1 Corinthians 10:1-5 Bible Teaching

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Okay we left off with Paul giving us a comparison between an athletic competition and the Christian walk.

He discussed how victory in both realms leads to a reward – for the athlete a corruptible crown and for the Christian one that is incorruptible.

We finished chapter nine with Paul admitting that one of the reasons that he runs a good race is so that he is not rejected (or castoff as the King James says) and this brings us to chapter 10 which in my opinion is just a continuation of this conversation, with some added insights.

So, lets read the first five verses. In the last verse of chapter nine Paul said, I run so I won’t be cast off, and now he says:

1st Corinthians 10.1-5
July 8th 2018
MILK
1st Corinthians 10:1 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;
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.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

Now, last week we pointed out that Paul was encouraging the Saints at Corinth to run a good race, and that he gave two reasons for this:

The first was so they would receive a incorruptible crown and to also insure that they would not be cast off or rejected.

We pointed out that this letter was written to believer who had already received Christ by faith and in that age we have to realize that this reception included water baptism.

Why?

Because it was an outward identifier of their inward faith in Jesus and to receive it, to participate in it, was an automatic act of defiance to the powers that be.

Today, people get baptized in the privacy of fonts and hidden rivers, but the main purpose – in fact even the word, baptidzo, means to identify something and to be identified with that something or someone.

So you have a lifelong Jew, his entire family is Hebrew, their business is among the Jews, or you have a lifelong pagan, who has frequented the temple of Diana, and had a hand in selling idols of her, who comes to know Christ –

For these types of people water baptism in that day was a declaration of war – it said, “being baptized in Jesus name I am identifying my faith in HIM, I am openly and willingly being identified as a Christian – and the fall out was significant for most.

Of course in chapter nine last week we pointed out that Paul was speaking to them now NOT about receiving Christ, not about being born-again and then baptized. He was addressing the Christian walk now that they have accepted Him as Lord and Savior of their lives.

And like we said, when Paul wrote in the last verse of chapter nine that he ran a good race to prevent being castoff, this was a subsequent discussion to being saved.

So continuing on this topic, Paul now takes his reader back to the Children of Israel, and appealing to them as an example, writes:

“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.”

Paul took this information directly from Exodus 14:22 where we read

“And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.”

Interestingly, Paul interprets this miraculous event of passing over dry ground in the midst of the Red Sea as a baptism as he adds in verse 2:

“And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea”

Now, with regard to this chapter 10 Bible commentators have not agreed. Some have supposed that there is no connexion with the preceding chapter but I cannot help but disagree.

Generally speaking, the ancient Greek expositors and some of the moderns, as Grotius, believed that the connection was this:

Paul had in the previous chapter described himself as mortifying his flesh, and keeping his body under, that he might gain the prize and avoid being castoff.

So here in this chapter they suggest that he continues to exhort the Corinthians to do the same and he uses the COI as an example.

In so doing he begins with that he calls their baptism – which he says was in the Red Sea when the walls of water heaped up over their heads and the cloud of God overshadowed them.

I personally LOVE this liberty Paul takes because so many people make SUCH a big deal about modes of baptism – and yet Paul right here says in reference to some of the most religiously ritualistic people on earth that their passing through the Red Sea was their collective baptism.

The fact of the matter is the Bible speaks of all sorts of baptisms of different modes WHY? Because all baptism is is a mode of identification.

And people can be identified in innumerable ways, can’t they?

The Bible talks about baptisms unto repentance, baptisms of fire, baptism on dry ground amidst a parted lake, being buried with Christ in baptism, baptism of the Holy Spirit

There are biblical identifiers tied to circumcision of the flesh, of the heart, through sprinkling, pourings, ablusions, dippings, and the like.

The point I am making is that a baptism is something that serves to identify a person in some way or another. But Paul’s point in bringing up baptism of the COI is not to discuss baptism or the way they were identified (as being someone who crossed over the sea on dry ground to be saved from Pharaoh’s army) his point is to show that while they were certainly called out and selected to walk with God, they too had the capacity to be cast away – which is what the rest of the passages speak to.

So, Paul says:

“Moreover, brethren I would not that ye should be ignorant.”

In other words, in addition to what I just said about running the race faithfully so as to prevent from being castaway, I want you to remember, I would not have you be ignorant . . . I want you recall, in light of this…

“How that all our fathers,” the forefathers of the Jewish community – all of them, none of them were left out of crossing the Red Sea, how all of our Fathers – and he lists three things in connection to them:

How all the fathers were

“under the cloud”
and passed through the Red Sea and
were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the Sea.

Wholly Theological Guacamole! What the heck?

Let’s talk about all three points. First, “the cloud.”

In the Old Testament the cloud – also called the Shechinah—was the visible symbol of the Divine presence which protected and attended the COI as they passed out of Egypt.

This cloud went before them by day as a cloud to guide them, and by night it became a pillar of fire to give them light.

When the Jews found themselves in trouble in the Exodus (like when the Egyptians closed in on them) the cloud is said to have gone “behind them,” and became darkness to the Egyptians but light to the Israelites, therefore it was seen as their defense.

Then when the Nation entered into the wilderness, especially while travelling through the burning desert, the cloud seems to have been expanded over the camp as a covering, which was a defense from the intense rays of a burning sun.

It is written in Numbers 10:34,

“And the cloud of JEHOVAH was upon them by day.”

All Paul is doing is supporting this Old Testament fact. Jewish Rabbi’s have over the centuries described the cloud as God
encompassing the camp of the Israelites as a wall encompasses a city and no enemy had the capacity to approach.

In our afternoon Meat studies through Revelation we read a very similar explanation of the New Heaven and New Jerusalem where the very wall around it is called Salvation.

I would suggest that the fulfillment of this Old Testament picture is the Holy Spirit which acts as a comforter, a protector, an shield and a fire.

Second, “And all passed through the sea,” which, of course speaks to the Red Sea being parted and the COI walking over its bottom, walls of water above them and held back by God’s almighty hand, until safe passage was had. Again, in the Old Covenant we have emblems of protection.

Then Paul adds in verse 2:

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

Now, admittedly, the word Paul used here COULD just be a casual use and has no religious meaning at all.

Some people say this. And there is zero proof to the contrary that there is any real meaning to these words.

All Paul is saying is that the COI walked on dry ground and all who did were baptized (got wet or were identified as having done so) “unto Moses in the cloud and the Sea.”

But I tend to see more to this passage and as a teacher I will share it. You see Paul says here that they all were “baptized unto Moses.”

That tells me that there was more going on then them just getting wet and identified.

Add in the fact that at the Baptism of Jesus from John the Baptist that the Holy Spirit descended upon Him “like a dove” (similar to the cloud mentioned here) and that He was baptized in water (just like Paul says the COI were baptized in the sea (even though they were never touched by the water but merely walked through its surrounding walls) AND finally that they were all baptized unto Moses (just like Jesus received the Baptism of John the Baptist) I am inclined to see the type of baptism that the COI experienced as a type for the baptism of Jesus and all who followed Him then and now.

Anyway, this is all a side issue. Because Paul’s point is not about baptism. What we can take from Paul’s point is discovered in the rest of the verses.

See, he begins by saying, “look, I race the race so as to not get cast off.” And then here he gives us an example of some people who were CAST off that WERE says,

“Moreover, brethren, (in addition to all of this brethren) “I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea.”

And then he adds, proving their unity and allegiance in the faith of that day, some very very interesting phrases (in verses 3-4).

So put yer thinking caps on folks because Paul now says, speaking of the COI in the wilderness together AFTER they had been baptized in the cloud and sea together.

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.

Now, there have been a number of ways to interpret these passages – and the way I interpret them is not among the interpretations I consulted.

What exactly does Paul mean when, speaking of the Nation of Israel, who had escaped bondage and ventured out into the wilderness, he says:

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.

First of all, we are talking about Old Testament, so how on earth could THEY have “drank from that Spiritual Rock that followed then and that Rock being Christ?”

How do we drink a spiritual rock and how does it follow us? If we are biblical literalists I really want to hear someone explain this to me.

And how did they eat spiritual meat?

Some commentators suggest that these references are speaking directly to the manna and quails the COI were miraculously provided, and that the Spiritual water is the water provided miraculously from the Rock when it was smote.

The explanation here is that it was a spiritual (supernatural, otherworldly) act that provided the food and drink and that all that Paul is alluding to here is that once they were in the wilderness together they all ate of this same food that came to them via miracle.

This explanation makes sense and in light of the fact that these things were provided to them miraculously, and that they ALL partook of it together, it does prove that they had ALL experienced the same spiritually uplifting, spiritually encouraging, spiritually fortifying events.

When we look to the next verses and the points Paul makes it seems like this view is both reasonable and fitting.

What I mean by this is Paul is going to go on and explain next how these very same fathers fell from faith, they became castoff (which is what he left off saying he sought to avoid in his own life.

In all probability this is the meaning because the miracle of the food and water was a witness to them, as was their baptism in the sea and cloud, and this was support enough that these people were exposed to the power and awe of God – and yet the still fell (which Paul is going to prove) and in falling, were cast off.

To me this is further evidence that even when we are baptized and miraculously delivered out of bondage; even when we are blessed with spiritual miracles and exposure to the living bread and living water, it is possible for us to be rejected.

In verse three Paul speaks to the miracle manna and quail. In verse four he adds:

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

The idea here is essentially the same as in the previous verse, that they had been highly favored of God, they enjoyed amazing evidences of His Divine care over them and in this case it involved the drinking of water that poured from the Rock.

Let’s talk about this miraculous water supply for a minute as there is little doubt that Paul was speaking to the times when the COI were without water, they began to murmur, and Moses is told to go to a rock – a solid object – to get hydration for the Nation.

This happened twice in the Old Testament narrative. In the first account we read (in Exodus 17:6)

“Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”

Of course this is a type for the Rock called Christ, who, smote on our behalf, brought forth living water to the world. It’s a fantastic type, isn’t it.

The second time is even more fascinating
As we read in numbers Numbers 20 beginning at verse 7

7 “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

What is interesting is Moses did not do as the Lord commanded Him this second time around to get rock-water. Instead of smiting the Rock, like He did the first time, Moses was told to speak to the Rock and it would provide water. But Moses was greatly frustrated with the COI and instead of speaking he smote again – and God still provided the water. But after this we read:

12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, “Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”

“Speaking verses striking” – because Moses believed God not and struck the Rock that was only to be struck once but from that point after was to simply be spoken to, he was not allowed to enter the promised land with the COI.

Pretty radical, eh?

I think that we cannot really assume that the food and water were called “spiritual” because they possessed any sort of power so it must speak to the fact that it was all provided to them by God, who is Spirit.

The only exception to this that I can think of is if Paul is trying to say that they were all nourished on the same spiritual food and drink relative to the teachings they received but this doesn’t seem to carry as much weight as the former explanation.

The final difficult line is what Paul adds when he says:

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

That’s a tough line – for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

I mean, what the heck does Paul mean in saying this relative to the COI wandering in the wilderness with Moses?

Young’s Literal Translation puts it this way:

“and all the same spiritual drink did drink, for they were drinking of a spiritual rock following them, and the rock was the Christ”

The word Christos in Greek is the equivalent of Messiah in Hebrew. So let’s begin by reading this verse this way:

“and all the same spiritual drink did drink, for they were drinking of a spiritual rock following them, and the rock was the Messiah.”

Most explanations I read for this passage suggest that what this passage is saying, at least in the first and second lines, is that “Rock” here is synonymous (or is a metonym) for water (since it came out of the rock), and that is what Paul means – the water that came out of the rock went with the Nation of Israel throughout their travels in the wilderness.

This is suggested because the water that flowed out must have been an enormous amount to have supplied the wants of more than two million of people.

In fact Deuteronomy 9:21 says that “the brook (HEBREW) stream, torrent, or river, descended out of the Mount. (see also Numbers 34:5; Joshua 15:4,47; 1st Kings 8:65; and 2nd Kings 24:7). These verse suggest that the stream was of considerable size.

Additionally, because Mount Horeb was higher than the adjacent country; and the water that gushed from the rock instead of collecting up into a pool and becoming stagnant, the water would flow off in the direction of the sea.

And the sea to which it would naturally flow would be the Red Sea, in the direction of the Eastern or what is called the Elanitic branch of that sea.

Here’s the cool thing – if it’s true – but the Israelites would probably have clung very tightly to the water issuing forth, so much so their direction in travel would have been in the direction that the water took.

And since the water was moving or on the move out of Mount Horeb, it would have been considered living water (verses stagnant water) which followed them through their journeys in the wilderness.

One final point – to me, this is not only what is being said here by Paul.

Because of the context and the point Paul seems to be making relative to staying the course and not being cast off, and walking the walk, because he mentions them ALL being baptized, and that the food and water are spiritual, I cannot help but believe that what Paul is saying is:

These all drank of the Spirit that was with them, as they drank the actual water that was with them, and they ALL ate the spiritual food that was given them (which could be considered the Word of God) as they journeyed.

And here is where Paul adds, relative to the living water they symbolically or actually spiritually drank:

“And that Rock (that water) was Christ.”

In other words the rock from which the water flowed was evidently an ordinary rock, a part of Mount Horeb; and all that this can mean is, that that rock, with the stream of water thus gushing from it, was a representation of the Messiah to come.

The word was thus often used to denote similarity or representation, and is not to be taken literally.

Therefore, in the institution of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus said of the bread, “This is my body,” that is, it represents my body. Thus also of the cup, “This cup is the new testament in my blood,” that is, it represents my blood.

I doubt that the gushing fountain of water represented anything but miracle water to the Nation, but Paul here brings more to the whole thing in my estimation.

All of this being said in the form of a set-up for the case Paul is building, he now brings us to the point and says:

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

Why? What did they do? They lost faith and their focus on trusting in the Lord with all their heart – ultimately turning to idolatry and other disturbing actions that angered God.

Paul’s design here is to the church at Corinth. He has warned them of failing in the race set before them, which he likens to being castoff.

Like the COI, who had enjoyed and experienced unbelievable things at the hands of God, the believers at Corinth were not immune to leaving the faith.

The result of the COI leaving the faith after all Paul just wrote was they were destroyed, did not enter the promised land, and were left to die in the wilderness.

The promise to the believers of that day from the Apostles was if they too wander from the faith, they too will face destruction at the coming of Christ when the nation was all but wiped out.

The promise to us believers today is located in the Book of Revelation chapters 21 and 22, where we read that in the new age, all who walk from faith will abide outside the city walls of the New Jerusalem on high.

Nothing changed. All the same – from one age to the next.

Speaking to the COI here and using them as examples, Paul plainly tells them that in spite of the fact that they were ALL so blessed by God, many (in the Greek I think it better means MOST) were overthrown.

It is at this point that Paul delivers a series of actions and attitudes that the COI maintained that led to their destruction. Let’s read them in preparation for next week.

At verse six of chapter 10 Paul now plainly says to his reader at Corinth:

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

This was his first admonition – don’t lust after evil things as they also lusted.

We will talk about this next week. Then he writes

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.

We’ll talk about what this could possibly mean. Then verse 8:

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

This is a big one because there is something to it that draws on the hearts of the believing participants – which???? We will discuss next week. And then

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

Interestingly, Paul uses Christ’s name here, not God, when talking about tempting them – next week. And finally

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

The big murmur – which is really big in this states religion. But it is a topic not original to it because obviously it was discussed big time in the Old and even the New Testament, and then Paul wraps this all up, saying something so important that I consider this passage to be one of the most significant eschatological passages in all of the New Testament. He says:

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 (as a result of all of this) let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

We’ll stop there.

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