We've all
heard the saying about those who don't pay attention to history are doomed to
repeat history's mistakes, yes? It makes sense doesn't it? When we don't listen
to our own personal histories the same thing happens. We are doomed to repeat
our same mistakes over and over and over again as long as we refuse to learn
from our past. The fact that we have a past to pay attention to, to learn from
is a blessing. Every single mistake we've ever made whether it was fifty years
ago or two hours ago is a lesson for us to learn from. We have an opportunity
to recognize our weakness and to open our hearts before God and seek His
strength. We are given a chance to ask for forgiveness, to repent- desiring not
to repeat our mistakes, and to live in the newness of life found only in Christ
Jesus.
Biblically
we are told we need to remember, we are told to learn so we are not ignorant of
the truth.
Let's look
at one instance…
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;
What
fathers were under the cloud? What cloud?
Exo
13:18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of
the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of
Egypt.
Those
slaves freed from Egypt by the Lord through Moses- these were the forefathers
of those being spoken to.
Exo
13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to
lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go
by day and night:
Exo
13:22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of
fire by night, from before the people.
The LORD -
in a pillar of a cloud.
1Co
10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
Exo_14:16
But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide
it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the
sea.
The cloud
of the LORD, and the LORD parted sea.
Led by the LORD through Moses.
1Co
10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
Exo
16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven
for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that
I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
Psa
78:23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors
of heaven,
Psa
78:24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of
the corn of heaven.
Psa
78:25 Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.
Deu
8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with
manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make
thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
Bread from
heaven rained down upon the people by the LORD. 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.
Isa
48:21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he
caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and
the waters gushed out.
Joh
4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall
never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of
water springing up into everlasting life.
1Co
10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were
overthrown in the wilderness.
Num
14:11 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me?
and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have
shewed among them?
Num
14:12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and
will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.
Jud
1:5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this,
how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward
destroyed them that believed not.
Heb
3:16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that
came out of Egypt by Moses.
Heb
3:17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that
had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
Heb
3:18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but
to them that believed not?
Heb
3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
1Co
10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust
after evil things, as they also lusted.
EXAMPLES
FOR US.
WE SHOULD
NOT LUST AFTER EVIL THINGS.
What evil
things?
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.
Deu
9:12 And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence;
for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted
themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded
them; they have made them a molten image.
God
commanded one way and the people turned away from the way God commanded- and
made themselves idols of other things, in this instance it was a molten image
they chose to have made so they could worship that image. What do we worship
today, what takes the place of God in our hearts? We may not have an image of a
golden calf set up in our house to bow down to, but there may be other things
we are giving our hearts and minds to.
1Co
10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and
fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
Num
25:1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom
with the daughters of Moab.
Num
25:2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and
the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
Num
25:3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD
was kindled against Israel.
Num
25:4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and
hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD
may be turned away from Israel.
Num
25:5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men
that were joined unto Baalpeor.
Num
25:6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his
brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the
congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation.
Num
25:7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest,
saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his
hand;
Num
25:8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both
of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the
plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
Num
25:9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four
thousand.
Choosing
others than God to commit our lives to fully and wholly. Choosing flesh over
Spirit.
1Co
10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were
destroyed of serpents.
Exo
17:7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of
the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD,
saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
Num
21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have
ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread,
neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
Num
21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the
people; and much people of Israel died.
1Co
10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were
destroyed of the destroyer.
Exo
16:2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured
against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness
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.
WRITTEN
FOR US - EXAMPLES. WRITTEN FOR OUR ADMONITION.
1Co
10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he
fall.
TAKE HEED.
We need to
take heed! We need to listen to God, not to ourselves! We need to read the
examples and realize that God is NOT TO BE TRIFLED WITH. By our standards today
those people God destroyed were not guilty of any crime worth death. We've
glorified evil until we've convinced ourselves that evil is good and we will no
longer feel the wrath of God. God has come around to our way of thinking… LIES
ALL LIES! God hasn't changed! LORD
please, please help us to know Your way and follow in Your way not in our own
way! Give us all we need to be YOURS WHOLLY YOURS! Satan would have us confused
and deceived so we think that we are Yours when we are not. Please LORD, please
let us truly be YOURS. Open our blind eyes! Lead us in the way everlasting!
Keep us from EVIL!
More on
all of this tomorrow, God willing!
May we be
blessed in the Lord, all through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus
Christ, now and forever!!!!!!!
Amen.
