ Men ate angels’ food;
He sent them food to the full.” Psalm 78:24, 25

But, like all things of this nature, the physical reality of the manna pictured a spiritual truth. Jesus notes this in John 6:31-33 –

“Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'” ³² Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'” John 6:31-33

The manna only anticipated the greater and true Bread from heaven, which is the body of the Lord Jesus. This then is what is pictured in the taking of communion, or the Lord’s Supper. It is a remembrance of the work of Christ, looking back on His cross until He comes again.

Life application: Taking communion at church has no meaning unless one has received Christ as Lord. Only when the heart is directed towards Christ does the meal take on any true significance. When you receive the elements, it should be done with a humble and grateful heart for the wondrous blessing of being included in the body of Christ.

Lord God, Israel had manna in the wilderness to sustain them for forty full years, but I know I have something much more wonderful. I have the true Bread of Life which came down from heaven to grant me eternal nourishment. I thank You for the honor and the pleasure of receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and for the weekly blessing of sharing in the Lord’s Supper in anticipation of the day when He returns for His people. Even so, come Lord Jesus! Amen.

Friday, 26 September 2014

…all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 1 Corinthians 10:2

Paul, telling his readers at Corinth “that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,” now further explains this. In this exodus from Egypt which took place under the conditions he mentioned “all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” In other words, what they did is to be symbolically equated to what we have now done in Christ. The Israelites willingly followed Moses thus accepting him as their spiritual leader. They subjected themselves to the laws and ordinances that he gave to them and thus they were symbolically “baptized” as they were under the cloud and passing through the sea.

The same preposition which is used for baptism in Matthew 28:19 is used by Paul here. In this, we can see that those who are baptized into Christ are acknowledging an acceptance of His spiritual leadership and the laws and ordinances which He prescribes for us. The Old Testament is given in shadows and pictures of a greater reality found in Christ. God used little Israel for these pictures. We are brought out of Egypt (bondage to sin) through the work of Christ. We are baptized into this work, meaning His fulfilling the Law of Moses, and into His death and resurrection. Thus we are acknowledging His authority over us.

Paul will continue with his thoughts and then show that the external rites must be accompanied by a change in our hearts and lives.

Life application: The wondrous stories of the Old Testament are all given for a purpose. When we read them, our eyes should be open to their true fulfillment in Christ. Paul uses several examples, such as the exodus from Egypt, to show us that this is the case. Therefore, always consider this and ask the Bible questions about the meaning of passages as you read them. It will answer back with beauty and treasure.

Baptism without any change in one’s heart
Has no significance, no meaning at all
It should indicate a changed life and a fresh start
And it should only come after a person on Jesus does call

Abraham first believed the promises of God
Then he was counted as righteous in God’s sight
Only afterwards was he circumcised in the life he did trod
He already had shown that his heart was right

Baptism then is a sign for the believer
For the one who has first on the Lord Jesus called
Go get dunked after being a receiver
Of the Holy Spirit Who into Christ you He installed

Yes Lord ! Thank You for the grace You lavished on me, saving me through the faith I exercised in You. Now, help me to be obedient in all ways out of gratitude for the marvelous redemption which has ended all of my enmity with God. Through Your blood I am washed, purified, and acceptable; sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise for that wondrous day upon which I await! Amen.