Paul gives a sobering warning.  There’s more to the Christian life than just being baptized and moving on.  It’s not enough to just ride on those acts.

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.  They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.  They all ate the same spiritual food  and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.  Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness (v. 1-5).

They had in essence been baptized into Moses when they went through the Red Sea.  They drank from the Rock that was Christ.  Yet God was not pleased with them.  Why?

1) Idolatry –

Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 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” (v. 6-7).

For much of the world that is reading this, idols of wood and stone are not so present.  Although they are present in some form in every nation.

Does that mean we do not have idols?  Not at all.

Idols were those objects that appealed to the desires of our flesh.  And they are what we give our time, our money, and our desires to.

While our idols might not be made out of wood and stone, oftentimes it seems our ideologies and desires become idols.  We put these before the worship of God.

Want to do an idol test?  Where do you spend much of your time?  Where do you spend your money and why?  How are you pursuing to fulfill desires that are less than righteous?

2) Sexual Immorality

We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.  We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes (v. 8-9).

If there is ONE thing that turns people away from God, it is the desire for sexual gratification.  God can have much of our lives, but people do not want him to have that one.  Consider the following false beliefs.

Porn (problematic for many men) – “It doesn’t hurt anybody”
Fantasy (problematic for many women) – “At least I’m not with an actual person”
Homosexuality and transgenderism – “God made me this way”
Fornication (sex outside of marriage) – “I have needs”
Adultery – “I still love my spouse”

The Bible is clear on these issues.  But show someone the Scripture and these are the responses:

“Just read this other book and you will see it’s just context”
or
“The Bible is open to many interpretations”

The truth is we don’t God to interfere with our sexual desires.  We want to express them freely and indulge at will.  And anyone who says otherwise is labeled a _______ phobic of some kind.  Or told they are being hateful to people.  Or are trying to change them.

Or they just flat our reject God rather than surrender their sexuality.

Listen.  We ALL struggle with this issue.  If you don’t, you are maybe the .000001% and that’s awesome.

But our sexual desires are like a river.  As long as they stay between the banks, they can bring life.  When they rage across the boundaries, they go into the land and bring devastation.  Ask anyone who has had to endure flood waters.

Yes.  God puts boundaries on our sexual expressions.  It is for our good.  And for his honor.

This Scripture gives us a very direct and strong warning.

Do not give in to the culture.  Do not give in to the people around you.

Sexual expression is a covenant connection between one man and one woman in marriage.

3) Complaining

And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel (v. 10)

Complaining is the language we often speak.  It’s the language I often speak.  We don’t even realize we are doing it.

More importantly, we forget it is a very deadly sin.  It dishonors the good things the Lord gives us.

Complaining kills faith.

It is a testing of the Lord.

And it is serious business.

We complain about politics and politicians instead of praying for them.  We complain about what we lack and not appreciate what we have.  We complain about other people instead of honoring them with our speech.

And we complain to God.  Oh, how we complain to God.

What will it take so that our dialect is gratitude and not complaining?

The Scriptures say this about the idolatry, sexual immorality and grumbling of the Israelites.  And how their subsequent punishment is an example for us.

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.  So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (v. 11-12)

This was written to Chistians.  Baptized, Jesus following Christians.  And yet the warning is strong.  Be careful!

But there is an encouragement.  God is with us.

¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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