Notes on Warnings from the Old Testament

1 Corinthians 10:1 - 13

Paul uses a series of warnings from the Old Testament. By citing the scriptures in this style Paul is catering to an educated Jewish audience.

1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

  • Brothers I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.

1 Corinthians 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

  • They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
    • (For the cloud and the sea see the previous verse note. I note that the Israelites were baptized without either immersion or sprinkling. The Israelites were baptized in water but the water never touched them. Exodus 14:22 - 29)

1 Corinthians 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

  • They all ate the same spiritual food.

1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

  • and they all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.
    • (The children of Israel drank water from the rock that was split open. Exodus Chapter 16. Here the food and drink represent Jesus. God cared for his people in the flight from Egypt with food and drink and now he provides us with spiritual food and drink)

1 Corinthians 10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

  • Still, God was not pleased with most of them and they they died in the wilderness.
    • (Caleb and Joshua were the only adults in the flight from Egypt that were allowed to enter Israel. Two were allowed to see the promised land and all the others died in the wilderness.)

1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

  • They are our examples to keep us from lusting after evil things as they did.

1 Corinthians 10:7 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.

  • Do not worship idols, as some of them did; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry."
  • (Paul is citing Exodus 32:6 )

1 Corinthians 10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

  • We should not commit sexual immorality, some of the, did and twenty-three thousand of them died in one day.
  • (In Numbers 25:1 - 9 it tells of 24,000 people being killed for immorality and I feel it is the same story. If 24,000 people were killed it does not in any way preclude 23,000 dying in one day and the others dying before or after. There is also the possibility that in one case they were rounding up and the other rounding down.)

1 Corinthians 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

1 Corinthians 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

  • And do not grumble, as some of them did--and were killed by the destroying angel.

1 Corinthians 10:11 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.

  • These examples serve as a warning for us in the final days until Jesus comes again.

1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

  • So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!

1 Corinthians 10:13 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.

  • You have only been subject to the normal temptations. God is faithful and he will not allow temptation greater than you can bear. When you are tempted, God will give you a way out of it.

Exodus Chapter 13 - Full Text

Exodus Chapter 14 - Full Text

Exodus Chapter 16 - Full Text

Leviticus Chapter 7 - Full Text

Numbers Chapter 14 - Full Text

Numbers Chapter 25 - Full Text

1 Corinthians Chapter 4 - Full Text

1 Corinthians Chapter 9 - Full Text

1 Corinthians Chapter 10 - Full Text

References in Scripture

Exodus 13:21 - 22

Exodus 14:22 - 29

Exodus Chapter 16

Exodus 32:6

Leviticus 7:6 & 15

Deuteronomy 32:21

Numbers 14:18 - 35

Numbers 25:1 - 9

Matthew 7:21 - 23

1 Corinthians 4:14 - 21

1 Corinthians 9:13

1 Corinthians 10:1 - 22

1 Corinthians 10:16

2 Corinthians 6:15


Exodus 13:21 - 22

21 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:

22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.


Exodus 14:22 - 29

22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,

25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

26 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.

27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.


Exodus 32:6

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.


Leviticus 7:6 & 15

6 Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it is most holy.

15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.


Numbers 14:18 - 35

18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.

20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:

21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;

23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:

24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) Tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

26 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.

28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you:

29 Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me.

30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

31 But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.

32 But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.

33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

35 I the LORD have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.


Numbers 25:1 - 9

25:1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.

3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was
kindled against Israel.

4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang
them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD
may be turned away from Israel.

5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that
were joined unto Baalpeor.

6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand;

8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.


Deuteronomy 32:21

21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.


1 Corinthians 1:9

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.


1 Corinthians 9:13

13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?


1 Corinthians 10:1 - 22

1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

7 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.

8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

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.

12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

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.

14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?

20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?


2 Corinthians 6:15

15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?


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To Understand my faith better I have decided to construct these pages. They are strictly educational, non-commercial and to foster scholarly discussion. All Bible quotes are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated. I use the KJV because while not a perfect translation it is literal and out of Copyright. All mistakes are my own and if you differ from my thoughts I welcome your comments. J. Barry O'Connell Jr.