Saul was a Jew by birth and by training, Righteous by the law, a Pharisee, and a blameless member of the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3: 4-6). But he gave all that up after his conversion to Christ. He surrendered his religiosity to the Savior. His mind and heart had been changed by an encounter with Jesus on a lonely road to Damascus. His intent before Jesus appeared was to take prisoner the followers of Christ. Instead, he became a preacher of Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 9:20).
Concerned about the Jewish people and new believers in Christ, he warned the Corinth church of the failures of Israel in the desert. He tells of those “things” that were written down so they could be forewarned of God’s promised people’s mistakes. He directed their attention to the evil things they did after they were freed from their enemy and captors: Egypt. That warning message applies to modern-day followers of Jesus, too…if not more.
Now, these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters, as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
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.
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10: 9-11)
After spending 430 years in Egypt, the promised people of Abraham had been changed. As the old saying goes, You can take the boy out of the country, but you can take the country out of the boy. Their Egyptian habits went with them. They looked, talked, and walked like Egyptians. But God remembered his promise to Abraham. He loved His people.
Are we not the same as modern society? Has there ever been a time when these sins have not been part of all world nations? Even more concerning is that the people of God may be indulging in the same sins as ancient Israel:
- Lust for evil things
- Idolaters
- Sexual immoral
- Tempting (disrespecting) their maker and God
- Complaining and never happy
Enemy #1-Egypt
Since the stories of Israel’s journeys and missteps were written down for us, it would be wise to take heed lest (we) fall as they did, e.g., 23,000 fell, destroyed by serpents, destroyed by the destroyer.
Yes. It is possible to be a promised child of God and fall. This is the mystery of iniquity. We are privileged to watch from our comfortable homes the 40 years of the Jews’ wanderings in the desert. The big question for us is how can we learn to trust God by observing their failures?. Complete faith and trust in God,, regardless of the circumstances, was what they lacked.
How did the promised people land in Egypt? It all started with the favoritism of Joseph, one of the sons of Israel (Genesis 37:3). The entire story of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and the transition of the family from Cannan to Egypt starts in Genesis 11:27.. It continues through the end of the book of Genesis Chapter 50 and on into Numbers. This written account is almost 80% of the Bible’s first book! It is an example for us, something we should consider that will help us to avoid the same mistakes and thereby avoid failure and destruction. More importantly, their journeys should show us the patience, sacrifice, and love of God for His people.
Joseph’s brothers despised Joseph due to his dream of their eventual servitude to Joseph. They became very angry and decided to kill him, but the oldest brother (Reuben) intervened. Judah recommended that Joseph be sold and spared his life by selling him to a caravan of travelers as a slave. Joseph is resold to Potiphar in Egypt (Genesis 37: 21, 28, 36).
The story continues with the success of Joseph in Egypt, drought and famine, and the eventual move of Israel and his 70-member family to Egypt. A series of events started with hatred within the family and ended with dependence on a nation that would eventually turn the promised people into slaves.
In the family of God, favoritism can lead to jealousy, which can lead to hatred and the selling of an innocent soul to the slavery of Egypt. A practice of disrespect for others in the family will destroy independence from the world’s influence and disrupt the purpose of God unless God leads the offender to repentance. Jesus asks us to love, not hate. This is the identifying—trait of the followers of Jesus. Anything else disqualifies us from the family of God.
By this, all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.” John 13:35
Escape from Egypt?
The children of Israel lived in Egypt for 430 years (Exodus 12:40). Generation after generation, molded by the conveniences of city life, had turned God’s people into Egyptians even though they were in bondage. Their uniqueness as God’s people was being wiped clean by their enemy.
But God heard their cries for independence. He “remembered” His promise to give them Cannan. God sent a reluctant Moses to free the Israelites. God had instructed Moses to go directly to Pharaoh; instead, he went to the children of Israel, a seemingly easier task. They rejected the prophet and deliverer. This gave Moses an excuse, a way out as he argued with God (Exodus 6: 1-13). Moses doubted God’s power and his own abilities. God, again, told Moses to go to Pharoah (Exodus 6:- 28-30).
Moses and Aaron went before the Pharaoh to tell him to let God’s people go free, but he was equally non-compliant, as were God’s people. God sent ten plagues on Egypt to help change the Pharoah’s heart, but He protected His people through the last seven plagues (Exodus 8: 22-23).(Exodus 9:4) (Exodus 9:26) (Exodus 11:7).
The final plague was the death of the firstborn among the Egyptians, even their animals (Exodus 11: 4-5). For the children of Israel, it would require them to do something. They were to put the blood of the unblemished sacrificial lamb over the doorposts so the destroying angel would “pass over” their home. God directed other requirements of the “Passover.” This night would begin the cycle of months beginning on the 10th day (Exodus 12: 1-11) and continuing to the 14th day. This time would be a celebration and instruction on the plan of salvation throughout their generations. Jesus would be pronounced hundreds of years later as the “Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29)
Disaster in the Desert
Finally, after a multitude of generations bound by their captors, the children of Israel left their captors with their livestock, wealth from the Egyptians, and the bones of Joseph (Exodus 12: 31-36) (Exodus 13: 17-22)
Israel would take 40 years of travel to realize the promised land of Cannan. It could have been shorter, perhaps only 30 days, had they trusted God at His word and believed the good report of the spies. God desired their love and trust in Him alone. Something they would fail to do for many generations to come.
The generation that left Egypt would never see the promised land. Only two men who trusted God at his word and those under 20 years old would receive the promise (Numbers 14: 26-32). The others would wander in the desert for four decades lusting for evil things; they were sexually immoral, they tempted Christ, complained, and were unhappy.
Do we love and trust God? Are we complainers sexually immoral and test Christ? Will we fail to enter the promised land through Christ because of these things?
For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore, consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. Romans 11: 21-23
May God have mercy on us.
Eventually, the people of God would settle in the promised land and build a temple to the Lord despite their backsliding from God. But it would not last forever; that magnificent tribute to the only true God built by the very wealthy King Solomon would be destroyed, and the people would be taken captive again (for 70 years) by their next enemy, Babylon.