SEPTEMBER 20, 2020
THE DANGER OF CARNAL SECURITY
INTRODUCTION:
1. At the close of the previous chapter, the Apostle had set before himself and his readers the great danger of yielding to fleshly inclinations. He said, “I keep under my body.” He took great pains to subdue all carnal appetites and desire, being determined that he would not, through any such indulgence, make shipwreck of the faith. What a tragedy it had been, after having preached the Gospel to others, to himself be cast away, i.e. be disapproved of the great and Sovereign Judge. He alludes in this passage to the Olympic Games. He exercised the most rigid discipline of himself, lest he should miss receiving the crown for which he so earnestly strived. A preacher of salvation may miss it. One can point the way to heaven, and not reach heaven himself. Paul guarded against the delusion of a false security that can sometimes come through much serving.
2. In this chapter he continues to prosecute the argument of the last. He warns the Corinthians against living unguarded, undisciplined lives. He sees in God’s ancient people Israel an example of the danger of carnal security. Notwithstanding their good profession and wonderful privileges, they fell short of reaching the Promised Land. Their history is left on record for the admonition of Christians, lest we should, in spite of our profession and privileges, fail to reach the goal.
I. THE ISRAELITES PERISHED IN THE WILDERNESS IN SPITE OF THEIR MANY DIVINE AND GRACIOUS PRIVILEGES. (VERSES 1-5)
A. SOMETHING OF GREAT IMPORTANCE IS HERE TO BE CONSIDERED. (VERSE 1a) “Brethren, I would not have you to be ignorant.”
1. This Pauline expression is a formula that he used when making a point of special importance. (Rom. 10:1; 11:25)
2. The force of his argument and warning was that their fathers had ALL fallen in the wilderness. Only Caleb and Joshua entered the Promised Land, being the lone exceptions.
3. History affords no incident better suited to enforce the necessity of guarding against false security than what is here selected by the Apostle. (See Heb. 3:7-4:2)
a) The Israelites doubtless felt, as they stood on the other side of the Red Sea, that they were “home free.”
b) Many of the Corinthians thought, like many Christians today think, that when brought to a knowledge of the Gospel, heaven was secured.
B. THE ISRAELITES HAD BEEN HIGHLY FAVORED, AS IS EVIDENT FROM THIS LIST OF GRACIOUS PRIVILEGES. (VERSES 1b-4)
1. They were “under the cloud.” That is, they were under its guidance. (Ex. 13:21) It was the Lord Who went before them in the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night. (See Num. 9:15, 23; 14:14; Deut. 1:33; Psa. 78:14) Supernatural guidance is the great privilege of God’s people. (Psa. 32:8)
2. They all passed through the sea. Would God allow to perish those whom He had so wonderfully delivered, and for whom He had sacrificed the host of Egypt? Yet their carcasses were strewn in the wilderness. It is not enough to be recipients of extraordinary favors; it is not enough to begin well. There must be constant self- denial and vigilance if we are to gain the promised reward.
3. They were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They were made Moses’ disciples by their passing through the sea and their guidance by the cloud. By these, they were set apart unto Moses, as we are set apart unto Christ by baptism. The only point of analogy here intended is that they became Moses’ disciples, which placed them under obligation to submit to His authority, recognizing his divine commission.
4. They did all eat the same spiritual meat. This is analogous to the second ordinance of the New Testament church. This is called “spiritual meat,” because it was a gift of the Spirit of heaven. The manna did not have spiritual qualities. It was, however, a type of the True Bread from heaven. (John 6:31-33)
5. They did all drink of the same spiritual drink. The water which they drank was spiritual because derived from the Spirit. It came from that spiritual Rock. It came by special intervention of God. (Ex. 17:6; Num. 20:10; Psa. 78:15-20)
a) The Rock is said to have followed them and that Rock was Christ.
b) It was not the literal rock that followed them. Neither was it the flowing stream from the rock, though the waters flowed in abundance. (Psa. 105:41) The Rock that followed them was Christ. The son of God, the Logos attended the Israelites, who supplied all of their needs.
c) In what sense was the rock Christ? Not that Christ appeared in the form of a rock; nor merely that the rock was a type of Christ. It was not the type, but the antitype that supplied their wants. Christ was the rock in the same sense that He is the vine. The expression is figurative.
d) Here we see the preexistence of our Lord. We see that He was the Jehovah of the Old Testament.
C. IN SPITE OF THESE WONDERFUL PRIVILEGES, THE GREATER NUMBER OF THE ISRAELITES FELL IN UNBELIEF. (VERSE 5)
1. Compare this list of divine privileges to those of the apostate described in Hebrews 6:4.
2. The Israelites, after beginning so well in their march toward the Promised Land, failed to enter in, and thus, became a beacon of warning for the church. (Heb. 4:1, 2)
3. May there be in us no such evil heart of unbelief.
II. THE HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITES IS LEFT ON RECORD FOR THE ADMONITION OF CHRISTIANS. (VERSES 6-14) The Apostle, having recited their privileges, proceeds here to give an account of their sins and failures.
A. SEVERAL OF THEIR SINS ARE SPECIFIED AS CAUTIONS TO US. (VERSES 6-10)
1. They lusted after evil things. (Verse 6b; Num. 11:4; Psa. 106:4) Carnal desires must be kept in check, because fleshly appetites, when indulged, can carry us away into much sin. They despised God’s provision, and demanded flesh to eat.
2. They did not break with idolatry. (Verse 7) We know that they carried with them out of Egypt some of the Egyptian idols. Paul here refers to that unthinkable event that is recorded in Exodus Chapter 32. The Apostle is very modest in his description of the horrid and profane display. The Corinthians were much exposed to temptation on this subject, and were quite as liable as the Israelites to fall into idolatrous practice, who proclaimed the feast as a feast to Jehovah. (Ex. 32:6) They sat down to eat and drink of the sacrifices offered to Jehovah in the presence of the golden calf, and then rose up to play, i.e. to dance.
3. They were also guilty of fornication. (Verse 8) Idolatry and fornication have always been so intimately connected that the former seldom fails to lead to the latter. This was illustrated in the case of the Israelites. (Num. 25:1-9) In the case referenced here Baal-Peor, a god of the Moabites, was worshipped by the prostitution of virgins. In Corinth, the homage paid to Venus was every bit as corrupt as that offered to Baal- Peor.
4. They were guilty of tempting the Lord their God. Notice again, He Whom they tempted was Christ. He was with them in the wilderness. He was the Angel of the covenant, Who went before them. He was greatly grieved when they spoke against Him and Moses. They tempted Him, i.e. they tried His patience. The particular reference is to the case in Numbers 21:4-6. This resulted in a great display of God’s mercy, which pictures how dying sinners may live by looking to Christ Who is lifted up for sinners. (Num. 21:7-9;
John 3:14, 15)
5. They were guilty of murmuring. (Verse 10) Paul warns against murmuring, reminding them how the Israelites had thereby provoked the Lord to anger, and brought upon themselves swift judgment. (Num. 14:37) Let us also be notified that to murmur and complain against divine disposals is a sin that greatly provokes God. We may think this to be a small thing, but remember, the Apostle is warning against such things as can lead to apostasy.
B. THE HOLY SPIRIT INSPIRED THE RECORDING OF THESE THINGS FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANS. (VERSE 11)
1. Not only were the laws and ordinances of the Jews written for our profit (II Tim. 3:16, 17), but God’s providences toward them were typical.
2. Their sins and infidelities against God were typical of many under the Gospel. God’s dealings with them reflect God’s holy disposition, which cannot be otherwise toward US upon whom the ends of the world are come. The Gospel age is the concluding period of God’s gracious government over men before the second advent of Christ. (Matt. 13:39; Eph. 1:10; Heb. 1:9; 9:26)
C. UPON THIS NOTE THE APOSTLE GROUNDS A CAUTION. (VERSE 12)
1. The disapproval of others ought to inspire careful consideration and self-examination. (Heb. 4:1, 2) Many professors claim to be saved, in spite of the lack of any real biblical evidence to support the claim.
2. We are most likely to fall when we are most confident of our own strength, and feel therein secure. We are well advised to examine our footing. (See Deut. 32:35)
D. TO THIS WORD OF CAUTION HE ADDS A WORD OF COMFORT. (VERSE 13)
1. God would not have us to presume, but neither would he have us to despair.
2. Temptations are common to all, but God is faithful in His Sovereign oversight and purpose and grace, so that nothing we face need be unbearable.
3. The Israelites did not fall because their testings were too severe for men to bear, and neither shall we be able to use such an excuse.
E. UPON THIS ARGUMENT HE GROUNDS ANOTHER CAUTION AGAINST IDOLATRY. (VERSE 14)
1. The way to escape from the temptation to idolatry of any kind is to FLEE FROM IT! (Compare Ch. 6:18)
2. We are to prove our faithfulness to God by fleeing from sin.
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