1 Corinthians 10:6-13 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.… Observe — I. THE TEMPTING OF GOD BY THE ISRAELITES. 1. The apostle refers to that portion of their history where "the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people." This was in consequence of their discontent. And this discontent was produced by several causes. "The people were much discouraged because of the way." Apparently, too, the miraculous supply of water was suspended; and, besides, the manna had grown distasteful. 2. How could God be tempted by the murmurers? "God cannot be tempted with evil," but discontent with what the Almighty allots a man to do or to bear is provoking God to change His purposes; and what is this if it be not "tempting" Him? And again, when a man questions whether God loves him, he tempts the Lord, seeing that he challenges Him to fresh demonstrations of what He has already abundantly displayed. 3. It was thus that the Israelites "tempted" God. What can be said of their perpetual disposition to murmur and distrust, if not that it virtually accused God of unfaithfulness, and challenged Him to do yet greater things, if He would have His people confide in His protection? We are, perhaps, not accustomed to think of unbelief or murmuring as a tempting of the Lord, and therefore we fail to attach to it a just degree of heinousness. Let us be warned by the fate of the Israelites, to struggle against this, and amid all difficulties hold fast the truth, that God is faithful to His word, and does all things for the best. II. HOW IN TEMPTING GOD THEY COULD BE SAID TO TEMPT CHRIST. The apostle is speaking of events which occurred long before the Incarnation; and unless you admit Christ's pre-existence as a Person of the Godhead, it will be impossible to offer any satisfactory account of His having been tempted centuries before He appeared upon earth. A parallel passage (Hebrews 11:26) will help us here. We know that since the Fall there has been going forward upon this earth a mighty contest between evil and good. And we cannot well question that, informed as Satan was, immediately after his success over our first parents, that a Man should arise to repair the breach in creation, all his after plans would have reference to this promised Deliverer. He had so far prevailed as to have effected the ruin of this creation, and all that now remained was to prevent its restoration. Hence when he beheld the selection of a family, and perceived the travelling down of the promise from Abraham to his children, he might have learned, that if he would defeat the promised Deliverer, he must overthrow the chosen Israelites. Henceforward, therefore, he fought against Christ, by fighting against them. And if this be correct, then we must conclude that Christ was persecuted in the persecution of Moses, and tempted through the murmuring of the Israelites. He was opposed through Moses His type, both as a prophet and a leader. And in like manner there might be (as there was) great murmuring against Moses; but this murmuring, so far as it was caused by the machinations of Satan for the injury of the Israelites, was nothing less than a murmuring against Christ. III. HOW WE MAY IMITATE THE SIN OF THE ISRAELITES, AND WHAT DOOM WE MUST EXPECT IF WE DO. 1. The Israelites virtually said that God had not done enough for them — that He must do greater things still, ere they would give Him their confidence, their love; and is not this precisely what you also say to Christ, when you are not to be moved by all the mysteries of His mercy, to the giving heed to the gospel and closing with its proffers? How little had been done for the Israelites by God, in comparison with what has been done by Jesus for us! "How," then, "shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" 2. Fiery serpents swarmed amongst the murmurers — a very significant punishment. The serpent had been the first tempter, and ever after might be regarded as the emblem of Satan. What, then, was taught, if not that to distrust God is to give one's self up to the power of the evil one? What, moreover, was taught if the occurrence were typical, but that there is no alternative to our rejecting the Saviour but our being a prey to the devil? (H. Melvill, B.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. |
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