Avoid Israel's Mistakes. This is the title given in my Bible for this section of Scripture. Paul is referring to his instructions to be an athlete for Christ. What does an athletic do?
1. He trains.
2. He follows the rules of the game.
3. He practices.
4. He stays disciplined in his life in order to be in the best shape to compete.
5. He is passionate.
6. He is focused.
Paul reminds us that we cannot become lazy in our faith. It requires work.
Let's look at the Israelites. The examples Paul uses here come from the book of Exodus. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt, crying out to the Lord to save them and He does. He sends Moses and Aaron to confront pharaoh and "Let My people go." Pharaoh is full of pride and vanity (he is worshipped as a god by his people) and he refuses. Then follows 10 plagues that wreck havoc on the Egyptian people, but don't touch the Israelites. After the Passover, the death of the first-born son, pharaoh finally agrees to let the Israelites leave. They head out with wealth and joy and a promise to reach the promised land. God leads them by night with a pillar of fire and by day with a pillar of cloud. The people are on their way when pharaoh decides he has made a foolish decision & he chases after them with a full army. The Israelites become hysterical with fear, but Moses relies on God and the Red Sea is parted. The Israelites cross without difficulty, but the Egyptian army is swallowed up in the river. More rejoicing happens. God is still there leading them. They are safe. They are healthy. They are whinny. There is no fresh water, only a stagnant pond. So God instructs Moses to throw a certain type of tree into the water and it is cleaned. Water for everyone! Then there isn't enough food. So God dusts the ground each morning with manna - a type of grain that can be made into bread and cakes. Now there is only one type of food the Israelites whine and moan. So God sends quail every evening. No hunting is necessary, the birds simply run into camp, enough for everyone, and the people grab them. Dinner is served. Now the people complain again about the lack of water. They are in the desert after all. So God instructs Moses to strike a rock & boom, water pours out.
Are you seeing a pattern yet? God has met every need and complaint of these people. His physical presence leads them day & night. He provides food and water. He even speaks to them audibly when they arrive at Mt. Sinai. And yet, the people are whinny, bitter, and selfish. Having God right there with them did not keep them from sin. Paul urges us to learn from their mistakes. See, the Israelites had no personal relationship with the God that saved them. When He spoke to them from the mountain, they covered their ears and asked Him to speak quietly to Moses. They were afraid of this huge unknown God. They wanted no relationship and that attitude lead them into idolatry and forty years of wandering.
Paul now comes back to the discussion on eating meat sacrificed to idols. Don't ask where the meat came from, simply purchase it and eat it. If you are served something in another's house, eat it without wondering where it came from. It is simply food. However, if someone tells you it comes from and you know that eating it will not glorify the Lord, then don't eat it.
Now, we are not going to be served meat sacrificed to idols, so how does this pertain to us? Simply this: be conscious and aware of what you are doing. Don't participate in things that don't glorify the Lord. And think of your neighbor and those around you. Do not offend them in your believes, but don't compromise your believes either. Use the opportunity to lovingly share your faith and why you do what you do. Be an athlete for God! Have passion, focus, train, and practice. In this way, you will be able to calmly and lovingly handle any situation that comes up. And remember it all comes back to relationship. How many times have I written that sentence in these blogs?? Lots and lots because this is the most important part of Christianity - the relationship.
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