LESSONS FROM HISTORY- such might be a possible title for this lesson. Here, Paul uses the ancient Israelite eremos experience to engage a new, non-Israelite people concerning cultic meals eaten in pagan temples. This "history" is highly abridged and truncated, using typology and correspondence between ancient past and present life to establish the "lessons" for this new generation of pilgrims.

LESS-THAN-STELLAR-PERFORMANCE - Paul uses the Exodus narrative to demonstrate on one hand, God’s great outstretched hand of providence of food and water and guidance and on the other, Israel’s short-sighted and ungrateful response. Though God proved faithful on the desert floor, thousands of them perished because of their unfaithfulness.

CITIZENSHIP - A pattern emerges in the wilderness experience of Israel: promise-problem-provision. Seems that God promises to supply what the Israelites need ("give us this day our daily bread"), but between the promise and the provision lies the problem, that is, the temptation to not trust God when it seems that God is not going to come through.

 

Joe Aldrich-The enemy will wait forty years, if necessary, to set a trap for you.

Richard Lovelace-If millions of Christians can be tempted to neglect the church, the scriptures, prayer and other dynamics of spiritual life, they can be kept at a subsistence level of strength which will offer little threat to the kingdom of evil.

Oscar Wilde-I can resist everything-except temptation.

United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel-O Christ, guide and strengthen all who are tempted in this hour.

Part I-those who failed to obtain the prize. The power of the type lies in Paul positing that the Israelites also had their own peculiar form of baptism and the "Lord’s Supper"-just like us. All of them had these privileges, but still, God was not pleased with most of them and their carcasses dotted the desert floor over their forty years of sojourn. This might set a good context for listeners / the congregation to reflect on their own journey. Affirming the same life-nourishing sacraments that others have not appropriated for the journey.

Part II moves upfront and personal. This is the learning moment for Paul’s recipients. Paul marks four places in the Israelite continuum where Israel messed up. Such are examples for us to review and re-evaluate our own lives and faith community in the light of our faith-forbearers.