Moreover, brethren, I
do not want you
to be unaware that
all our fathers
were under the cloud,
all passed
through the sea, all
were baptized
into Moses in the
cloud and in the sea,
all ate the same
spiritual food,
and all drank the
same spiritual drink.
For they drank of
that spiritual
Rock that followed
them,
and that Rock was
Christ.
1 Corinthians 10: 1
-- 4
Paul is
setting forth an example of the Jews, the church under the Old Testament. It must be remembered that Paul in writing
to the Corinthians was writing to people who for the most part were Greeks and
not Jews. Therefore Paul had need to
describe this example of the Jews and apply it to the church. Paul was reminding the Corinthian Christians
that as the Jews, who were delivered from Egypt, and were under the cloud, and
passed through the sea they too were also under the Divine covering and
conduct. That is also true of us today
who are Christians for we are also under the Divine cloud. Paul uses a very interesting term when he
says that the Jews were "baptized" into Moses by means of this Divine
cloud. The use of this word
metaphorically carries the meaning that by being "baptized" by the
cloud and the sea they were thoroughly infused by this spiritual food. If we look back at this deliverance of the
Jews from Egypt we find that the cloud sometimes was shining to show them their
way, and sometimes dark to hide them from their pursuing enemies, and sometimes
spread over them to defend them from the burning sun in the sandy desert: "He spread a cloud for a covering, and
fire to give light in the night" (Psalm 105: 39). God and never changes for He will always be
the protector of His people and at times He will hide you from evil, from those
who are pursuing you, to harm you in some way, and at times He will be the
shining light to show you the way which He has done by His written Word and by
the leading of the Holy Spirit, in this the Holy Spirit does by leading you to
His word whereby He leads. We must
remember that a type of our redemption by Christ who is the one who saves us by
conquering and destroying His enemies.
God miraculously led the Jews to the promised land. He did this by a
miracle at the Red Sea where He parted in and cause it to be dry land by the
wind so the Hebrews could pass over and then use that same miracle to
destroy their pursuing Egyptian armies.
God is in control of all things even though at times we may question
whether or not that is true. God gave
us these examples and Paul was using it here and now for the Corinthians and
also for us to read and to apply in our lives.
By the baptism that came through Moses and by those miracles brought the
nation of Israel under obligation to the law given to them by Moses and the
covenant, and we are by baptism under the Christian law and covenant. Therefore the whole nation of Israel could
be said that they were acknowledged as the Church of God, and remember the word
church means the called out ones, and as all professing Christians are also
admitted into the church by baptism.
Baptism is not that of regeneration as some may teach, even those in the
early church fell prey to this falls doctrine, it is to be acknowledged that God goes in
front of all people and we are the bride of Christ and His
Church, therefore He goes before us. Did not the Hebrews eat of the
same spiritual meat and drink of the same spiritual drink, that we do? This drink was a stream that flowed from the
Rock, for the manna on which they were fed was a type of Christ crucified, the
Bread which came down out of heaven:
"I am the bread of life. Your
fathers ate the manner in the wilderness, and are dead or in this is the bread
which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from
heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he
will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall
give for the life of the world" (John 6: 48 -- 51). Jesus Christ is the Rock that the church is
built upon, not Peter as the Roman Catholic Church holds as a doctrine, rather
it is Jesus Christ who is the Rock of the church and all the streams that issue
from Him, all Christian believers drink, and we are refreshed. Yes the Jews did eat of this meet, and drink
of this rock, called here a spiritual rock, because it typified the spiritual
things, this typifies the sacred influences of the Holy Spirit, as given to
believers through Christ. Now it would
seem as though those who are eating of that spiritual meat, and drinking of
that spiritual grain, would be holy and acceptable to God, but this was not the
case: "But with most of them God was
not well please, four of their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the
intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted" (1
Corinthians 10: 5 -- 6). Many
people enjoy many of the great spiritual privileges in this world,
yet they come short of eternal life.
But there are those who are not overcome by this secular world and are
not overthrown in left is dead bodies in the desert, rather they are secure in
the heavenly happiness and will not allow anything to prevent Christian
judgments here on earth and this is only if the root of the matter is in us.
And as we continue to mature and grow from the inside/out
we are at times exhausted, left in some wonderment as to whether or not a
particular situation will be resolved. We have this assurance given to us by
this example that as God to lead the nation of Israel, even though there were
some who were in never to enter into the promised land, He led them anyway, and
He will lead you. What is left for us? Who love God and live life!
Let us search out
and examined our ways,
and turned back to the LORD;
let us lift our
hearts and hands
to God in heaven.
Lamentations
3: 40 -- 41
Give praise to God
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