The Church of Moses
—1Corinthians 10

Paul wanted the church at Corinth to understand itself better; so he pointed to what Stephen called "the church in the wilderness" (Acts 7:38 KJV). Long ago, Moses rescued the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt. He led the congregation through the wilderness to Mount Sinai. This "church" behaved badly. Paul made this an edifying analogy of the congregation in Corinth. We consider the points Paul makes (1Corinthians 10:1-12).

The word "church" by the way is ekklesia in the Greek. It is also translated "congregation". Ekklesia means "called out" —in this case called out of Egypt.

1 ITS BAPTISM INTO MOSES

Verses 1-4

When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt they were "baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea". Paul saw a spiritual likeness between the crossing of the Red Sea and the conversion of the Corinthians.

Paul also saw a spiritual meaning in the rock from which the Israelites drank water. It was a symbol or type of Christ who gives the Holy Spirit —the spiritual water of life (John 4:13-14, 7:37-39).

Paul went on to draw more parallels between the "church" of Moses and the church of God at Corinth.

2 ITS LUST FOR IDOLS

Verses 5-7

Moses was a righteous man, but his "church" harboured many who lusted after evil things and turned to idols instead of God. Paul warned the Corinthians not to be like that. Instead, rise up to honour Jesus Christ, the LORD God, the God of Moses, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Because the Corinthians lived among idols, they were tempted to have fellowship with them, as did some in the congregation that Moses led. Paul urged the Cotinthian church to learn from the example of the "church" whose dead bodies did not get buried in the promised land.

3 ITS OFFENSES AGAINST GOD

Verses 8-10

The lust for evil things, and the idolatry, led to three other problems: sexual immorality; testing God; unreasonable complaints saying life was better in Egypt.

Paul was reminding the Corinthians that to seriously and wilfully displease God is to incur punishment. Those who were called out of Egypt wandered 40 years and all died in the wilderness. Only their offspring entered the promised land.

4ITS EXAMPLES TO HEED

Verses 11-12

Paul concluded his remarks about the "church" of Moses with a concise message. The churches of the Christian age were to be motivated by the example of the "church" of Moses, so as not to repeat its errors.