God Was Not Pleased with Most of Them
July 10
Paul talks about the Jewish nation, which followed Moses out of their bondage in Egypt through the desert toward the Promised Land. He says that all of them followed. All of them walked through the Dead Sea on dry land. Yes, dry. Completely dry. Unlike children’s Bibles with fish flopping in puddles while the people walked by. Dry. He says that all of them ate the same spiritual food – manna that appeared on the ground six days every week. He says that they all drank water from the rock, which was Jesus.
However, God was not pleased with most of His people. So, God struck down those who displeased Him. Paul warns the Corinthians to not commit immorality against God. This includes spiritual adultery by turning their backs on God and turning to idols.
Our final emphasis in today’s Bible reading is one of the most misquoted verses in the entire Bible. How many times have we heard a well-meaning person say, “God never gives us more than we can handle”? This statement twists 1 Corinthians 10:13. This verse isn’t talking about giving us more than we can handle. This verse is about temptation. It’s a verse that gives us hope!
Whenever we are tempted to sin, God always provides a way out. Flip Wilson’s character Geraldine Jones said, “I wasn’t going to buy this dress, but the devil made me do it.” No, Geraldine, the devil – nor anyone else – can make us do anything. Every sin we commit is an affront to the holy nature of God. And every sin we commit is worthy of nothing less than sending us to an eternity separated from God. Every sin we commit is a choice we make. God always gives us a way out. All of us.
Application
Regarding the misquote of 1 Corinthians 10:13, we must remind ourselves that God often gives us more than we can handle. Otherwise, we wouldn’t need God! We wouldn’t have a reason to cry out to Him and lean on His wisdom and strength. We wouldn’t have a reason to ask for and appropriate the filling of the Holy Spirit every day. (Ephesians 5:18)
And going back a few paragraphs, I would argue that God is not pleased with most of His people today. Why would I say that? Look around. How many believers walk in lock-step with Jesus all day, every day? How many believers regularly spend time in Bible reading, Bible study, and Bible memory? How many believers regularly give in tangible ways to support God’s work in their church and around the world? How many believers actively share their faith? How many believers practice other spiritual disciplines? See what I mean? But don’t just look around at other believers. Look in the mirror.
God calls all of His people to repentance. And He gives us grace to do so! (Titus 2:11)
Admittedly, (probably) none of us can answer “yes” to all of these questions. And there are plenty more of those questions we could – and should ask of ourselves
Yes, we are all cut from the same bolt of cloth. And where we see other believers faceplant in so many areas, we must remind ourselves that there, but by the grace of God, go we. (1 Corinthians 10:12)