THE KING’S BUSINESS
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wisdom hid forbidden (Gen. 3:6). (2) They committed idolatry, joining in the feasting and licentiousness that accompan ied idolatrous rites: “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” (Ex. 32:6). Eating things sacrificed to idols was the -very point Paul had been discussing with the Corinthians. It might seem at first thought that we today were in no danger at this point, but are not many pro fessed Christians today “sitting down to eat and drink and rising up to play” with idolators in their mammon-worship and worship of the goddess of pleasure, etc? (3) They “committed fornication.” This was a sin to which the Corinthians were particularly exposed and about which Paul had spoken plainly in the preceding chap ters. It is also a sin which in our land today is sweeping its millions, including many professed Christians, into hell. The growth of this sin in recent years, in Amer ica and other lands, is appalling, and to many it seems as one of the precursors and prophecies of the last days of awful dark ness and midnight which are to precede the coming of our Lord. Because of this sin, Paul adds, there “fell in one day three and twenty thousand.” We learn from Num. 25:9 that twenty-four thousand died in that plague, though from the passage here it appears that only twenty-three thousand died in one day. By thus dealing with sin ning Israel God offered a very solemn warning against 7 this vile and destructive sin that all of us would do well to lay to heart. This sin is doing more to render ineffective the armies of the Allies than German shells and gases. It is said on good authority that 331-3% of the forces in some places are unable to fight because of the diseases that have resulted from this sin among the soldiers. It is to be noted that Paul humbly puts himself in the num ber that needed the exhortation to be on guard against this sin. This comes out in his form of expression “Neither let u s” he says, “commit fornication, etc.” There are some who are very sure that they are above any such possibility and do not need
them are found in Tom Paine’s “Age of Reason”) of the Pentateuch go all to pieces on a careful study of the types, and the “old views” held' by reverent and spiritual scholarship throughout the centuries, are firmly and forever established by a thor ough and patient study of the types. One has well said, “A strong proof of inspira tion is given in this fact, that the historical parts of scripture, without the conscious ness even of the authors, are covert proph ecies of the future.” Paul’s purpose in bringing forward in this place these won derful types is a solemn warning. Israel had all these things in type and yet for all this, “with most of them God was not well pleased. God showed His displeas ure toward them by overthrowing them in the wilderness. Just so may we have the great privileges that are open to us in Christ (and which were typified in Israel’s history) and yet become castaways. There fore let us take heed and be not high minded (v. 12 ). Wednesday, Nov. 7 . 1 Cor. 10 : 6 - 11 . The things that Paul has related in verses 1 to 5, he now tells us were for “our example?” God’s purpose in giving us these examples was to keep us from lusting after evil things as Israel lusted and thus brought God’s displeasure and judgment upon themselves. Having stated in verses 1 to S the five great privileges “all” Israel had enjoyed, beginning with the 7th verse Paul recounts five ruinous sins which “some” in Israel had committed; and “all these things happened unto them for our examples.” These five ruinous sins which “some” committed were: (1) They “lusted after evil things” (cf. Num. 11:4, 33, 34). That is to say, they desired things outside of God’s wise plan and provision for them. We, too, must be on our guard lest we make Shipwreck on the same rock. In regard to these sins, Paul puts lusting first merely because that is the fountain out of which every individual sin springs (James 1:14, IS; Ps. 106:13-15). Eve began her sin by lusting after that which God in His
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