Don’t Be Overconfident: Warnings From the Wilderness

Covenant blessings are not a license for spiritual laziness. God’s blessings—guidance, salvation, provision—must be met with faith and obedience. Israel’s failures serve as a warning: gospel exposure does not guarantee gospel faithfulness. Whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall (v. 12). 

Many in Israel fell through sin and unbelief. Their story stands as a sobering warning to the church, both then and now. We must learn from the failures of the past and rely on God’s faithfulness to stand firm and finish life well. Paul is speaking to a church full of people who’ve experienced the blessing of hearing the gospel, witnessed changed lives, and partaken in the covenantal community—but now he warns them: Don’t think gospel exposure equals spiritual safety. Just as Israel had great spiritual opportunity and, many church goers today have had significant exposure to the gospel—they’ve heard the truth, grown up in church, and even participated in the Lord’s Supper—but that doesn’t mean they truly believe or will always rightly obey. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul showed how he disciplines his body so that after preaching to others, he won’t be disqualified. Now, in Chapter 10, Paul becomes both a historian and a pastor, giving us an example from Israel’s history. He wants us to remember that our spiritual advantages and blessings do not guarantee spiritual success.