Lessons of the Past

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. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 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. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. (1 Corinthians 10:1-4)

Thoughts: Paul was saying that we can learn a lesson from the past.  The lesson is that we can be baptized and eat of the bread of life and still mess up and not please God.  Moses was baptized in the cloud and nourished with the water of life coming from the rock that miraculously provided for them.  The people had seen God at work.  They had been rescued from slavery by the Sea opening up.  They had been fed with manna from heaven each day.  They had been given water miraculously from a rock in a dry desert.  Yet they ignored and showed deep ingratitude toward God.  They made a Golden Calf and worshiped it while Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments on the mountain.  They lived in fear of the future and their obstacles instead of believing that they could overcome by God's grace.  They gave into sexual immorality and paganism and paid for it.  
    Why is Moses saying this?  Because the Corinthians were dabbling with paganism in their eating meat offered to idols.  They were severely tempted with sexual immorality.  They could not get away from it (much like we see sexual immorality everywhere today).  It is important, if we love God that we show that love by being willing to listen to Him more than listen to our own instincts.  It is more important that we practice self-control and please God than that we simply give into our passions and shut our ears to Him.  Just because we go to church, are baptized, and have had communion, does not mean we can ignore God's commands. 

Prayer: Lord, give me ears to hear you, and a heart to respond.  Ma I honor you and your kingdom.  May my life reflect my baptism and my commitment to you.