Resisting Temptation

Series on I Corinthians

V Meat Sacrificed to Idols

D The Israelite Example, Text 10:1-13

Title: Resisting Temptation

Introduction

In this passage Paul still has the issue of food offered to idols in the back of his mind. If we look ahead to verse 20 we see that the Apostle is still dealing with the whole subject of the eating of meat which has been used in idolatrous worship as he speaks of the sacrifices of pagans being offered to demons. Since the weaker brethren believe that buying food in the market place that has been used in idolatrous worship is wrong, if they do it they will be sinning. Yet there is a danger for all, both weak and strong are in danger because the allure of that idolatrous society is so great all are surrounded by temptations such as idolatry, fornication and lack of contentment. Therefore Paul’s advice in verse 12 is that if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall. This dispute has no easy yes or no answers. It was like Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” when Christian comes to the valley of the shadow of death. He is warned to go back, but presses forward to the celestial city on an exceedingly narrow path. On the right was a very deep ditch into which many had fallen in all ages and perished miserably. On the left there was a marsh so dangerous that even a good man, if he were sucked in, was never seen again for there was no bottom for his foot to stand on. And it was black as night. The meat may be just meat, but the temptation to idolatry is very real for every one of them. So we shall look at resisting temptation today, and we see three things we ought to consider: the blessings of sons, the backwardness of sons, and the bravery of sons.

I The Blessing of Sons

Paul uses Old Testament Israel as an example in verses 1-5, For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. In doing this he shows the unity of God’s people in all ages. What was written about these Old Testament believers is advice to us today. To ignore this advice is to make an unjustified distinction between their spiritual experience and ours, and the first thing Paul focuses on is their blessings. They were in a covenant relationship to God. They were viewed as His sons and He as their Father. God says in Hosea 11:1, Out of Egypt I called my son. This is applied to Christ in Matthew 2 when Joseph flees with Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod’s murderous decree, but it was applied first to Israel. In fact God says of them, When Israel was a child I loved him and out of Egypt I called my son, but the more I called Israel the further they went from me. Adoption and sonship are not new concepts. They are rooted deeply in the Old Testament. In the Old they are national but in the New individual, and Paul’s whole point here depends on the similarity between them and us. He shows that although their outward experiences were different, the inner spiritual meaning of those events were typical of the New Testament. They were baptized in the cloud and the Red Sea. They communed with God through the manna in the wilderness and the water from the rock. Yet in spite of these blessings given to them as God’s son, many of them succumbed to idolatry. Paul’s whole point is, “Don’t you do the same.” Appreciate your blessings in Christ which by the way are symbolized in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s supper. Their failure leads us naturally to Paul’s second point that we should remember the backwardness of sons.

II The Backwardness of Sons

The Apostle now goes into greater detail about how they despised their birthright in verses 6-12, Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.” We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did-and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did-and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did-and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!. Twice he tells us at the beginning, and at the end, that these things are written as an example to us. The apostle John says, Behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God. But he adds, Everyone who has this hope purifies himself even as he is pure. We pray in the Lord’s Prayer, Deliver us from temptation, but in reality we want to keep in touch. Paul refers to factual events from Israel’s history. We really don’t have time to discuss all these references. Suffice it to say that it was the people’s discontent that lead to their idolatrous behavior, and the fornication and immorality were associated with idolatrous worship. So, I want you to look at the single instance referred to in verse 7, the making of the golden calf while Moses was in the mount receiving the Ten Commandments. You will remember how Aaron gave in to the people and fashioned a golden calf from the gold they gave him and declared, These are your gods, O Israel who brought you up out of Egypt. What is interesting is the verse that Paul quotes from Exodus 32. He refers not to the actual idolatrous worship but to the feast that followed. The implication is that by celebrating the people were giving their consent to what had occurred. This is a parallel to the Corinthian Christians. If eating the meat which had been used in idolatrous worship represented a cavalier attitude about idolatry or a careless attitude towards temptation then it was wrong. How dangerous the temptation when we can betray God by our attitude. When the Apostle says they rose up to eat and drink and indulge in pagan revelry he is probably including fornication. John Tanner of Christmas, Florida captures alligators. Armed with boots, mosquito repellent and a long pole with a noose on the end he removes the reptiles from people’s gardens and pools where they have taken refuge from Florida’s building boom. Do you know what he uses to attract them? Their mating call! The devil does the same thing with men. But there is another hidden incentive to holiness in the story of Exodus 32. In that place God tells Moses to get out of the way because He is going to destroy the nation and make a new one from Moses’ family. Moses who was faithful in all God’s house, says to the Lord, Blot me out of the Book of Life, but save the people for your name’s sake. However, blotting out Moses would not have satisfied God’s wrath. Centuries later another law-giver, Jesus Christ as a son over his own house said the same thing, and He took the sins of His people in His own body to the cross. The wrath of God fell in infinite power upon his dying form. It fell till it was exhausted, but it could not blot His name out of the book because He was, unlike Moses, perfect and sinless and death could not hold Him. Thus we are saved through Him and my friends, when we think about temptation and sin we need to remember how weak we are and how the only reason we are saved is that we have one who is greater than Moses who paid the price for our sin. This brings me to the last point, that we should be brave sons.

III The Bravery of Sons

Verse 13 is a precious passage, No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Much more could be said than I am about to do. Jay Adams has written a booklet using this verse which i recommend to all of you, “Christ and Your Problems,” but suffice it to say that this passage teaches us to face temptation or trial with courage as brave sons of God. C.S. Lewis wrote in “The Problem of Pain,” “I am not arguing that pain is not painful. pain hurts. that is what the word means. I am only trying to show that the old Christian doctrine of being made ‘perfect through suffering’ (Hebrews 2:10) is not incredible. To prove it palatable is beyond my design.” We might add, beyond possibility. We should not think that our trials or temptations are exceptional. This is a trap. We need to know that their are limits to our trials, but whatever they are, God always makes a way to escape. The imagery of the language here is of an army trapped in the mountains which escapes from an apparently impossible situation through a pass. This word for escape is used only one other time in the New Testament in Hebrews 13:7 and 8, Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome (escape) of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. We are told to imitate their faith. The outcome, the end, the escape of their faith is identified in verse 8, Jesus Christ the same. In other words, if He helped them to overcome temptation, He will help you. This doesn’t mean we never fail. Obviously, if we do not look for a way out we won’t find it, but we need to look to God for help and stand fast. The power of this promise is linked to what precedes. We need first of all to see our blessings, secondly to be realistic about our backwardness and liabilities, and then to be brave and courageous in the fight against sin.