Captivity of Evil Things.

Do you remember the story of the people Moses set free from slavery? You know the one, The Ten Commandments? They made a movie out of it and show that movie every year around Easter time. Here in the New Testament, by people living long after Moses…about 1500 years after… we read about Moses and more importantly the people he freed. They were examples not only for those living in the time of the writing of the book of Corinthians, but for us- yes, us, you and me. Examples.

All those who followed Moses out of Egypt, every single one of them were touched by the miraculous mist of the parted sea. Not one person escaped Egypt that didn't have to pass through the sea which was parted just for their escape. The parting of the sea was miraculous though you'll get skeptics explaining things away as skeptics always try to do thinking their superior intellect keeps them from believing in miracles. That parted sea was held in check by God and every escapee felt the power of that miracle. They were touched by the mist of the sea, some could even say drenched. If you've ever had an opportunity to stand in front of mist, or under a mist machine, or by Niagara Falls when you go on the Cave of the Winds tour, or take the Maid of the Mist boat ride, or simply been outside when it is more misty than actually rainy, then you know how drenching a mist can be. These Hebrew Egyptian escapees were drenched by that mist as they made their journey from shore to shore and in essence they were baptized in that mist and their baptism was of spiritual origins because of the miraculous means.

Then to top it off, after they'd depleted any food supplies they had with them when they left Egypt they had to rely upon food provided for them miraculously. NO one today can claim they've been supplied with angel food from heaven. A lot of people have starved to death (tragically) and not been supplied with spiritual food. The Israelites escaping captivity after four hundred years were given spiritual food, manna, bread from heaven to keep them alive. When they ran out of water to drink and were thinking they'd die of thirst, water was provided for them, again- miraculously. Spiritual water kept them living.  So there we have it…

Baptized in the spiritual mist of the parted sea, fed with spiritual bread, given life sustaining water spiritually provided- these people were blessed with so many blessings it is mind blowing.

To top it ALL off, something a lot of people don't realize, the provider of all these spiritual life saving happenstances was Christ!

The Rock that flowed forth spiritual water was given to them by CHRIST.

That Rock was Christ!

Christ the provider long before He took on human form, some 1500 years, Christ was saving these people.

Read it for yourselves-

1Co 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; 

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

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

1Co 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. 

The Rock that Peter was called to build a church upon was the Rock- Christ, not the rock himself- but that's another study.

The Rock was Christ, Christ the Savior was working to save these people and yet…

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

These people were physically saved from death and given their freedom from slavery and yet they were so corrupted by their years of captivity and refusal to let go of their self-serving ways, God was not happy with them at all. They were hard-hearted refusing to truly surrender their lives to God's leading. They desired the luxuries of captivity by Egypt rather than the depravation of living free and there was great depravation. They no longer had familiar and yes, the comforts of living in Egypt even as slaves and most of them preferred those comforts over the great hardships of their journey to freedom. When a ready food source was no longer there and they felt the first hunger pangs of being deprived- they longed to return to their captivity so they wouldn't starve to death.  That seems logical in a way, doesn't it? Yet, aren't there some who would rather die free than live enslaved? Was their enslavement to a sin serving, idol worshipping, God-less king better because they didn't have to think about where their next meal was coming from, or where their clothing would be provided, or where the wells of water were? They wanted to live enslaved just so long as they could live, rather than die free from slavery and belonging to their Creator who alone could offer a much better world in eternity.

You know this has a more modern version as well- the enslavement of the African people once ended here in America found many slaves destitute and longing for the security they once had under their master's rule. Yet the mere idea of such a thing is repulsive to us and rightly so. Slavery is not something to be condoned.

Even today, right now, you'll get people who have been made slaves who are given a choice to be freed from their captors but choose to stay because it gives them a sense of security in a life they know rather than that insecurity of not being taken care of - food/drink/clothes- all provided for them rather than having to suddenly provide all that for themselves. People can't comprehend why a slave would choose to remain a slave, but the fear of dying free outweighs the aspect of enslavement.

Getting back to Moses and the Israelites freed from captivity. They not only missed the food and drink security, they missed the evil things they'd grown accustom to. They missed the idolatry, the wild abandon of fulfilling lusts that took place in the world of Egyptians. Sure, they had to work under awful conditions very hard, but they were allowed time to indulge their passions as well. Once freed from the idolatrous ways of Egypt, they didn't want to give up the self-serving lusts they were used to. Sure, the idea of being free from the hardships of slavery was great, but the reality was far different for them when they comprehended they were being asked to return to God's care, and give up self-serving.  Here read this--

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

1Co 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. 

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

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

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

1Co 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. 

They lusted after evil things.

They had before them the freedom of salvation, yet they lusted after the captivity of evil things.

Today, just as in Paul's day, people lust after evil things preferring the evil things over Christ's salvation. They want evil things so they call the evil things good things, and the good things evil. They want evil things because it is self-satisfying, self-pleasure seeking, and indulging in things that give pleasure is something people often choose because to otherwise endure hardships is something that has become appalling and to be shunned at every turn. Work hard but only because you want to be able to play hard is the motto of many- even if they won't admit to it.

We have grown used to fulfilling our pleasure seeking lives and count it joy when we have been able to do things that please us.

God help us. we are so corrupted in so many ways!

More on this tomorrow… by the grace and will of God.