One of my more favorite quotes is “The only thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history.” I like that one.
Yet, we continue to rehearse it and study it as well we should. God was kind of big on that Himself...reminding His people of the failures of their fathers in the past hoping they might learn from their mistakes. ( Deut. 32; Neh. 9; Psalm 78; Psalm 106-107). Now, back to 1 Cor. 10 where Paul is rehearsing, for the benefit of us all, how God dealt with His people in the past. ( I also cited Heb. 3-4 that goes along with this well also)
We ended up yesterday looking at what idolatry is and how anything we put before God, or love ‘more than Him’ can quickly become an idol in our heart. I’m not sure how we got here, but somewhere along the way we fell into this place of being intolerant of ‘big sins’ but kind of ‘wink’ at all those other ‘small ones’ we seem to have a problem letting go of.
I remember hearing a preacher on the radio years ago laugh as he retold a story about getting to a racquetball club to play with a friend of his who came to visit. The attendant apparently forgot to write down the reservation and they were unable to play that day. As he relayed the story...he admitted that “yes...this was one person he probably would not ever be able to lead to Jesus”, suggesting he ‘showed out in the flesh’ in a very ‘unlike-Jesus’ manner. And we all laugh at that because we can ‘identify’ with that. I doubt any of us would have laughed if he admitted to pulling out a weapon and assaulted them right then and there. You know...’big sin’ vs. ‘little sin’. And what is the danger of failing to deal with ‘all sin’? Our hearts become hardened by the deceitfulness of it all. (Heb. 3:12-13; Matt. 24:12)
Which is why Paul is once again...rehearsing the sins of their forefathers as a warning to us. After touching on idiolatry, he now takes on the subject of ‘sexual immorality’. {8}. He flat out says “let us not commit sexual immorality as some of them did.” I know...we immediately want a clearer definition or explanation of what that all encompasses. I get it. “How far can we go and still be OK with God”? One of the deceptive ploys of our enemy is to coax us to see how close we can get to that ‘line’ and not cross over. Sigh. BTDT.
And while we are touching on this subject, let me ask you this...If God commands us to turn from these sinful practices...and we manage to avoid ...most of them...then why would we seemingly justify sitting back and watching and being entertained by shows and movies that ‘simulate’ so many of these wicked practices...be it sexual immorality, greed, violence, murder, adultery, etc? It’s like we have convinced ourselves that as long as we don’t do it ourselves, God is fine if we are entertained by it while watching others ‘do it’. There’s a reason God said we were ‘stupid’ (Jer. 4:22- GNT)
I should probably interject here a very important point to consider for anyone and everyone who may still struggle with various sins. Whether we are talking about those compulsions to engage in illicit sexual activity...or constantly snapping in frustration at our kids/spouse; or maybe always feeling compelled to share ‘bad news’ about other people or finding fault in others...we need to understand the root of those sins. They are spiritual. As in, an unclean spirit is behind so many of those areas we seem unable to overcome....on our own. And unless you surrender wholeheartedly to Jesus...you will always struggle with sin. That is what He came to set us free from. (John 8:32-36;Luke 4:18: Acts 10:38)
So as we continue on with Paul’s ‘history lesson’ there in Corinthians, he warns of committing sexual immorality and then reminds us what befell those who sinned in this manner. In one day twenty three thousand fell (as in died...from the ensuing plague that God sent on them-Numbers 25:1-9) You might also read Ps. 78:49-50. As I mentioned the past two days, God never changes...and God means what He says. Now before you are tempted to quickly dismiss all this as OT (Old Testament) history that does not apply to us today, why do you think Paul is bringing it all up again? As he states twice in this passage...it is for warning and example to us NT believers.
He would later write to the Ephesians, again warning them (and us)...”let no one deceive you with empty words...for because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience.” (Eph. 5:6). What ‘things’? Oh...you know...stuff like ‘fornication-sexual immorality...coveting...filthy talk or foolish and coarse jesting’ (3-4). For real???
Now, let’s look at vs. 9 there in our history lesson with Paul. “Let us not tempt Christ, as some of the also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents.”. At first glance, that might be confusing as to what it means to ‘tempt Christ’. I believe the amplified bible does well in expanding on what that might mean: [“that is, test His patience, question His purpose or exploit His goodness] You can read of the actual account there in Numbers 21:4-9. Remember the brazen serpent that Moses made and lifted up? Oh...have you ever drawn a connection that brazen serpent the people had to set their eyes on to be healed...and the insignia that the medical community have used for years?
One more here and this should resonate with all of us...I hope. Paul finishes up in the same breath of singling out idolatry, sexual immorality and testing God’s patience...by pointing out the sin of...’grumbling or complaining’...of all things. Imagine that. You think God was serious about this? I’m guessing He was...given we are told those complainers were ‘destroyed by the destroyer’. (vs. 10). You might read Numbers 14:36-37 as a refresher.
So when Paul admonishes us to continue ‘working out or own salvation with fear and trembling’ there in Phil. 2:12...and then follows up that we “do all things without complaining and grumbling that we may become blameless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, reminding us how we are ‘shining as lights’...(14-15), do you think it’s possible this is what God intends for us to do? As in obey? Again...when did God change...and does He really mean what He says? (And what is it about social media that we feel drawn to and then compelled to use to voice all our complaints and grumble about all that is wrong in the world?}
Last verse from our history lesson there in chapter 10 of Corinthians, and then I want to finish up with two points for you to spend some time contemplating. So why does Paul rehearse all these dramatic and sobering examples from the OT? He tell us there in vs. 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.” Interesting, that some two thousand years ago, Paul is suggesting that ‘the end of the ages’ has come? As I stated yesterday, or maybe the day before, ... every generation has their own ‘end of the age’ or ‘end time’, does it not? I believe it’s safe to say that those same warnings Paul expounded upon back then, also applies to us as well today in 2022. Whenever …God decides to ‘pull the plug’ on all of this, (and no man knows the day or hour Matt. 24:36) that is His decision, nor ours. In the meantime, we would do well to make sure we are abiding in Him until He calls us home whenever that might be. And if we are truly abiding in Him, then it will be evident that we are. (1 John 3:6)
If what you have read here in the past two days as been a jolt to your system and all that you have come to know and understand as to who God is...and this all sounds so frighteningly foreign to your current concept and understanding of God... you need to ask why that is. And this next point might even come across as offensive to you. But if Paul warned us all of the danger of being deceived, like Eve was, and the danger existed that we might actually find ourselves following or receiving ‘another Jesus’ ( 2 Cor. 11:2-4) is it possible that might include any of us today having done that? I can tell you without any hesitation that for years, early in my own walk, I would shy away from so many passages like this ….because I had been taught God was not ‘like that anymore’.
Maybe you too, found yourself, while reading through all the passages, telling yourself – “That does not sound like ‘my Jesus’...’my Jesus’ would not do that”, then you might want to re-examine how your Jesus lines up with All the scriptures, not just the ones you find agreeable. Paul tells us to ‘consider the goodness AND the severity of God. (Rom. 11:22)
One last point for further study and contemplation has to do with all those ‘fiery serpents’ and ‘plagues’ and destroyers’ that seemed to always follow those rebellious Israelites. We were introduced to this ‘serpent’ in Genesis 3. We read about him in Revelation 12. Jesus talks about giving us ‘power over serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy’ in Luke 10:19.
God is not sitting on some high perch wanting to push you off into some ‘snake pit’ every time you sin. His message to us is this...we are living IN the snake pit and He came to lead us out.
And the only way you will get out alive is to follow Jesus with all your heart and surrender to Him in obedience. Those ‘snakes’ like ‘flesh’; and sin is what lures them in to eat and devour. (remember ‘serpent food’? Gen. 3:14,19). And don’t forget...God could easily remove them, but He has not. He doesn’t have a problem with them. And we won’t either if we will wise up and humble ourselves and give more earnest heed to what He is trying to communicate to us in this day and time.
Abiding in Him is everything. IF...we are ‘in Him’ (as in the ark like Noah was), then the flood of God’s wrath which is here now and increasing even more so will not harm us. Why is that? Because ‘whoever abides in Him no longer sins. (1 John 3:6). How can this be? Well, because Jesus came to relay truth that we might be set free from sinning. (John 8:32-36). And “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin...and the wicked one does not touch him.” (1 John 5:18)
You might finish up reading John 3:14-17. Have a blessed day.
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