The people of Israel were baptized in the Red Sea as they came out of Egypt to begin their journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land and this typifies the disciples of Christ being baptized as they come out of the world to begin a journey through life to the Kingdom of God in the same land.
On this journey the teaching of Jesus is our meat and drink, and this is represented by the manna in the wilderness and the water that came out of the rock, for the Rock is Christ.
Few of the Exodus generation remained faithful during their journey towards the land, but perished in the wilderness.
Paul warned the disciples not to make the same mistakes. Do not “be idolaters”. Do not “commit fornication”. Do not “tempt Christ or murmur”.
The word “ensample” is “type” in the original Greek, meaning the impression made, for example, by a typewriter character on paper.
We may be tried during our days of probation, as they were, but: “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”.
The Corinthian disciples had a particular problem in that their city was full of idols to which the citizens made continual sacrifices. This meant that cheap meat was available in the market, “the shambles”. Should the disciples eat this meat which had been sacrificed to idols? Certainly they should not eat in the idol’s temple v.21.1 Corinthians 10:21XWaiting for response The “devils”, imaginary gods of the Greeks, were nothing and the sacrificing had no effect on the meat. Therefore the disciples would not be defiled by eating it, but the conscience of others might be affected if they saw them doing so. Therefore the apostle counselled them to refrain from eating that meat if anyone was offended by it. We do not have this particular problem today; nevertheless the principle can guide our actions. Many things may be permissible, but we should refrain from them if it causes others to stumble in the faith.
The apostle’s instruction is excellent, and we should follow his example.
Paul shows in this chapter the remarkable fact that the events recorded in the Old Testament are “typical” of God’s purpose in Christ.