1 Corinthians 10:9 Content!

1 Cor 10:9
We should not test the Lord, as some of them did– and were killed by snakes.
(Deut 6:16 Do not test the LORD your God as you did at Massah. [Water from rock Ex 17: The idea that they complained because they didn't believe God was there to help them, to provide for them. They did not have faith in what God had planned for them.])

I referenced to the passage from Numbers 21, where the Israelites complained about the situation and were bitten by snakes.

4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

Trials are things that last a lot longer than you think. I mean, when you know when something is going to end, it’s not a trial, it’s an expectation. This is why God says to persevere or outlast the trial (James 1:2-4). These guys, including myself at times, didn’t do that. They grew impatient and did the unthinkable. They bashed God in the face. Well, not literally, but think of it this, way:
Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert?
Do you know why God took them out of Egypt? Ex 3:7 “ The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.”
There is no bread! There is no water!
We don’t have the necessary things to live! We need more!
And we detest this miserable food! (NASB manna)
We don’t like the things you’ve given us!

What’s interesting between the last two things is that they had no bread but they had food. They were complaining that God didn’t give them what they wanted. Total conviction for me. I complained to God many times in my life about the things that I don’t have and the things that I want. Is that how we should live? Phil 4:12 Are content with what we have, even hungry or in want? Do you really believe that the secret of contentment is  v13: I can do everything through him who gives me strength? Do I live a life where it shows that I’m satisfied with my life? (Do you focus on what you don’t have or what you do?)

So what did they say? Illustration: Imagine if you were at starbucks and you heard one of your fellow friends say, “Oh, man, I need to get out of here. I don’t care, just get me to a better place.” You hear it and decide to help him. You know he’s going to get hungry during the ride so you buy him a bagel before you leave. You then get into your car and you start driving. On your way to this better place, all you hear is, “Man, why did you take me out? This is taking too long. Why did you buy me this bagel? This food sucks.
Yea, he’s punching you in the face. He sucks big time. Too bad God is the driver and you’re the complainer.

6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

It’s interesting that Moses didn’t pray while they were dying. It says he prayed after they realized they sinned and that they asked him to because they knew that was the only way to get help. Do you pray knowing that God can help you from your snakes?

8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

I was thinking about this. God is God. He can heal you in an instant if he wanted to. Why would he tell Moses to make a snake for them to look at? It was for them. If they wanted to be healed, they would have to go with faith and humility and look upon the snake.

It’s pretty crazy that today is Good Friday and how this passage refers to the cross of Christ. If we faithfully and humbly come and look upon the cross and Jesus Christ for our sins (venom), we will be healed.  (Do you look upon Jesus knowing that you will be saved from circumstances?)

Applications:
When in trials, do you pray KNOWING that God can help you?
Do you live a life that shows satisfaction, even through these trials? Do people see you and see that you’re good with everything you have or do you live like you want something all the time? Do you live in a way that tells people, “I want so much more in this life?” Do you really believe that God will give you the things you need? That he will give it to you when the time is right? Ecc 3:11 says that He has made everything beautiful in its time. Do you believe that? Live it.

1 Corinthians 10:6-7

1 Cor 10:6-7
6)Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7)Do not be idolaters, as some of them were, as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.

Paul basically talks about the history of Israel during Moses’ time. I remember history teachers always telling that the reason why we study history is so that we don’t follow the same mistake as our forefathers did, the same reason Paul is telling us the history of Israel.

I went to Exodus 32, where the Paul quotes the latter half of verse 7.
1When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
Their relationship with God was dependent on man. When Moses doesn’t come back, they stray away from God. I am guilty of this. My walk with God, at first, was dependent on my pastor to the point where his words were almost that of God’s (which it technically was since he used Scripture constantly). Where’s your dependency on? God and his word that will last forever or man whose glory will fade like the flowers (Isa 40:6-8)

2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.”
In verse 22, Aaron gave his reason to why he did this. He was scared of the persecution and the “consequences” that these people would give. Even now, as I write this in my class, I feel a bit uncomfortable with my bible and me typing this thing out, but I gotta remember, persecution comes with Jesus (no servant is greater than his master John 15:20) and that Paul was not ashamed of the gospel (Rom 1:6) and that if I were ashamed of Him and His word, I’m in a world of trouble (Luke 9:26) Do you let others influence you on your walk with God?

3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron.
Those who don’t follow the Lord and His word will end up making their own aspects of God. 2 Tim 4:3-4 gives you the idea that at one point, people will just listen to what they want to hear and not follow His word….

4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
This aspect really shows that God has placed eternity in the hearts of man (Ecc 3:11), but in this case, they put placed theirs on things that were not of God. It’s an easy concept. What is an idol? Anyone can say, “Oh, I have no idols,” but when you really rip up your day, can you say that with confidence? What takes more time, God or the world? As Jesus says,  No servant can have two masters (Matt 6:24). Rip up your day, see for yourself.

5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.”
Seeing how riled up they got, how passionate they got, you can’t help but to think Aaron felt it too. Why else did he build an altar and plan a festival? It doesn’t say that he was told to, he did it on his own, probably through the emotions he was feeling. The problem is, his actions aren’t based on the word and look where it takes him. Do we base our decisions and actions on the word? If we don’t, how else will we know what He wants? Rom 10:2-3

6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

They were committed to something, and very committed seeing that they rose up early…. Do you show your commitment to Christ?….This would be a very beautiful picture, if it was for God, not the calf…

Application:
Is your day going to be about God or something else? Plan it.
Will you make your decisions going to be based on the word? Read it, plan it, do it.
Are you showing your commitment to God NOT MAN? Do it.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Ps 1:2