Bible Reading Challenge #23
1 Corinthians 10:1-12
10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
We either learn from history or repeat it.
That’s Paul’s point in this passage. It’s not enough to simply know about God or experience Him from time to time. As Eugene Peterson writes: “Just experiencing God’s wonder and grace didn’t seem to mean much—most of [the exodus generation] were defeated by temptation during the hard times in the desert, and God was not pleased.”
So often we ask God to show Himself, to work a miracle, to “do this and we will believe or follow.” But Scripture is clear: seeing God work once doesn’t guarantee we will trust Him to work again. Faith is not a one-time event—it’s a daily journey of following Jesus. Faith needs to be refilled each day so we can face what lies ahead. Either we learn from the past or we risk repeating it.
And yet, how often do we sit back and judge those who failed in faith before us? We arrogantly assume we would have done better. But Paul warns: “Don’t be so naïve and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence” (Peterson).
Paul also gives us specific dangers to watch for:
Idolatry – placing something or someone above God.
Sexual Immorality – living against God’s commands for the sake of feelings or desires.
Testing God – demanding that He serve us instead of us serving Him.
Grumbling & Discontentment – sowing division and questioning God’s good plan.
Which of these are most tempting to you today?
