a warning

Good morning,
Our reading today gives us Paul interpreting the Old Testament story of Israel wandering in the desert. He interprets passing through the sea as baptism (the cloud is the presence of God who travelled ahead of Israel as cloud by day and pillar of fire by night). He also talks about drinking the same spiritual drink, which refers to God providing water from a rock. The point of this comparison is to warn the Corinthians that even though they are part of the community of faith, sharing baptism and communion, they can still fall out of God's favor if they aren't faithful.

To follow this up Paul provides examples of the people of Israel failing to be faithful at times in their journey and suffering God's punishment as a result. It's interesting that Paul focuses on sexual immorality from the golden calf story in Exodus. While his reading of the text makes sense, that "play" in this situation probably means sex, the real issue in that episode was idolatry, which Paul only mentions briefly.

Paul doesn't just warn, though; he also encourages. He reminds the people that everyone faces temptation, but that God gives us a way out of temptation and the strength to endure it. That doesn't mean it's easy, but with God's help we can stand firm when we're tempted. A community of faith is a great asset in facing trials too, since our sisters and brothers can remind us of God's love when we can't feel it.

Blessings,
Sam

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.

6Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. 7Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.” 8We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. 10And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

11These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. 12So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. 13No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.