The Corinthian Church had leaders and members who had experienced God their Saviour, had experiences of the presence and power of the Spirit and regularly celebrated the Lord’s death through taking Communion (this letter shows us this). Paul has been taking his time in answering the question about food sacrificed to idols which started in chapter 8 and then moved into saying think about others before you make decisions and learn to restrict yourselves for the good of everyone. In this chapter he will bring things to ahead and will state how idolatrous it is to go into idolatrous temples and dine there even though they thought they had the freedom to do so. He does this firstly by taking them back to the amazing ancient stories of their ancestors.
“For 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. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” (1 Corinthians 10 v 1-4)
They were ALL under the cloud. They experienced the glory of God in the Wilderness years. The cloud protected them during the day and at night it burned as a fire.
They ALL came through the Red Sea. What an amazing experience. Paul uses the word baptism. Not only had they experienced the supernatural power of God in the Wilderness they knew of His saving work.
They ALL ate the same spiritual food and drink (the manna and the water from the rock which was Christ). Paul will speak to the Church about the Lord’s Supper later in this letter. But for now he likens this ancient story to the cross of Christ.
But MOST never entered the Promised Land of their destiny because they died in the Wilderness.
Their response to all that they had seen and experienced should have been a life of thankfulness. Gratefulness should have flooded their lives. But it was not there. Only two adults, Joshua and Caleb made it through.
Here is the big lessons: whatever you experienced in the past is not enough to carry you into your future. You can lose it all. The Corinthian church were not free to enter into idolatrous dining especially after having the wonderful spiritual experiences. Paul warns them.
You may enter in but you may not make it out.
Idolatry will prevent you reaching your God ordained destiny.
Missions Paul 