Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 10:1-13
First Corinthians 10:1-13 is a special section of the Word, a portion written with the history of the children of Israel as the background. Paul wrote this Epistle not only according to the situation at Corinth, but also with the history of the children of Israel as the background. Israel is a complete type of the history of the church. The Bible contains two histories — the history of Israel and the history of the church. The history of the children of Israel is a type, and the history of the church is the fulfillment of the type. Thus, the entire Bible gives us one revelation, the revelation of God’s economy. In the Old Testament we have a type, a picture, of God’s economy, whereas in the New Testament God’s economy is fulfilled.
In both 1 Corinthians and Hebrews Paul presents a clear view of the history of Israel as a type and portrait of the history of the church. We have seen that in 5:7 and 8 Paul refers to the Passover and to keeping the feast. The children of Israel experienced the Passover and kept the feast of unleavened bread. As Christians in the New Testament age, we also have our Passover and our feast of unleavened bread. In 10:1-13, part of the section which deals with the eating of sacrifices to idols, Paul again refers to the history of Israel, taking it as a type of the church.
If we would understand why in 10:1-13 Paul again refers to Israel as a type, we need to remember that chapter nine is an insertion related to Paul’s own person. The fact that 10:1-13 is a continuation of this insertion is proved by the word “for” in 10:1. This word indicates that what follows is a continuation and an explanation of what has gone before. Chapter ten is not only a continuation of chapter nine, but also a further definition of the race in 9:24-27, with the children of Israel in the wilderness used as an illustration. At the end of chapter nine Paul charges us to run the Christian course, and in chapter ten he uses the children of Israel as an illustration of running this course. The running of the Christian course ordained by God is typified by the history of the children of Israel. The Israelites ran the course from Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the good land. It took forty years for them to complete this course.
We have seen that in chapter nine Paul presents himself as a pattern of one who is pure and faithful. If we take Christ as our life and practice being one spirit with Him, we, like Paul, shall be pure and faithful. In chapter nine Paul seems to be saying, “Brothers, you should imitate me and take me as a pattern. I encourage you to take Christ as life and be one spirit with Him. This will enable you to be pure and faithful and cause you to care for your bodies, which are members of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. If you have a proper regard for your bodies, you will eat in a proper way and have the proper married life. Otherwise, you will damage your body, which is the temple of God. You may also destroy other members of the Body of Christ.”
The way Paul deals with the practical problem of eating is full of life and spiritual understanding. He could deal with the problem in such a way because he was full of Christ, one with the Lord, and saturated with the life-giving Spirit.
After presenting himself as a positive pattern, Paul uses the children of Israel as a negative pattern. In doing this, he sounds a word of warning to the Corinthians and indicates that they should imitate him, the positive pattern, but not the children of Israel, who are a negative pattern.
In 10:1 and 2 Paul says, “For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” The words “to be ignorant” refer to the question “Do you not know?” in 9:24. The word all indicates that all the children of Israel who had enjoyed the Passover entered into the race and began running the race from the time they left the land of Rameses (Exo. 12:37).
Why did Paul say “our fathers” when most of the Corinthian believers were Greeks and not Jews? The reason may be that Paul considered God’s chosen people, both Jews and Greeks, one great family. Hence, the people of God in the Old Testament are our fathers.
Verse 1 says that all our fathers “were under the cloud.” The cloud that covered the children of Israel typifies the Spirit of God being with the New Testament believers. Immediately after the New Testament believers take Christ as their Passover (5:7), the Spirit of God comes to be with them and lead them to run the Christian race, just as the pillar of cloud came to be with the children of Israel and to lead them (Exo. 13:21-22; 14:19-20).
In verse 2 Paul says that “all were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” The children of Israel’s passing through the Red Sea (Exo. 14:21-30) typifies the baptism of the New Testament believers (Rom. 6:4).
The children of Israel were baptized unto Moses to begin the holy race for the fulfilling of God’s purpose, that is, to enter into the good land and build the temple so that God may have a kingdom with an expression of Himself on the earth. This typifies the New Testament believers being baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27) that God may have His kingdom with the church as His expression on the earth.
In the cloud signifies in the Spirit, and in the sea means in the water. The New Testament believers are baptized in the water and in the Spirit (Matt. 3:11; Acts 1:5; 1 Cor. 12:13).
According to Paul’s allegorization of the Bible, to cross the Red Sea is to be baptized. He even says that the children of Israel were baptized unto Moses. Moses, no doubt, should be regarded as a type of Christ. They were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and we are baptized unto Christ in the Spirit and in water. When we were baptized, both the Spirit and the water were around us. The cloud signifies the Spirit; this is related to life. The sea signifies the water of death. Hence, baptism is a matter of both life and death. It involves putting the old creation to death so that we may be generated in life.
In verse 3 Paul goes on to say, “And all ate the same spiritual food.” This refers to manna (Exo. 16:14-18), which typifies Christ as our daily life supply (John 6:31-35) for the Christian journey. We believers should all eat the same spiritual food, not eating anything other than Christ.
In verse 4 Paul says, “And all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of a spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was Christ.” The spiritual drink here refers to the living water that flowed out of the cleft rock (Exo. 17:6), which typifies the Spirit as our all-inclusive drink (John 7:37-39; 1 Cor. 12:13). For our race, we should all drink the same spiritual drink, not drinking anything other than the all-inclusive Spirit.
Literally, the Greek words rendered “a spiritual rock which followed” are “a spiritual following rock.” The rock that was smitten and cleft to flow out the living water for God’s chosen people (Exo. 17:6) was a physical rock. Yet the apostle calls it a spiritual rock because it typifies Christ smitten and cleft by God to flow out the water of life (John 19:34) to satisfy the thirst of His believers. Hence, the apostle says the rock was Christ. Because it was a spiritual rock signifying Christ, it was able to follow the children of Israel. This indicates that Christ as the real rock is following His believers.
Paul was bold to tell us that the physical rock of Exodus 17:6 was a spiritual rock and that this rock was Christ. Those who study the Word primarily in a mental way would never expound the Bible in such a way. They would never call a physical rock a spiritual rock. Was the rock in Exodus 17 physical or spiritual? In actuality it was physical. However, we need to have a spiritual view of this physical rock and see through the physical into the spiritual. Yes, the rock was physical, but Paul viewed it according to his spiritual sight. Thus, in his eyes it was a spiritual rock. This is the proper way to read the Bible. It is not to change the Bible; it is to go beyond the black and white letters and touch the spirit. Because Paul did this regarding the physical rock, to him that rock was Christ. He was not cautious, and he did not say that the rock typifies Christ. He declared boldly that the rock was Christ, that it was a spiritual rock following the people. What we have here is the utterance of a man who is filled with the Spirit and who has the view of the Spirit. We also need to have a spiritual view when we read the Word.
Verses 1 through 4 speak of the children of Israel in a positive way, but verses 5 through 11 picture them in a negative way. In verse 5, a strong word of warning, Paul says, “But with most of them God was not well pleased, for they were strewn along in the wilderness.” Literally, this means that they were strewn down along the ground; that is, they were laid low on the ground by slaying. This refers to Numbers 14:16 and 29.
Of all the children of Israel who came out of Egypt, only two, Joshua and Caleb, entered the good land. This indicates that only a small number of the living Christians will be in the good land when the Lord Jesus comes back. Furthermore, the bodies of Joseph and Jacob were also brought into the land of Canaan. This indicates that a number of deceased Christians will be resurrected and as overcomers will enter into the coming kingdom.
In verse 5 Paul tells us that with most of the children of Israel God was not well pleased. Because He was not well pleased with them, they were strewn along in the wilderness. Their dead bodies were scattered in the wilderness without a proper burial or funeral. In one day alone, more than twenty thousand were slain and strewn along the ground, their bodies scattered in the wilderness. This should warn us not to listen to the superficial and superstitious teaching that as long as a person believes in the Lord Jesus and is saved, everything will be all right. This is equal to saying that simply because the children of Israel had experienced the Passover, everything concerning them was all right. However, the very ones who struck the blood of the Passover lamb, who made their exodus from Egypt, who crossed the Red Sea, and who even received God’s revelation at Mount Sinai and ate the manna and drank of the living water were strewn along in the wilderness. We cannot deny the fact that the children of Israel were redeemed and saved. Nevertheless, most of them fell in the wilderness.
Not even Moses and Aaron entered the good land. Aaron died because of his mistake, and Miriam died because of her rebellion. Even Moses died, not because of old age, but because he had done something serious against God’s government. He was allowed to see the land, but he was not permitted to enter into it. Deuteronomy 34:4 says, “And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.” The Lord loved Moses, regarding him as an intimate friend, but for the sake of His government He could not allow Moses to go into the land. Moses had done something against God’s government, and the Lord had to uphold His government. For this reason He could not permit Moses to enter the land. Here we see that Moses, one who was truly a man of God, was not allowed to enter the good land. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, three leaders among the people, died in the wilderness. It surely is not good to die in this way.
In verse 6 Paul continues, “Now these things occurred as types of us, that we should not be lusters after evil things, as they also lusted.” Here Paul says that these things happened as types of us. Thus, he includes himself with all believers in the matter of running the Christian race. These types indicate that we should not be lusters after evil things, as the children of Israel lusted. The word “also” in verse 6 indicates that the Corinthians were lusting after evil things. Therefore, Paul warns them not to be those who lust.
Paul’s use of the word types is very significant. The Greek word also means examples, figures of facts of spiritual truths. We have seen that 1 Corinthians takes the history of the children of Israel in the Old Testament as a type of the New Testament believers. In chapters five, seven, and eight they have experienced Christ as their Passover and have begun to keep the feast of unleavened bread. Here in this chapter they have been baptized unto their Moses (Christ), passing through their Red Sea (the death of Christ). They are now eating the spiritual food and drinking the spiritual drink that they may take their journey (the Christian race) toward their good land (the all-inclusive Christ). They are also warned here (v. 11) not to repeat the history of the children of Israel in doing evil against God, as illustrated in verses 6 through 11.
The goal of God’s calling the children of Israel was to enter into the promised land to enjoy its riches that they might establish God’s kingdom and be God’s expression on earth. However, although all had been redeemed through the Passover, delivered out of the Egyptian tyranny, and brought to the mountain of God to receive the revelation of God’s dwelling place, the tabernacle, nearly all fell and died in the wilderness, failing to reach this goal (Heb. 3:7-19) because of their evil doings and unbelief. Only Caleb and Joshua made it into the good land (Num. 14:27-30). This signifies that although we have been redeemed through Christ, delivered out of Satan’s bondage, and brought into the revelation of God’s economy, we may yet fail to reach the goal of God’s calling, that is, to enter into the possession of our good land, Christ (Phil. 3:12-14), and enjoy His riches for the kingdom of God that we may be His expression in the present age and participate in the fullest enjoyment of Christ in the kingdom age (Matt. 25:21, 23). This should be a solemn warning to all New Testament believers, especially to the Corinthians, who were in danger of repeating the failure of the children of Israel in the wilderness.
Verse 7 says, “Neither become idolaters, as some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.” The abusive eating of the children of Israel was related to their idolatry in worshipping the golden calf (Exo. 32:1-6). The apostle’s word here implies that the Corinthians’ eating of idol sacrifices without any consideration was also somewhat related to idolatry.
In verse 7 we have the biblical interpretation of idolatry. Idolatry is to eat, drink, and play. When the children of Israel worshipped the golden calf, they sat down to eat and drink, and they stood up to play. Here to play means to have entertainment. Eating, drinking, and playing are equal to worshipping idols. Today people everywhere are committing idolatry in this way. Whenever there is a holiday or a long weekend, they give themselves to play, to the pursuit of various kinds of entertainment. Furthermore, in many of today’s Christian services there is the practice of idolatry. In the sight of God, the music and the dramas found in certain services are idolatry. In many places Christians are not actually worshipping God — they are practicing idolatry. Their way of service is idolatrous in the eyes of God. We also must be careful in the way we use musical instruments in the meetings. Our singing should be for worship, not for fun. When we sing in the meetings, we need to have a genuine spirit of worship. If our singing becomes mere entertainment, that is idolatry. The singing in the meetings of the church must not be play; it must be genuine worship offered to God.
Verse 8 continues, “Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and there fell in one day twenty-three thousand.” Fornication accompanies idolatry (Num. 25:1-2). Hence, these two things are referred to together, as also in Acts 15:20, 29. Undoubtedly, the implication here is that these two evils also existed among the Corinthian believers. Hence, these are the main things dealt with in chapters five through ten.
In this verse Paul uses the word “fell.” This means to be strewn along, to be laid low on the ground by being slain. Those who fell in this way were not properly buried. Instead, they were scattered in the wilderness.
In verse 9 Paul goes on to say, “Neither let us tempt the Lord, as some of them tempted and were destroyed by the serpents.” Literally, the Greek word for tempt means to try to the uttermost, to “tempt out,” to tempt thoroughly. According to Numbers 21:6, those who tempted the Lord were destroyed by serpents.
Verse 10 says, “Neither murmur, as some of them murmured and perished by the destroyer.” The murmuring of the children of Israel (Num. 16:41) typified the negative speaking of the Corinthian believers against the apostle (1 Cor. 4:3; 9:3). The children of Israel who murmured perished; they were destroyed in death, laid low on the ground. The destroyer mentioned in verse 10 is God’s executing angel (Exo. 12:23; 2 Sam. 24:16-17). No doubt, by referring to the murmuring of the children of Israel Paul implies that the Corinthian believers should be careful about murmuring against him.
In verse 11 Paul explains, “Now these things happened to them as types, and were written for our admonition, unto whom the ends of the ages have come.” Again Paul says that the things that happened to the children of Israel in the wilderness are types. These types were written for our admonition. Admonition here implies a warning.
In verse 11 Paul speaks of the ends of the ages. The Greek word for ends also means fulfillment or consummation. The ends of the ages here refer to the New Testament age, from the Lord’s first coming to His second coming (Heb. 9:26). This implies that the New Testament age, in which we are, is the age of grace, when we may take the admonition concerning the history of the children of Israel. Following this age is the kingdom age, when these examples in the Old Testament age will no longer serve for our Christian race.
In this verse Paul seems to be saying, “This age, the age of grace, is the end of the ages. Brothers, you are all in the age of grace. What happened to the children of Israel is still a type as an admonition for you. If you do not heed the warning of this type and walk in the light of this warning, you will miss the opportunity. When this age is over, these types of the children of Israel will no longer serve you.”
In verse 12 Paul says, “So then, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Based upon the admonition in verses 5 through 11, the apostle warns the Corinthians not to think they are standing steadfast, with no danger of falling dead as the children of Israel did. The word “fall” here refers to the children of Israel who failed, those who fell and died in the wilderness. Some Corinthian believers did fall and die because of offending the Lord’s body (11:27-30).
In verse 12 Paul tells the philosophical Corinthians to take heed lest they fall. They may think that they are strong, steady, and standing fast. But Paul warned them not to fall, as the children of Israel did. As we shall see, in chapter eleven Paul points out that those who offended the Lord in the matter of the Lord’s table became weak, sick, and some even died. This is to fall. Any New Testament believer who dies without overcoming is one who falls. Paul died, but he did not die defeated. He did not fall in the wilderness. On the contrary, he died overcoming. He was like Joshua and Caleb, who did not die in the wilderness. However, most Christians die as defeated ones. For a Christian to die defeated by sin, the world, the flesh, lust, Satan, or anything evil is to fall in the wilderness. It is actually to be strewn along in the wilderness. This is a very serious matter.
Paul’s warning in these verses is a word of righteousness (Heb. 5:13). Today where can you hear such a word of righteousness proclaimed among Christians? Instead of the word of righteousness, there are sugar-coated sermons which often encourage people to practice idolatry. This is a serious situation, and it requires a serious word of warning.
In verse 13 Paul goes on to say, “No temptation has taken you except that which is common to man; but God is faithful, Who will not let you be tempted beyond what you are able, but will with the temptation make also the way out, that you may be able to endure it.” This verse is a continuation of the warning given in verse 12, indicating that, on the one hand, we should take heed not to be tempted lest we fall and die. On the other hand, God in His faithfulness will not allow any temptation to befall us beyond what we are able to endure, but will always make a way out for us. This word of encouragement follows the strong warning given in the foregoing verses.
Some readers of 1 Corinthians think that the word temptation in verse 13 means trial or trouble. According to their understanding, this verse is saying that whatever trial we suffer is common to all men. Actually, here Paul does not mean trouble; he means temptation. In Matthew 6:13 the Lord Jesus teaches us to pray both to be delivered from evil and also not to be led into temptation. The evil here includes troubles such as accidents. Temptation refers to things around us which tempt us. Thus, we need to pray that the Lord would daily deliver us from troubles and not lead us into temptation. We realize that we are weak and cannot bear temptation. In 10:13 Paul is speaking of temptation, not troubles or trials.
Paul’s word in verse 13 is both a comfort and a correction to the Corinthians. The Corinthians may have thought that the temptations were too strong to be resisted. But Paul points out that no temptation has taken them except that which is common to man. He also says that God is faithful and will not allow them to be tempted beyond what they are able to bear, but with the temptation will provide a way out so that they may be able to endure it. This is a word of promise and of encouragement. However, it leaves the responsibility for being tempted with us, not with God. When we are tempted, we should never blame God for the temptation. According to this verse, the responsibility for being tempted rests on our shoulders. At the same time, we may be encouraged to know that the faithful God will provide a way out for us.
