A lot of what happened in the Old Testament was symbolic of what was to come. Here are a few examples:
Exodus 13:21-22 By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
Exodus 14:29-31 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 30That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.
Numbers 9:15-23 On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. 16That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. 17Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. 18At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out. 20Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. 23At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.
Numbers 14:14 And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, LORD, are with these people and that you, LORD, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
Deuteronomy 1:32-33 In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God, 33who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.
1For 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.
As shown in the verses from the Old Testament shown above, the cloud was God’s leadership and guidance. His guidance never failed them.
2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
As a people, they were united under God’s redemptive program and they submitted to Moses as their deliverer and leader. The word ‘baptized’ is used to depict their submission to Moses, just as Christian baptism depicts the believer’s submission to Christ as Lord and Savior.
3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
The spiritual food and drink (the manna and water) from the rock were symbolic of Christ (the rock), the bread and water of life. These represented the spiritual sustenance God continually provides for his people through Christ as we read in John:
John 6:30-35 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” 35Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
In spite of the remarkable privileges God had given to Israel, they failed to obey Him, thus incurring His displeasure. Of all of the adults who came out of Egypt, only two were actually allowed to enter the promised land of Canaan, Caleb and Joshua as we read in Numbers:
Numbers 14:20-24; 14:30 The LORD replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. 21Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, 22not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— 23not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
30Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
6Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Do 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.”
Here Paul is referring to the incident of the golden calf as described in Exodus 32:1-6: When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” 2Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.” 6So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.
Paul is referring to Israel’s joining herself to Baal as told in Numbers 25:1-9:
While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. 3So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them. 4The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.” 5So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.” 6Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 7When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand 8and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; 9but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.
They participated in the worship of Baal and engaged in sexual immorality with the prostitutes. Although Paul quotes 23,000 as the number that died, in Numbers 25:9, we are told it was 24,000. Paul’s purpose was not to be exact, but to make his point that A LOT of people died because of their wickedness. Writers at that time were not so concerned about being exact as they are today. They were simply trying to get their point across.
9We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
Numbers 16:41-50 The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the LORD’s people,” they said.
42But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, 44and the LORD said to Moses, 45“Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” And they fell facedown. 46Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has started.” 47So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. 48He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. 49But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. 50Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, for the plague had stopped.
Exodus 12:23 When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.
Paul links the event of the plague due to the grumbling of the Israelites to the destroying angel of Exodus. His message is “Do not cross the Lord!”
11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.
“culmination (or fulfillment) of the ages”. This is the period of time between Christ’s death and resurrection and continuing into the future until Christ’s second coming and beyond. It is the period of fulfillment when all that God has done for His people throughout all the ages comes to fruition in the Messiah.
Paul is explaining the importance of the Old Testament scriptures. He says these things are important for us to know so we can learn from the mistakes those people made. Let it warn us of what could happen.
We must learn from history. That is the purpose of studying history in school; so we can learn from previous mistakes. The Old Testament is Jewish history and has been preserved for us to read, study, and learn from the mistakes made so we don’t repeat them.
Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
The same temptations causing those delivered out of Egypt to be banned from the Promised Land were very much the same temptations the people of Corinth were facing, lustful indulgence.
12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13No 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.
The Greek word for temptation or tempted can also mean testing or tested. Don’t be over-confident or too sure you can withstand the temptations of this world. Keep your guard up. Temptation in itself is not a sin. Everyone is tempted, even Jesus (as told in Matthew 4:1-11). The sin is in yielding to that temptation, giving into it. God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle. Anytime there is temptation, He provides an alternative for us so that we can choose the way out. He will give us the strength to resist if we will accept His help.
14Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.
The Corinthian Christians had come out of a background of paganism. As they went through their everyday lives, they were surrounded by temples for the worship of Apollo, Asclepius, Demeter, Aphrodite and other pagan gods and goddesses. The strongest temptation was probably that of Aphrodite with its many ‘sacred prostitutes’.
15I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.
Paul says, ‘okay, you’re reasonable people, you should be able to grasp this’. Then he describes the Lord’s Supper and how the loaf and the cup are symbols to remind us of Christ and His sacrifice. The Lord’s Supper was instituted at the Jewish Passover before Christ was crucified (as told in Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; & Luke 22:7-23.)
“one loaf” : The act of many believers partaking of one loaf of bread symbolizes the unity of the body of Christ, the church, which is nourished by the one bread of life, Jesus.
18Consider the people of Israel: Do not those who eat the sacrifices participate in the altar? 19Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.
When those of the Old Testament sacrificed animals at God’s altar and then ate the meat, they participated in the worship of God. Likewise, when the pagans eat the meat from their sacrifices, they are worshipping demons. The idols are not gods, but in reality, it was demons that were the objects of idol worship. Paul doesn’t say it is wrong to eat the meat that has been sacrificed to idols, but it is wrong to eat it with the pagans as part of their worship for then they would be participants in worshiping the demons.
22Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
Paul then warns them not to share in the pagan worship or they will arouse the Lord’s jealousy.
Exodus 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
23“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.
Once again Paul is quoting the Corinthians who believed since they are not ‘under the law’, they have the freedom to do as they want without consequence. But he tells them to beware. Just because you have freedom from the law of Moses, your actions may not be beneficial to you or to others. There could be consequences. You must consider the good of others as well as yourself.
Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
25Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
Paul quotes from Psalm 24:1 which is used at Jewish mealtimes as a blessing. So you may eat anything sold in the meat market, even if it was originally a sacrifice to an idol, because once it is in the public market it loses its pagan religious significance.
27If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. 29I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience? 30If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
If you are invited to a meal by an unbeliever and they place the meat in front of you, don’t ask any questions about if it’s been sacrificed to idols or not. If the subject doesn’t come up, then eat. But if you are told it was a sacrifice to an idol, then you must not eat it.
Paul has already said it’s okay to eat meat sacrificed to idols once it is in the marketplace. So now why would he say not to eat it at a neighbor’s table? Even worse than that, you can eat it even if you know it’s been sacrificed, as long as the subject doesn’t come up. How does that make sense?
Paul’s reasoning here is the meat is okay to eat, but if the meat has been identified as meat sacrificed to idols and you eat it, the others at the table, whether believers or unbelievers, may think you condone, or even are willing to participate in, the worship of idols.
Paul says don’t eat it, for the sake of the man who told you and “for conscience sake”--- not for YOUR conscience, but the other man’s conscience. You might cause the other man to think it is alright to eat meat sacrificed to idols, even though he might have had doubts about it before. So you will have unintentionally caused that man to falter. Or, if he was an unbeliever, he may think Christians worship both God and pagan idols.
Then he asks, ‘why should my freedoms, given to me by God’s grace, be compromised because of what someone else might think?’
31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
Answering his own question, he says the reason is because we need to be sure God is glorified in everything we do, and not cause anyone around us to have reason to think ill of Christians or of God. Although what we do may not be sinful, it could be misinterpreted by others, causing them to stumble or stray away from the Truth of Jesus. Living to glorify God will result in doing what is beneficial for others, whether Christians or non-Christians. Paul is not saying he will compromise the truths of the gospel in order to please everyone, but he will consider his fellow man and not cause anyone to be offended by his daily life because if he offends someone, then he can’t witness to them and they won’t receive the gospel and be saved.
Our purpose as Christians is to bring others to Jesus. We cannot do that if those we are trying to win do not respect us. If we are doing things others see as questionable, even if God doesn’t, we could lose their respect and be seen as hypocrites. This is exactly what most nonbelievers are looking for so they can discredit Christianity. We need to make sure we do not give them more ammunition.
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