In 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 Paul lists the five categories of sin which kept virtually all of Israel from entering the promised land: 1) lusting for, or desiring, evil, 2) idolatry, 3) sexual immorality, 4) putting God to the test, and 5) murmuring, or grumbling, against God.  He summarized these sins under the broad term “idolatry” which represents more than bowing down to a golden calf or man-made idol as did Israel.  Modern man, at least Western man, does not believe in this type of idolatry anymore because he does not literally bow down and worship wooden or carved things called idols.  Nevertheless, modern man remains steeped in an overarching idolatry represented by all five of these categories of sin.

First, Paul says, one is an idolater if he lusts for or desires anything evil.  The Greek word “evil” means “worthless, depraved, or injurious.” Clearly, a multitude of things we may want or want to do could be considered worthless, depraved, or injurious to us. Can you think of anything, any thing at all, that you personally have lusted for or desired which you know is worthless, depraved, or injurious to you? Of course you can. Everyone who considers themselves honestly can.

Second, Paul condemns “idolatry.” Ancient Israel demanded Aaron make them a golden calf to worship. He foolishly complied, showing that he too fell into idolatry. Here is the short story:

And all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them from their hand, and fashioned it with an engraving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD. And they rose up early on the next day, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. (Exodus 32:3-6 KJ2000)

They “rose up to play?”  What did they play? Later, when the Kingdom of Israel split into Northern Israel and Southern Judah, the first northern king, Jeroboam, made two golden calves and brought Israel into an idolatry from which they never escaped. But, what is your and my idolatry? What is the thing we place before ourselves to which we “rise up and play?” Is it music, is it clothing, is it movies, is it sex? What is it that you cannot put down? Is it drugs? Is it alcohol? Is it gossip? Is it any of a million things?! Of course you have an idol. We all do. We’re just like every citizen of Israel, all of whom died in the wilderness.

Third, Paul lists “sexual immorality.” I will say no more, for you know that you are sexually immoral.

Fourth, he says, the Israelites “put God to the test.”  Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:9 that this was the time God destroyed some of them with serpents. Here’s what happened:

And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way to the Sea of Reeds, to go around the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was greatly discouraged because of the way. And the people spoke against God, and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loathes this worthless bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died. (Numbers 21:4-6 KJ2000)

But you and I, of course, have never gotten impatient with God. We’ve never gotten in his face and said, “I don’t like this plan.  I don’t like this program you have me on. I don’t want to eat (do) this food (walk this desolate spiritual journey) with you anymore!” Have you ever had a child? Did one ever tell you they did not want what you had prepared for them to eat? Did one ever tell you that she would not go to bed when you said to? Did one ever rebel against your commands? Then they’ve put you to the test haven’t they? And so have we with God.  All of us.

And, finally, Paul says that God condemned Israel to death because they grumbled and murmured against him. This refers to the following event:

And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And why has the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us choose a leader, and let us return into Egypt. (Numbers 14:1-4 KJ2000)

Of course none of US have ever complained about the way God treats us or the trials we have had to go through! None of us have said that we are weary of the journey, that the way is too difficult. None of us say, “God, how could you demand this of us?” Don’t fool yourself. We all have.

And so we see that all of us, yes each single one of us, fail every single one of the five categories of sin which Paul sets forth.  We can’t pretend. We all would have fallen dead in the wilderness. And we would have fallen even after we believed in Jesus because we still do those same things. What’s the point then? How can we ever enter God’s rest?

Go to Part 3

Part 1