By Charlene Brown
Overview
Scripture Lesson Text: 1 Corinthians 9:24-10:13
In his first letter to the church at Corinthians, the Apostle Paul is addressing the church’s sexual immorality, idol worship, division, pride, lack of self control, and spiritual discipline. The city of Corinth was very wealthy, yet they were considered loose and immoral.
In today’s lesson Paul compares the life of a Christian to that of a race.
Paul reminds the Corinthians just as athletes have to be disciplined and train hard to not only start a race, but finish the race. He challenges them to be just as disciplined and purposeful in their faith as if in a race to finish strong.
He continues to give examples of how some of the Israelites who passed through the Red Sea perished because they gave in to sexual sin, idolatry, lust and murmurings against God. Paul told them these stories to warn them to not fall into the same sin and temptation, but to learn from the mistakes of their forefathers and trust God to strengthen them to resist temptation.
Related Scriptures: Exodus 32:1-10; Numbers 16:1-50; 21:4-9; 25:1-15;
Psalm 78:9-39
Exodus 32:1-10
In this set of scriptures from Exodus, we find the children of Israel recently delivered from slavery in Egypt and crossing the Red Sea. While waiting forty days for Moses to return from meeting with God on Mt Sinai, the people became impatient and decided to create a visible god, a calf molded from gold. Impatience led the people into sin and turned them to idol worship. How easily they forgot God had just delivered them from slavery.
Numbers 16: 1-50
While in the wilderness the people began to complain and rise up against Moses and Aaron. A Levite named Korah, Dathan, Abriam along with two hundred and fifty leaders challenge Moses and Aaron’s leadership. They were jealous of God’s choice of Moses and Aaron. God became angry and ordered Moses and the people to separate themselves from Korah and his constituents. God then causes the ground to open up and swallow them, their families, and possessions.
Psalm 78:9-39
This Psalm reveals how the Israelites constantly disobeyed God after their deliverance from Egypt. In spite of all the miracles God performed, they still questioned His faithfulness, protection, and provision. The people didn’t believe in God. Due to their rebellion God’s wrath was upon them. While they were eating , He struck down many of them, but God being full of mercy and compassion often held back His anger because He remembered they were but flesh.
Practical Point
Sin often has serious consequences.
Sin affects us both spiritually and naturally, and it affects our relationship with God and others. Some of the consequences of sin are separation from God, broken relationships, loss of trust, discipline, and spiritual death. The Israelites were constantly sinning against God, and God was constantly disciplining them. God uses discipline not to condemn us, but to encourage us to repent and turn back to Him. Yes sin has consequences, but thank God He is merciful and gracious to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
