1 Corinthians 10:1-13 - A History Lesson From Israel

¹ I want you to bear in mind, Brothers, that all our ancestors were beneath the cloud, and all passed through the sea; ² That in the cloud and in the sea they all underwent baptism as followers of Moses; ³ And that they all ate the same supernatural food, ⁴ and all drank the same supernatural water, for they used to drink from a supernatural rock which followed them, and that rock was the Christ. ⁵ Yet with most of them God was displeased; for they were 'struck down in the desert.'

⁶ Now these things happened as warnings to us, to teach us not to long for evil things as our forefathers longed. ⁷ Do not become idolaters, as some of them became. Scripture says-'The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to dance.' ⁸ Nor let us act immorally, as some of them acted, with the result that twenty-three thousand of them fell dead in a single day. ⁹ Nor let us try the patience of the Lord too far, as some of them tried it, with the result that they 'were, one after another, destroyed by the snakes.' ¹⁰ And do not murmur, as some of them murmured, and so 'were destroyed by the Angel of Death.' ¹¹ These things happened to them by way of warning, and were recorded to serve as a caution to us, in whose days the close of the ages has come. ¹² Therefore let the man who thinks that he stands take care that he does not fall. ¹³ No temptation has come upon you that is not common to all mankind. God will not fail you, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength; but, when he sends the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, so that you may have strength to endure.