Angelic Conflict part 136: Human history – 1Co 10:1-13; Exo 32:8; Heb 3; Num 12:3, 7-8; 16:41; 21:4-5; 25:2-3; Eph 2:19-22.

Title: Angelic Conflict part 136: Human history - 1CO 10:1-13; EXO 32:8; Heb 3; NUM 12:3, 7-8; 16:41; 21:4-5; 25:2-3; EPH 2:19-22.

 

 

Conflict amongst a group of people: Moses and the Exodus. Moses will be used by God to make a people (Hebrew) into a nation (Israel).

 

This conflict in history means that God has enemies, selfish, arrogant, self-serving people

 

1CO 10:1-4: Privileges are no guarantee of success.

 

1CO 10:1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

 

The cloud stood between their camp and the camp of the pursuing Egyptians and protected Israel and all passed through the sea.

 

1CO 10:2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

 

“baptized” = identified with Moses (not wet). Baptism of the Spirit identifies the CA believer with Christ.

 

1CO 10:3 and all ate the same spiritual food [believers and unbelievers];

 

1CO 10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.

 

PSA 105:37

Then He brought them out with silver and gold;

And among His tribes there was not one who stumbled.

 

"Baptized unto" him (Ex 14:31) is thus equivalent to 'initiated into the Mosaic covenant:' introduced into relationship with him as the God-appointed leader.

 

Paul's argument is, The Corinthians, it is true, have been "baptized," into union with Christ through God the HS at salvation. Israel was baptized into a covenant union with Moses, identifying with God’s promises to Moses and therefore identifying with him as their leader, but this baptism did not save them from the doom of lusting for evil, rampant immorality, idolatry, paganism, and testing God. So the Corinthian church started out as babes in Christ with the tremendous potential of the spiritual life, but they too began to crave evil things and worship idols and practice immorality, calling it grace, and testing God and complaining about Paul.

 

An individual believer and a local assembly can make the same mistakes as the exodus and therefore their experience is written for our instruction.

 

This is all followed by a big “nevertheless” in verse 5.

 

5 favors from God:

1.Under the cloud (protected from Egyptians).

2. Passed through the sea.

3. Baptized (identified) with Moses.

4. Ate spiritual food.

5. Drank spiritual drink.

 

“40 things we received at the moment of salvation” review.

 

1CO 10:5-12: Good beginnings are not a guarantee of good endings. The Corinthian church started strong and then tempted God and craved evil things.

 

1CO 10:5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.

 

They were saved from Egypt but did not claim their inheritance in the Promised Land. All believers in the church have amazing potential under equal privilege and equal opportunity, but not all believers realize the fulfillment of their election in Christ and if they don’t, it was for the simple reason that they did not love and adore the word of God.

 

PHI 3:12

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

 

1CO 10:6 Now these things happened as examples for us, that we should not crave evil things, as they also craved.

 

There is no implication of loss of salvation, which the Bible is clear that such a thing is impossible, but the implication is a disqualification from realization of a promised inheritance.

 

1CO 9:27 but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.

 

“disqualified” - avdo,kimoj[adokimos] = negative “a” with “dokimos” - to approve through testing. Someone who will not stand the test, will test poorly and be rejected.

 

Some may say, ok, so I lost my inheritance, but I’m still saved. And they are quite right and that does not diminish the comfort of eternal life. What is also implied is that you were not able to be tested. God knew that if He put pressure on you in order to make the new man shine and glorify Himself that you would have completely fallen apart and complained.

 

Paul is rightly concerned that he will not pass certain tests after he has taught his congregations how to pass them.

 

1CO 10:7 And do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, " The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play." [EXO 32:6]

 

EXO 32:8

They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed to it, and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!'"

It is likely that the Jews identified this Egyptian god with Jehovah, but the word “god” is in the plural rendering, “these are your gods O Israel.” So Israel likely took the pagan worship of Apis, the fertility god, and attempted to blend that with Jehovah, thus satisfied that they had not actually offended Jehovah they delved into the type of worship that the fertility god demanded, alcohol, dancing, and orgies. This is a classic example of self-justification and claiming that it is still worship of the one, true God. Sound doctrine can never, ever be compromised without eventually compromising the entire spiritual life.

 

Similarly, the Corinthians were giving lip service to God and worshipping other things, namely the flesh.

 

1CO 10:8 Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.

 

NUM 25:2-3

For they [Moabites] invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor [lord of Peor - a Moabite mountain], and the Lord was angry against Israel.

 

1CO 10:9 Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents.

 

NUM 21:4-5

and the people became impatient because of the journey. And the people spoke against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food."

 

So God sent fiery serpents among them that bit them and they would die from the bite unless they looked upon the brazen serpent on the standard. That brazen serpent represented Christ who would be raised up.

 

God will test your patience. If you are going to follow Him then you will follow Him if blessing, deliverance, and whatever destination you are looking to is far off.

 

1CO 10:10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

 

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram wanted to be high priest and when they presented themselves as such before the altar they died as did all who joined in their rebellion. Here’s what the people had to say:

 

NUM 16:41

But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You are the ones who have caused the death of the Lord's people."

 

5 divine favors are followed by 5 failures:

1.Craved evil things.

2. Worshipped idols.

3. Performed pagan rituals.

4. Acted immorally.

5. Tried the Lord.

 

1CO 10:11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

 

1CO 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

 

Because of their lust for evil things, the Corinthians were guilty of immorality (1 Cor 6), idolatry (1 Cor 8; 10), and murmuring against God (2 Cor 12:20-21). Like the nation of Israel, they were tempting God and just "daring Him" to act.

 

1CO 10:13: God’s power (BD and F/HS) gives us the way of escaping the testing that comes from OSN, world, and KOD, not sinlessness but deliverance.

 

1CO 10:13 No temptation [peirasmos] has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.

 

Heb 3 contrasts the celebrityship of Christ with the breakdown of faith rest. Is Christ your celebrity?

 

Chapters 3-6 are directed towards reversionistic Jewish believers in Jerusalem in 68 AD, just two years before the city’s destruction.

 

HEB 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers [partners] of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.

 

The word for “partakers” is translated “partners” in LUK 5:7 in reference to fisherman. James, John, Peter, and Andrew were partners.

 

We are partners in a heavenly calling, our election in Christ Jesus, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation, which makes each believer members of His body. The Bible also uses this word to state that we are each partners with the Holy Spirit, and even partners with divine discipline.

 

“consider Jesus” - katanoe,w[katanoeo] = kata - down; noeo - perceive with the mind. To understand fully, to consider closely, to intensely think about, or to be occupied with.

 

The prefix “kata” literally would mean to think down or to bear down on something with your mind and so to be occupied with or intensely thinking about someone.

 

HEB 3:2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house.

 

There was never a time when Christ was unfaithful to the Father and there will never be a time when He is unfaithful to any believer.

 

Jesus is the Celebrity while Moses is a hero because he was a man oriented to grace.

 

NUM 12:3

(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.)

 

There is one Celebrity and many heroes who are occupied with Him.

 

NUM 12:7-8

He [Moses] is faithful in all My household;

With him I speak mouth to mouth,

 

HEB 3:3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.

 

In human life celebrities come and celebrities go, but here we have the perfect tense [counted worthy] to show that Jesus Christ always was and there never will be a time when He is not a celebrity.

 

“house” - not a literal house, but the nation and dispensation of Israel of which Moses was a part, but not the builder.