For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil 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 rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Comment: Paul walks with his readers through the journey of the people whom Moses led out of Egypt through the wilderness to Canaan. A short trip which took 40 years! Everyone of the mass of people experienced the many gifts of God. But no one over the age of 20 apart from Caleb and Joshua crossed the Jordan into the promised land. Without completing the list of their faults but stressing idolatry and sexual immorality (do we see these in our society?) he highlights their failure to enter the promised land!
Be careful, he says, persistence in faithfulness and wariness of self-pride (maybe self-righteousness) are fundamentally important. You may complain that you are tempted too hard not to give in – ‘Rubbish’ he says ‘God will stand with you!’
Prayer: Grant me to find and practice ‘stickability’, please.
As I read it! 