In I Corinthians 10 1-12 Paul out lines the spiritual meaning of the Exodus He speaks of Israel be-mg “m the cloud of Shekinah Glory” and “passing through the sea” as two powerful symbols of baptism into Moses, who was “the mouth of God” in Israel He also speaks about eating and drinking spiritual food and drink. This, Paul stresses, was their connection to Christ, who was that spiritual. Rock, and because of whom believers would rejoice at the resurrection when they would receive the gift of life from him.
Paul also tells us God was “not well pleased” with Israel, and reveals one reason they were punished for their rebellious ways “Now these things happened to them as a warning, but they were written down for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come.”
He stresses five perilous pitfalls we must strive to avoid (1 Cor 10:6-10)
- Do not desire evil, whether in things, thoughts or feelings.
- Do not be idolaters by overstressing the false importance of anything.
- Do not indulge in immorality, whether sanctioned and accepted by society or our closest friends.
- Do not put our Lord to the test. “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?” Israel said, “For there is no food and no water, and we loathe, this worthless food” (Num 21 5) Consider our own imperative ma modem context Jesus said, “I am the bread of life, he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst,”
- Do not grumble It was they grumbling which put the Lord to the test There is another, more significant, meaning involved with “to grumble” The word used in the Greek means, “to mutter in a low voice or to confer secretly,” i.e to gossip In plain English it refers to rumor-mongering and slandering!
How gossip hurts
In a very pointed parable about this, Jesus taught all disciples a great lesson (Matt 13 24) It concerns the farmer who sowed good seed m his field, but in the secret of night, his enemy sowed tares among his good wheat, and went away.
Now, I realize this parable concerns Christ and his work over the ages, but please think of the field as a contemporary ecclesial setting Paul, in I Corinthians 39 (NKJV), highlighted our sanctified status as workers together with God “We are God’s fellow workers, you are God’s field, you are God’s building.”
Think of this in terms of a gossiper sowing bad reports about a fellow-believer Silently and secretly a brother or sister is taring another believer’s field The tales whispered are soiling another believer’s reputation, and even if the report is true, the motive may be one of resentment, or just plain “getting even”
Jesus describes the one who sows trouble as “an enemy” This person is an enemy not only of the one who is hurt, but also an enemy of the Judge, our Lord.
This parable, clearly brings into sharp focus the importance our Heavenly Father places on our own personal relationship with fellow-believers.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One