1 Corinthians 10:6-11 The Example of Serpents
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: March 2, 2020 1 Corinthians 10:6-11
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
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.
(Understanding the Text) Paul says that the Bible is written to give us examples of pitfalls that we will face as Christians. He lists four sins to avoid: idol worship, sexual immorality, putting Christ to the test, and grumbling. Idol worship includes serving other gods literally, but it also includes putting someone or something above God. It is turning away from God, rejecting His offer of exclusive relationship. Sexual immorality seems to go hand-in-hand with idol worship. Sexual immorality today includes not just physical acts, but also fantasies, books, movies, photos, and internet memes. There are a 1,000 more ways to be sexually immoral today than there were in Paul’s time.
Putting Christ to the test in the time of the children of Israel was complaining about the way that Moses had led them out of Egypt into the desert where there was no food and water. They were rejecting being dependent on God for everything. They wanted to depend on human resources. Guzik’s commentary says “Num_21:4-9 describes the incident where, in response to the complaining of the people, God sent fiery serpents among the people. Again, their complaining hearts show them to be self-focused and more concerned with their own desires than God’s glory – the same issues causing trouble with the Corinthian Christians who will not yield their right to eat meat sacrificed to idols for the sake of another brother.” Thus, Guzik is applying Paul’s warning here to the Corinthians’ insistence on having their own way regardless of how it affected others. But how is this putting Christ to the test? What does that mean?
(Understanding the Text / Revelation of God) The grumbling incident with the destroyer is in Numbers 16 when Korah rebelled against the religious leadership of Moses and Aaron and wanted to take the privilege of being a priest for himself. Thus, at first it seemed that the grumbling and putting Christ to the test were the same thing since the people were complaining in the putting to the test situation, but the grumbling situations were out and out rebellion and arrogantly putting themselves above others, coveting their position. This is turning the pattern of Christian living upside down. It is Satan’s grab for power. The other situation was longing for the old ways of slavery because living in freedom involved hardship and danger and trust in God for everything. Putting Christ to the test must be longing to return to the slavery of sin. Grumbling seems to be corrupting the present situation with selfish ambitions.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I need to trust God for everything in life especially as life begins to fall apart as I fear that it soon will with the Corona virus spreading. God will sustain me and guide me in the way that I should go. I shouldn’t put Him to the test by longing for easier times. No time on this earth is easy. It is a fantasy to believe that the present time is easy. I just need to depend on You, but this is difficult for me to do when I do not like the situation that I am in. Give me a trusting heart to follow where You lead even when I do not like where I am at.