1 Corinthians 10:1-13

(1 Corinthians 10:1-13)

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; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.  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. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.  Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.  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.  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 』

 

The Hebrews had to cross the Red Sea and the Jordan River to leave Egypt and enter Canaan. These two crossings were almost impossible at the time. The Corinthian Church was a church with gifts, but Chapter 1 said that the message of the cross is the power of God. And Paul said that the way of the cross seems foolish to those who perish. Even today, you seek the Holy Spirit, but if you think foolishly about the way of the cross, you will go beyond the core of salvation. This is evidence of not repenting. It is because it seems foolish that people today cannot follow the way of the cross. It is seen by the power of God only to those who repent.

 

Baptism in Romans 6 is different from this baptism. Baptism in Romans 6 is baptism that died with Jesus. In 6:3, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" However, in the Red Sea, King Pharaoh's army died instead. In the book of Isaiah it says, "I gave Egypt to you as your ransom." The Lord calls Egypt the ransom of Israel. So, Israel belonged to Moses and was baptized in the clouds and sea. And they came out into the wilderness and ate the spiritual food of Manna from heaven every day. That doesn't mean they are saved. It is an opportunity for salvation in the wilderness. Until the Passover, the Lord overlooked sin. God did not ask or remember the sins of the Israelites in Egypt. But God dealt with all Israel's sins in the wilderness. God judged sin for words and actions, from going to wood on the Sabbath to resentment for the rough road. When they asked for water, the Lord struck the rock and gave him a drink, Paul said, "The rock is the Christ who follows them."

 

They drank spiritual water from Christ in the wilderness. This is to experience the Holy Spirit. However, in 1 Corinthians 10:5, “But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. ' Hebrews 4:1-2 says, ``Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 』

 

The standard of salvation is not from Egypt, but the faith that crosses the Jordan River and enters Canaan. The Hebrews were those who had been preached. They were those who came out of Egypt without seeing the death of the firstborn by painting the blood of the Passover lamb. However, only that faith alone does not lead to salvation. Even today, those who think that they have been forgiven of their sins by the blood of Jesus cannot reach salvation by faith alone. The Hebrews in the wilderness obeyed outwardly, but that was not all of salvation. The old man had to die in the wilderness. If the inner faith is not united with the cross, it is a dead faith even if it has all forms of faith externally. The Bible says that the Hebrews were born again of water and the Holy Spirit over this when they crossed the Jordan River from the wilderness.

 

The Old Testament is the shadow of the New Testament. The assurance of salvation is beyond the Jordan River. God said to Joshua crossing the Jordan River, "Be of good cheer," because they have to fight. Who do they fight? The devil first entered people's thoughts and suffocated the spirit by creating an identity of “self”. Saving the dead spirit is finding the Lamb. This is the gospel. So, to repent and deny yourself is to drive out the devil. This is because 『self』 is the servant of the devil. Jesus leaves ninety-nine sheep and goes to look for one. This is why we must preach the gospel.