Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, (2) all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, (3) all ate the same spiritual food, (4) and all drank the same spiritual drink.  For they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.  (5) But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.  (6) Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not list after evil things as they also lusted. ………(10) nor complain, as some of the, also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.  (11) Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

The first letter to the Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul. The verses we study today were written to warn the Christians in Corinth that their lack of self control and overconfidence could be leading to crisis and a failure of faith.  Paul writes in chapter 10 of this letter to show the Corinthians that their characteristic conduct of open immorality, division and strife and cults of personality -the Corinthians were known as a morally corrupt population – were not new but a repetition of problems faced by the ancient isralelites with disastrous consequences.

Pauls warning to the Corinthians links the experience of Israel and the conduct of  the Christians at Corinth. He makes it clear that what happened to Israel was written for the instruction  all – we should be warned by the sins of our fathers. Paul makes it clear that the one who thinks – mistakenly – that he/she stands in faith is in the greatest danger of falling from faith in times of peril.

Times of testing exposes what is in our hearts. How we feel about something does not always determine how things really are.  But how things really are should affect our feelings. The clear message is that spiritual pride and overconfidence nudged by lack of self control will lead to a terrible fall.

The Israelites were divinely delivered, divinely fed and watered and were constantly in the presence of God – yet still they lacked  ability to persevere and control themselves. With this terrible example Paul warns the indulgent and prideful Christian Corinthians – and us – to beware so that we are not also destroyed.