#DailyDevotion Bad Examples or Why Use The Old Testament?

1Co 10:1-6  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.

The Corinthian congregation had all sorts of problems. But they are untypical of the congregations of God for every congregation is made up of fallen human beings. But they are composed of fallen human beings who have received the Holy Spirit of God. The Israelites were also the people of God in the Old Testament. Paul is noting all the wonders that congregation had experienced. They all had witnessed the mighty deeds God worked through Moses in Egypt. They had passed through the Red Sea with a wall of water on either side of them and then they say their enemies, the Egyptians covered by that same sea when they tried to follow them. The even heard the voice of God on Mt. Sinai give the commandments. Yet Moses wasn’t long from their presence they disobeyed God, made an idol and worshipped it as if it were the Lord.

The Lord had miraculously provided them manna and quail in the wilderness, after having grumbled against Moses and the Lord because they trust the Lord would provide for them. Even then the people still grumbled against the Lord who provide bread and meat for them. They grumbled against Moses and the Lord when they were thirsty instead of praying for what they needed. The Lord miraculously provided water from a rock. Well they were no longer thirsty but their faith in the Lord was not increased and their devotion to him did not grow.

They did not trust the Lord’s word of promise when they approached the Promised Land so the Lord made them wander the wilderness for forty years till all the grownups of that generation passed away. As Paul said, “with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” Now these actions of the people of God in the wilderness were written as examples for us. Now you can be a good example of how to do things or a good example of a bad example of how to do things. The Israelites as a whole were a good example of a bad example. Do not desire evil as they did.

So how would that look? It looks like us turning to the Lord Jesus Christ for all good things. We pray for what we want and need to the Father through the name of Jesus. We trust our Father cares for us and is going to do exactly what is needed in our lives to live now and more importantly inherit eternal life in the world to come. We live in love trusting our Father and doing his will which will shun evil and do what is good. God has shown us his love and care for us in Jesus Christ. Now we should live out that love in our lives towards our neighbors.

Heavenly Father, you gave us examples of what not to do in the Israelites. You gave us your Son Jesus Christ as an example how you want us to live in love. Grant us faith in the love you’ve shown towards us in Jesus that we may live that love out towards our neighbors. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.