Warning Signs in the Desert

I think of a story I read which grew out of Beethoven's composition, the C# Minor Quartet, Opus 131. When first played, it seemed to be unlike anything Beethoven had written before. A friend said to Beethoven, "Ludwig, what has happened? We don't understand you anymore." It is reported that Beethoven, with a sign, replied, "I have said all that I have to say to my contemporaries; now I am speaking to the future."

Paul tells us about a group of desert wanderers who little realized that their actions were speaking to the future. Paul speaks of the children of Israel and their desert experiences and states in verse 6, "Now these things were our examples." He also states in verse 11, "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." The word "examples" in verse 6 and the word "ensamples" in verse 11 are the same word. We get our English word "type" from this word. Paul was saying that everything that happened to the children of Israel is a type and picture of the believer.

He tells us in verse 11 that the record of their experiences is for our "admonition." The word means "to place in the mind." They were not only a type of the believer but also a type for the believer. Their experiences are to be in our mind and on our mind. In other words, we are to learn from them. They are to be like object lessons in the Christian life.

As Paul takes us back to the experiences of the children of Israel in the desert, he does so as a warning. In verses 7-10, twice he says "neither ye" and twice says "neither let us." He is using the children of Israel as a warning so that we don't do what they did or end up like they did.

There are basically 3 ways in which we learn. We learn by expounding, which is someone teaching us. We learn by experience by which we learn it for ourselves. We learn by example which is learning from the failures and successes of others. Paul wants us to learn from the example of the children of Israel. As I look at the passage I see three warnings given to us by Paul. Let's look at these three warning signs.

First, we see a warning concerning:

1. THE PERIL OF SPIRITUAL IGNORANCE

Beginning in verse 1, Paul says, "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant." The word "ignorant" speaks of lacking information or intelligence. He wanted the Corinthian believers to know what had happened to the children of Israel and why it happened. Likewise, we as believers are not to be ignorant of these things. We are to study the children of Israel and their experiences, meditate on them and learn from them. Paul describes two conditions in their story.

First, we see how they experienced:

A. A Time Of Spiritual Favor

In verses 1-4, Paul describes some of the blessings they experienced as a people. He speaks of how they had experienced God's presence. We read in verse 1, "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud." The cloud they were under was the visible presence of God. It is sometimes called the "shekinah glory of God," a rabbinical term developed to describe this glory cloud. We read in Exodus 13:21-22, "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." They were constantly reminded that God was present by a pillar of a cloud that hovered above them by day and by a pillar of fire that hovered over them by night.

He also speaks of how they experienced God's power. Verse one also tells us that "all passed through the sea. " When they passed through the sea they had seen a marvelous demonstration of God's power. God had parted the waters and allowed them walk across on dry land and then destroyed the enemies that pursued them. The Bible tells us that they crossed the Red Sea in one night. Considering how many Jews left Egypt on the Passover night, if they had crossed the Red Sea two abreast, it would have formed a line 800 miles long and took 35 days and nights to cross. In order for all of them to get across in one night, they would have had to cross 5000 abreast, meaning that God opened a path in the Red Sea at least 3 miles wide.

He also speaks of how they experienced God's provision. We read in verse 4, "And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." God met their need for food and water. He gave them manna (spiritual meat) and from the rock gave them water.

Someone has calculated that for that many people it would have taken 1,500 tons of food per day to keep them from starving. To understand how much food that is, it would have taken 2 freight trains, each 1-mile long to haul that much food in each day. God also fed them with quail. To feed a family of 5 with 1 quail per day would require 750,000 quail to fly into camp each day. Considering the water they needed, they would require 11 million gallons of water per day for the bare necessities. To understand how much water that is, it would take a freight train of tank cars 1,800 miles long to haul in that much water.

They also experienced God's person. Verse 4 tells us "that Rock was Christ." Paul tells us that Rock they drank from was Christ. They not only experienced God's presence, power, and provision, they experienced Christ Himself.

Notice verse 2, "And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." Their baptism was not as we often think of, being immersed into water as a witness of our faith in Christ. Instead they were immersed or completely inundated in what God could do and be to them. In other words, they were acquainted and very familiar with the presence, power, provision, and person of God. I am amazed as I read about such things but these people saw it with own eyes and experienced in their own lives.

You also see that they experienced:

B. A Time Of Spiritual Failure

We read in verse 5, "But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness." The word "overthrown" is where we get our English word "catastrophe." In spite of all the favor they experienced, a spiritual catastrophe took place in their life. Paul says that God was very displeased at what happened in their life. Now what was this catastrophe that took place in their life?

Paul says they lusted after evil things: "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted." The word "lust" carried the ideal of "boiling up." There was a boiling over of desire for evil things.

They also fell into idolatry: "Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." Paul specifically points back to Exodus 32:6, "And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play." It is the story of when they worshipped the golden calf they fashioned. The Egyptians had a god called Apis, the sacred bull of Egypt. Aaron's golden calf was probably a reproduction of Apis.

They also committed fornication: "Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand." Paul pointed the Corinthian believers to Numbers 24-25, and the story of how in one day, 23,000 of the children of Israel were slain because of their whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

They also were guilty of tempting Christ: "Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents." The idea of their tempting Christ is that they tested God, tried his patience. The story is found in Numbers 21 where the people spake against God and Moses. We read in Numbers 21:5 "And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread." They questioned the goodness of God and tried God's patience. The result was that God sent fiery serpents among the people.

The final sin Paul mentions is that of murmuring: "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer." The story is found in Number 16. We read in Numbers 16:41, "But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord." The word "murmur" that Paul used to describe their grumbling is interesting. It is a word that means "to mutter something that is demeaning but which is scarcely audible." It is onomatopoeic which is that which sounds like what something depicts. It would be like the bee went buzz-z-z-z, the zipper went zip-p-p-p, the arrow went whis-s-s-s-h. They were walking around half talking under their breath complaining about things. This action on their part was a serious act on their part for it ended up with the majority of the people falling in the wilderness. The destroyer being God Himself.

In verse 11 Paul states that all this is an example. As we saw in verse 1, Paul did not want the Corinthian believers to be spiritually ignorant of what they did and what happened to them. Here was a people that lived under the most favorable spiritual circumstances. We would say today, they were living in an atmosphere of revival. Everyday was like Campmeeting. Yet in such an atmosphere, they backslide.

The lesson we should learn from their example is that the same could happen to us. A person can be in a good church, hear God's Word week after week, and see God's presence and power at work, and still drift from God. Even in a good Church, if we are not careful, we can get cold and indifferent, and find ourselves away from God.

It is like Paul was saying to the Corinthian believers and God is saying to us, "Listen! Learn from the children of Israel. Don't let the same thing happen to you. Don't allow yourself to drift from God." It is the peril of spiritual ignorance; not being aware that one can get away from God and displease God in their life, even when you are in a blessed place and atmosphere. Like the children of Israel, we can find ourselves longing after the things of the world. Our life can be full of idols, things that we put in the place of God. We can find ourselves falling into sin, trying the patience of God, or murmuring about this and that. Don't be ignorant. It can happen to us.

The second warning involved:

2. THE PERIL OF SPIRITUAL ARROGANCE

A few years ago several superstars of the entertainment world got together and recorded a song entitled We are the World. A man named Quincy Jones put it all together. Jones has become known for his amazing ability to bring superstars together, people who are accustomed to having the spotlight to themselves, and get them to blend their talents and work together and function as a team. When Jones brought together the combined talents of many of the top pop singers of our time, do you know how he did it and how he persuaded those music superstars to come together and work as a team to create that song? Well, he did a very interesting and, evidently, effective thing. He put a sign at the entry to the recording studio: CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR!

The second warning Paul gives tells us to check our egos. We read in verse 12, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." In case there are some who think such a thing as happened to the children of Israel could never happen to you listen closely to what Paul said.

First, we need to be aware of the:

A. Vulnerability That A Haughty Spirit Creates

We all have met some people that were just cocky. They walk around like they are Elijah. I have met a few that acted like they were the next candidate for the Trinity. After a minister had preached a searching sermon on pride, a woman who had heard the sermon waited upon him and told him that she was in much distress of mind, and that she would like to confess a great sin. The minister asked her what the sin was. She answered, "The sin of pride, for I sat for an hour before my mirror some days ago admiring my beauty." "Oh," responded the minister, "that was not a sin of pride-that was a sin of imagination!"

At times we get to thinking that we are "spiritual" and when we hear about the failures of others, we think to ourselves that such a thing could never happen to us. Paul's warning is very clear. He tells us that when we feel that we will not or could not fail we are vulnerable for a fall. He says, "Watch out, take heed, lest you fall." We often say when we hear of someone falling, "I never would have thought he/she would do such a thing." In most cases, those who do fall are those who felt they would never do such a thing.

Someone has said "It's a shame that when success turns a person's head it does not also wring his neck just a little." When we are filled with arrogance we are close to getting our neck wrung. Paul's point is that we should never think such a thing could happen to us.

Secondly, there is the::

B. Culpability That A Humble Spirit Considers

The person with a humble spirit recognizes that he is not perfect and cannot hold their head up as being blameless. They are very much aware of their own shortcoming and failures. A person with an humble spirit says, "But for the grace of God that could have been me."

Paul said in Galatians 6:1, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." A person with a humble spirit considers himself as Paul instructed. He knows that he has within himself all that is needed for failure. He knows that if he is not careful he will do the same as others or even worse.

As believers we should remind ourselves of the peril of spiritual arrogance. Thirdly, we are warned of:

3. THE PERIL OF SPIRITUAL DEFIANCE

The third and final warning that I see in Paul's words has to do with not taking advantage of the provision God gives to keep us from failure. There is the potential and possibility of failure in all of us. Yet God has provided an escape route. But all too often we refuse to take God's provision. We read in verse 13, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." The words "taken you" would indicate that some in the Corinthian Church had yielded to temptation. He makes it clear that the reason they yielded was because they had been defiant in their heart. They had refused to take God's escape route.

Notice what Paul says about temptation. First, we see that temptation is:

A. Common

Paul says to the Corinthian believers that temptation is common to man. The word "common" means, "mannish, that which is human, belonging to mankind." In other words, temptation is a part of life. Temptation is not a unique experience to us. Temptation is usual and common in our lives. No one is immune from temptation.

Victor Hugo in his story The Toilers of the Sea tells about a man thrusting his arm into a crevice in the sea to pull out a crab. His arm was immediately seized by something as strong as steel and cold as ice. It wound its tentacles around the fisherman's arm, and a second; third, fourth, and fifth tentacle wound itself around the man's chest pulling him into the sea.

The world's tentacles reach after us in almost every place and every day, seeking to pull us down and pull us away. This world pulls at my fleshly desires as well as each of you. None of us are immune from certain thoughts going through our mind or getting those tingles in certain situations. It is a part of life.

Secondly, we see that temptation can be:

B. Conquered

Now it will be helpful for some to realize that temptation is not a sin. It is a sin when you yield to the temptation. Because of our human makeup we will be tempted. But because of our spiritual makeup we can overcome temptation. Paul tells us that God will not suffer us to be tempted above that which we are able to stand without providing a way of escape. That way of escape is found in the words, "God is faithful." God's own faithful is our resource when tempted. The phrase "a way" speaks of one way, only one way. Jesus expressed the same ideal in Matthew 6:13 when He taught us to pray, "Lead us not in temptation but deliver us from evil." The way of escape is by crying out to the Lord for strength, and trusting Him for strength, and receiving from Him the strength you need to bear it.

Now why do we yield to temptation? Why do we fall? It is because we do not take this escape route. We know it is available, but the bottom line is we do not take it. In many cases, we do not want to take it.

Paul is warning us against spiritual defiance. Refusing to take what God has provided to keep from failure. Here are 3 warning signs we all would do well to heed.