What lessons can we learn from Israel's example in 1 Corinthians 10:18? Setting the Scene “Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar?” (1 Corinthians 10:18) Paul points to Israel’s worship practices to warn believers in Corinth—and us—about the spiritual implications of what and whom we join ourselves to. What Israel Did at the Altar - Under the Law, portions of sacrificed animals were eaten by priests and worshipers (Leviticus 7:15-18). - Sharing that sacred meal wasn’t merely nutritional; it expressed covenant fellowship with God. - When Israel later mingled pagan worship with true sacrifice (Deuteronomy 32:15-17), they violated that fellowship and provoked God’s jealousy (1 Corinthians 10:22). Lessons We Take to Heart • Worship unites us with the object of our devotion – “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons” (1 Corinthians 10:21). – Our loyalties are visible by the tables we sit at and the feasts we join. • Privilege never exempts us from accountability – Israel had miracles, covenants, and sacrifices, yet many “were struck down in the wilderness” (10:5). – Spiritual heritage must be matched by present obedience (Hebrews 4:1-2). • Spiritual compromise is contagious – Idolatry infiltrated the entire camp when only a few sinned (Numbers 25:1-9). – “A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough” (Galatians 5:9). • Godly jealousy protects covenant love – The Lord is “a consuming fire” toward competing loyalties (Deuteronomy 4:24). – His jealousy underlines how precious our exclusive devotion is to Him. Guarding Our Worship Today - Evaluate modern “tables” we frequent—media, relationships, business partnerships (2 Corinthians 6:14-16). - Offer bodies “as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1). - Flee idolatry in all forms—greed, sensuality, self-exaltation (Colossians 3:5). - Hold fast to the Lord’s Table, remembering the cost of our redemption (1 Corinthians 11:26). Living as a Set-Apart People - We are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). - Our distinct worship proclaims His excellencies to a watching world. - Separation from idols is not withdrawal from culture but wholehearted allegiance to Christ. Summing It Up Israel’s altar participation reminds us that worship forges real spiritual bonds. We must guard those bonds, refuse divided devotion, and live as holy partners of the One whose table we share. |
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