But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Although all Israel shared the same deliverance and privileges, being under the cloud and through the sea and eating and drinking from Christ the spiritual Rock who led them, God was still not well pleased with many of them and they were overthrown in the wilderness. Sharing those blessings did not save the disobedient, for divine favor and leadership do not excuse disobedience. They displeased Him by unbelief and rebellion, by lusting, idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, murmuring, and gratifying appetite until they fell under judgment and nearly all the adults who left Egypt died without entering earthly Canaan. All these things happened and were recorded as examples for admonition to God's people till the close of time, upon whom the ends of the world are come. That failure warns whoever thinks he stands to take heed lest he fall, and warns those with great light that unbelief can still shut them out of the heavenly Canaan.
Privilege Before Judgment
All of Israel shared the same deliverance and the same spiritual privileges, all being under the cloud and passing through the sea and being baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all eating the same spiritual meat and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, yet God was not well pleased with many of them and they were overthrown in the wilderness. That history is recorded in Psalm 105 and Psalm 106 and contains lessons of warning that God's people in the last days especially need to study, with those chapters to be read at least once every week. That ancient history has not worn out and no part of the Bible has died from old age, for the Word carries its testimony down from age to age to the unchangeableness of the truth, and all the past history is to be studied today so believers gain Christian evidence from the Bible rather than from human experience and benefit from the recorded experiences.
The spiritual Rock that followed them was Christ. The Son of God Himself was present with Moses and Joshua to lead His chosen people toward Canaan. He was present in the pillar of cloud, making known the will of God through Moses and giving strength for each successive march, while training and educating them as they travelled and teaching them line upon line and precept upon precept the traits of character they should form, permitting trials to come upon them that they might learn how to conduct themselves under difficulties. God's dealings with them on the way from Egypt to Canaan were recorded for the benefit of those now journeying heavenward in the last days of earth's history, and the instruction given then was given not for the Israelites alone but for future generations, whose importance is to be discerned, acknowledged, appreciated, studied and obeyed now when the end is near. Trust in His words would have led them to a very different history, but they lacked faith and failed to trust and obey despite His care and teaching.
Sharing those spiritual blessings did not save the disobedient, for privilege does not save the disobedient and divine favor, instruction, care, and leadership do not excuse disobedience. Despite the privileges God had given them, many displeased Him through unbelief and rebellion and were overthrown in the wilderness, and their experience is a warning for God's people in the last days and is to be studied, including alongside the accounts in Psalm 105 and Psalm 106. Their failure to enter the earthly Canaan warns that people who outwardly keep God's commandments but harbor unbelief can also lose the heavenly Canaan, and their history is an example meant to warn against evil desires and against presuming that one is secure from falling.
Israel was wonderfully preserved in the wilderness and precious in God's sight, though a crude, undisciplined army. God had sent them into Egypt and kept them there until His appointed time to bring them out, then delivered them with a wonderful display of power and led them through the wilderness toward the promised land. Despite the miracles wrought for them they lost faith in His leading, forgot the great things He had done for them, and murmured and complained when brought into strait places such as the Red Sea, which had been ordered to lead them to trust Him in trying places. Those who murmured and complained and refused to be converted from their evil ways did not please God and perished in the wilderness, but those who were obedient were sustained and strengthened by God and were light-bearers to the nations through whose land they passed. Their fate stands as an example and admonition for those upon whom the ends of the world are come, to guard against self-sufficiency and unbelief and to take heed lest he that thinks he stands fall.
Reasons God Was Displeased
God was not well pleased with many of them because of unbelief and rebellion, because they refused to submit to His wise arrangements and lost faith in His leading, forgetting the great things He had done for them and failing to trust and obey Him despite the miracles wrought in their favor. Their history stands as a warning not to repeat that disobedience and fall, not to presume security when thinking to stand, and not to harbor unbelief even while outwardly keeping the commandments, lest those with great light and privileges lose the heavenly Canaan as they lost the earthly Canaan. Their evil is named as lusting after evil things, being idolaters when the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play, committing fornication as when three and twenty thousand fell in one day, tempting Christ as those destroyed of serpents, and murmuring as those destroyed of the destroyer. These things happened as examples and are written for admonition to those upon whom the ends of the world are come, so that he that thinketh he standeth must take heed lest he fall, fleeing idolatry and refusing evil desire, fornication, testing Christ, and murmuring.
They were overthrown through gratification of appetite, indulging lustful appetite and corrupt passions under Satan's power until they were led into grievous sin that provoked God's anger and brought death in the wilderness, so that nearly all who left Egypt died and did not reach Canaan. The Son of God Himself was present with Moses and Joshua to lead His chosen people toward Canaan, yet Satan boasted that Christ was not able to resist his power and bring them in, and used that wilderness death to claim he would yet thwart God's purpose to save man through Jesus Christ. They refused His health discipline on the way to Canaan, for He purposed to establish them pure, happy, healthy and righteous by largely removing flesh food and supplying manna, food better suited to their wants than the feverish diet of Egypt, to bring perverted appetite back to a healthy state fit for the food of Eden. Flesh had been granted for only one day in answer to clamor before Sinai, and though He could have supplied flesh as easily as manna He restricted it for their good, while their desire for meat was not caused by hunger. They murmured at the restriction and lusted after the flesh-pots of Egypt, failing the standard set for them and losing the blessings offered them, and God let them have the demanded flesh which proved a curse ending in overthrow and judgment rather than lasting good. Had they denied appetite in obedience, feebleness and disease would have been unknown, descendants would have had physical and mental strength, and they would have had clear perception of truth and duty, keen discrimination and sound judgment.
They murmured and complained when brought into strait places such as the Red Sea, which had been ordered to lead them to trust Him in trying places, and they were ready to find fault with Moses whom God had appointed to lead them to Canaan and to murmur against God. Despite wonderful evidences that God was working for them and ruling in heaven, with Moses as visible leader receiving instruction directly from God, they continually murmured and rebelled under Satan's working. Their course is described as murmurings, rebellious discontent, unbelief, idolatry and ingratitude even though mighty miracles were wrought in their favor, and God punished rebellion with death and extended their wanderings until all but two of those who left Egypt as adults were buried in the wilderness. They wanted to move independently, unwilling to submit to the teachings of the Spirit of God and to listen to advice or counsel. Their fathers were left dead in the wilderness by continued rebellion against God's rule, for being tired of pious rulers who kept God's purposes, will and honor before them, they wanted a reformed religion with outward prosperity, riches and splendor like other nations so they would be esteemed great. As they had hankered after the leeks and onions of Egypt and murmured when appetite was denied and chose return to bondage rather than deny appetite, so in demanding a king they insulted God to His face, threw off His wise rule and grieved Him by ingratitude, which was not dissatisfaction with Samuel but with the Lord's divine authority as King and a continuation of the same rebellion.
Extent of the Overthrow
With many of them God was not well pleased, and nearly all, most, or many of those who left Egypt as adults died and were buried in the wilderness and did not reach or enter the earthly Canaan. Only two men who crossed the Red Sea lived to enter the promised land, while their children were allowed to enter in their place. That overthrow came after wonderful evidences that God was working for them and ruling in heaven, with Moses as visible leader receiving instruction directly from God, yet the people continually murmured and rebelled until God punished rebellion with death and extended their wanderings.
The judgments included three and twenty thousand falling in one day by plague for fornication, others destroyed of serpents for tempting Christ, and murmurers destroyed of the destroyer. These fell although all shared the same privileges of being under the cloud and passing through the sea and being baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and eating the same spiritual meat and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them. Their history was written as an example for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, that those who think they stand must take heed lest they fall and must not lust after evil things, practice idolatry as when the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play, commit fornication, tempt Christ, or murmur.
Their history teaches that disobedience brings sure punishment, that the wages of sin is death, that God's retributive justice never fails, and that He exacts strict regard for His commandments. Both their virtues and their iniquities are recorded for the benefit of the people of God as a warning to avoid unbelief, rebellious discontent, murmuring, idolatry and ingratitude even when mighty miracles are wrought in their favor, and to escape His wrath. Transgressors of His law will face judgment. God had sent Israel into Egypt and kept them there until His appointed time to bring them out, then delivered them with a wonderful display of power and led them through the wilderness toward the promised land, and those who murmured and complained and refused to be converted from their evil ways did not please Him and perished in the wilderness, but those who were obedient were sustained and strengthened by Him and were light-bearers to the nations through whose land they passed.
Warning Written for Us
All these things happened as examples and were recorded and chronicled for admonition and instruction for the benefit of the Israel of God till the close of time, upon whom the ends of the world are come. The record of God's dealings with the wanderers in all their marchings to and fro, in their exposure to hunger, thirst and weariness, and in the striking manifestations of His power for their relief is fraught with warning and instruction for His people in this age. Their varied experience was a school of preparation for their promised home in Canaan, and God would have His people in these days review with a humble heart and a teachable spirit the trials ancient Israel passed through, that they may be instructed in their preparation for the heavenly Canaan.
That history contains lessons God's people in the last days especially need to study. The accounts in Psalm 105 and Psalm 106 are to be read at least once every week and studied alongside this warning. God was preparing Israel for entrance into the promised land, training and educating them as they travelled, teaching them line upon line, precept upon precept the traits of character they should form, permitting trials to come upon them that they might learn how to conduct themselves under difficulties, with Christ as their Leader and Commander making known the will of God through Moses and giving strength for each successive march. The instruction given then was given not for the Israelites alone but for future generations, and its importance is to be discerned, acknowledged, appreciated, studied and obeyed now when the end is near.
That ancient history has not worn out and no part of the Bible has died from old age. The Word carries its testimony down from age to age to the unchangeableness of the truth, and all the past history is to be studied today so believers gain Christian evidence from the Bible rather than from human experience and benefit from the recorded experiences. Both their virtues and their iniquities are recorded for the benefit of the people of God.
Their experience is an example and warning not to repeat Israel's unbelief, disobedience, distrust of salvation, complaints against God's provision, and resistance to His purpose to teach healthy and holy habits, lest the same sure result follow. Christians face like dangers in every age and are under the same injunction to remain separate from the world. Those who refused to submit to His wise arrangements fell, and later believers are warned not to follow that disobedience and fall as they did.
The verse warns that whoever thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall, must not desire evil things or presume security from falling. It calls not to lust after evil things as they lusted, not to be idolaters as when the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play, not to commit fornication as those who fell in one day three and twenty thousand, not to tempt Christ as those destroyed of serpents, and not to murmur as those destroyed of the destroyer. Temptation can be resisted because God is faithful not to suffer temptation above what can be borne but to make a way of escape to bear it. Their punishment following fornication and the other judgments stands as admonition for people living at the end of the world against lust and sin and against self-sufficiency and unbelief.
Their failure to enter the earthly Canaan warns that people with great light and privileges may also lose the heavenly Canaan. Even those who outwardly keep God's commandments but harbor unbelief can lose it. Satan laid snares for Israel just before entering Canaan, and the same snares confront God's people again as they approach the promised land. That history is being repeated through increasing lightness, vanity, love of ease and pleasure, selfishness and impurity, with lack of holiness and power and efforts for self-exaltation; therefore they must watch and be sober and remain faithful.
Living the Warning
With many of them God was not well pleased and they were overthrown in the wilderness as a warning for God's people in every age, who face the same dangers and are under the same injunction to remain separate from the world. Forgetting God, turning to idolatry, and departing from obedience brings a sure fall, while those who separate from the world and walk humbly in obedience are offered blessing, and those who join the idolatrous face a curse. God's dealings with the children of Israel on the way from Egypt to Canaan were recorded for the benefit of those now journeying heavenward in the last days, when He was preparing Israel for entrance into the promised land by training and educating them as they travelled, teaching them line upon line and precept upon precept the traits of character they should form, permitting trials that they might learn how to conduct themselves under difficulties, with Christ as Leader and Commander making known God's will through Moses and giving strength for each march. That instruction was given not for Israel alone but for future generations, and its importance is to be discerned, acknowledged, appreciated, studied and obeyed now when the end is near, as a warning not to become so like the world in practice that God's denominated people cannot be found, not to sell peculiar characteristics as His chosen people for any worldly advantage, not to value the favor of transgressors of God's law, not to suppose any power higher than the great I AM, and not to blot out distinguishing points of faith, with safety only in standing constantly in the light of His countenance.
The forty years in the wilderness warn against backsliding from the principles of reform. Eating and drinking as one pleases repeats the history of the children of Israel, and continuing in that self-chosen course leads to growing carelessness toward other phases of present truth and to reaping as sown.
Many were overthrown because they wanted to move independently, were unwilling to submit to the teachings of the Spirit of God, and would not listen to advice or counsel, and the same condition exists among the remnant of these last days. God has a church upon the earth to which He has delegated power, and He is teaching, leading and guiding His people that they may teach, lead and guide others. Those who follow their own independent judgment and despise counsel and reproof depart from the faith, and disaster and ruin of souls follow, while those who rally to support and build up the truth stand united in heart, mind and voice in defense of the truth, and those who do not labor in harmony of purpose and action but choose their own unsanctified human judgment range themselves on the side of Satan, take Satan as leader, and join him in tearing down what God is building up, yet none of these discordant elements will finally thwart God's purposes in preparing a people to stand in the great day and in completing salvation. God designs that there be men to reprove sin and wrong, or His people become careless and corrupt their ways before Him, so reproof must exist in the church and there must always be those who stand in defense of the right to oppose wrong and repress sin and corruption, and men must be awake and not stupid or asleep in regard to errors and sins existing among them.
Satan laid snares for Israel just before entering Canaan, and the same snares are laid now, with that history being repeated through increasing lightness, vanity, love of ease and pleasure, selfishness and impurity, with great lack of holiness and power and efforts for self-exaltation among ministers. The verse calls for men who are firm and fearless in declaring the whole counsel of God, who will not sleep as others do but watch and be sober. Ministers are to see Jesus as He is and themselves as they are — weak, inefficient and unlike their Master — and to be content if their names are written even in the obscurest part of the book of life.
Although all shared the same spiritual privileges, being under the cloud and passing through the sea and being baptized unto Moses and eating the same spiritual meat and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, which was Christ, privilege does not save the disobedient, and their fall happened as examples to keep others from lusting after evil things, from idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, and murmuring, which brought destruction by plague when twenty-three thousand fell in one day, by serpents, and by the destroyer upon murmurers. These things were written for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, so that whoever thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall. God's people today therefore have no excuse for turning away from the counsels of His Spirit, but must learn from known examples of His dealings, must be genuinely converted if they have continued in a wicked course or Christ cannot accept their services, and must humble their hearts and correct their ways instead of exalting themselves and making of none effect His reproofs and warnings. They must flee from idolatry, hold confidence steadfast to the end, exhort one another daily against the deceitfulness of sin and a hardened evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, and trust that God is faithful not to suffer temptation above what can be borne but to make a way of escape to bear it.
Although all Israel shared the same deliverance and privileges, being under the cloud and through the sea and eating and drinking from Christ the spiritual Rock who led them, God was still not well pleased with many of them and they were overthrown in the wilderness. Sharing those blessings did not save the disobedient, for divine favor and leadership do not excuse disobedience. They displeased Him by unbelief and rebellion, by lusting, idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, murmuring, and gratifying appetite until they fell under judgment and nearly all the adults who left Egypt died without entering earthly Canaan. All these things happened and were recorded as examples for admonition to God's people till the close of time, upon whom the ends of the world are come. That failure warns whoever thinks he stands to take heed lest he fall, and warns those with great light that unbelief can still shut them out of the heavenly Canaan.
Privilege Before Judgment
All of Israel shared the same deliverance and the same spiritual privileges, all being under the cloud and passing through the sea and being baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all eating the same spiritual meat and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, yet God was not well pleased with many of them and they were overthrown in the wilderness. That history is recorded in Psalm 105 and Psalm 106 and contains lessons of warning that God's people in the last days especially need to study, with those chapters to be read at least once every week. That ancient history has not worn out and no part of the Bible has died from old age, for the Word carries its testimony down from age to age to the unchangeableness of the truth, and all the past history is to be studied today so believers gain Christian evidence from the Bible rather than from human experience and benefit from the recorded experiences.
The spiritual Rock that followed them was Christ. The Son of God Himself was present with Moses and Joshua to lead His chosen people toward Canaan. He was present in the pillar of cloud, making known the will of God through Moses and giving strength for each successive march, while training and educating them as they travelled and teaching them line upon line and precept upon precept the traits of character they should form, permitting trials to come upon them that they might learn how to conduct themselves under difficulties. God's dealings with them on the way from Egypt to Canaan were recorded for the benefit of those now journeying heavenward in the last days of earth's history, and the instruction given then was given not for the Israelites alone but for future generations, whose importance is to be discerned, acknowledged, appreciated, studied and obeyed now when the end is near. Trust in His words would have led them to a very different history, but they lacked faith and failed to trust and obey despite His care and teaching.
Sharing those spiritual blessings did not save the disobedient, for privilege does not save the disobedient and divine favor, instruction, care, and leadership do not excuse disobedience. Despite the privileges God had given them, many displeased Him through unbelief and rebellion and were overthrown in the wilderness, and their experience is a warning for God's people in the last days and is to be studied, including alongside the accounts in Psalm 105 and Psalm 106. Their failure to enter the earthly Canaan warns that people who outwardly keep God's commandments but harbor unbelief can also lose the heavenly Canaan, and their history is an example meant to warn against evil desires and against presuming that one is secure from falling.
Israel was wonderfully preserved in the wilderness and precious in God's sight, though a crude, undisciplined army. God had sent them into Egypt and kept them there until His appointed time to bring them out, then delivered them with a wonderful display of power and led them through the wilderness toward the promised land. Despite the miracles wrought for them they lost faith in His leading, forgot the great things He had done for them, and murmured and complained when brought into strait places such as the Red Sea, which had been ordered to lead them to trust Him in trying places. Those who murmured and complained and refused to be converted from their evil ways did not please God and perished in the wilderness, but those who were obedient were sustained and strengthened by God and were light-bearers to the nations through whose land they passed. Their fate stands as an example and admonition for those upon whom the ends of the world are come, to guard against self-sufficiency and unbelief and to take heed lest he that thinks he stands fall.
Reasons God Was Displeased
God was not well pleased with many of them because of unbelief and rebellion, because they refused to submit to His wise arrangements and lost faith in His leading, forgetting the great things He had done for them and failing to trust and obey Him despite the miracles wrought in their favor. Their history stands as a warning not to repeat that disobedience and fall, not to presume security when thinking to stand, and not to harbor unbelief even while outwardly keeping the commandments, lest those with great light and privileges lose the heavenly Canaan as they lost the earthly Canaan. Their evil is named as lusting after evil things, being idolaters when the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play, committing fornication as when three and twenty thousand fell in one day, tempting Christ as those destroyed of serpents, and murmuring as those destroyed of the destroyer. These things happened as examples and are written for admonition to those upon whom the ends of the world are come, so that he that thinketh he standeth must take heed lest he fall, fleeing idolatry and refusing evil desire, fornication, testing Christ, and murmuring.
They were overthrown through gratification of appetite, indulging lustful appetite and corrupt passions under Satan's power until they were led into grievous sin that provoked God's anger and brought death in the wilderness, so that nearly all who left Egypt died and did not reach Canaan. The Son of God Himself was present with Moses and Joshua to lead His chosen people toward Canaan, yet Satan boasted that Christ was not able to resist his power and bring them in, and used that wilderness death to claim he would yet thwart God's purpose to save man through Jesus Christ. They refused His health discipline on the way to Canaan, for He purposed to establish them pure, happy, healthy and righteous by largely removing flesh food and supplying manna, food better suited to their wants than the feverish diet of Egypt, to bring perverted appetite back to a healthy state fit for the food of Eden. Flesh had been granted for only one day in answer to clamor before Sinai, and though He could have supplied flesh as easily as manna He restricted it for their good, while their desire for meat was not caused by hunger. They murmured at the restriction and lusted after the flesh-pots of Egypt, failing the standard set for them and losing the blessings offered them, and God let them have the demanded flesh which proved a curse ending in overthrow and judgment rather than lasting good. Had they denied appetite in obedience, feebleness and disease would have been unknown, descendants would have had physical and mental strength, and they would have had clear perception of truth and duty, keen discrimination and sound judgment.
They murmured and complained when brought into strait places such as the Red Sea, which had been ordered to lead them to trust Him in trying places, and they were ready to find fault with Moses whom God had appointed to lead them to Canaan and to murmur against God. Despite wonderful evidences that God was working for them and ruling in heaven, with Moses as visible leader receiving instruction directly from God, they continually murmured and rebelled under Satan's working. Their course is described as murmurings, rebellious discontent, unbelief, idolatry and ingratitude even though mighty miracles were wrought in their favor, and God punished rebellion with death and extended their wanderings until all but two of those who left Egypt as adults were buried in the wilderness. They wanted to move independently, unwilling to submit to the teachings of the Spirit of God and to listen to advice or counsel. Their fathers were left dead in the wilderness by continued rebellion against God's rule, for being tired of pious rulers who kept God's purposes, will and honor before them, they wanted a reformed religion with outward prosperity, riches and splendor like other nations so they would be esteemed great. As they had hankered after the leeks and onions of Egypt and murmured when appetite was denied and chose return to bondage rather than deny appetite, so in demanding a king they insulted God to His face, threw off His wise rule and grieved Him by ingratitude, which was not dissatisfaction with Samuel but with the Lord's divine authority as King and a continuation of the same rebellion.
Extent of the Overthrow
With many of them God was not well pleased, and nearly all, most, or many of those who left Egypt as adults died and were buried in the wilderness and did not reach or enter the earthly Canaan. Only two men who crossed the Red Sea lived to enter the promised land, while their children were allowed to enter in their place. That overthrow came after wonderful evidences that God was working for them and ruling in heaven, with Moses as visible leader receiving instruction directly from God, yet the people continually murmured and rebelled until God punished rebellion with death and extended their wanderings.
The judgments included three and twenty thousand falling in one day by plague for fornication, others destroyed of serpents for tempting Christ, and murmurers destroyed of the destroyer. These fell although all shared the same privileges of being under the cloud and passing through the sea and being baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and eating the same spiritual meat and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them. Their history was written as an example for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, that those who think they stand must take heed lest they fall and must not lust after evil things, practice idolatry as when the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play, commit fornication, tempt Christ, or murmur.
Their history teaches that disobedience brings sure punishment, that the wages of sin is death, that God's retributive justice never fails, and that He exacts strict regard for His commandments. Both their virtues and their iniquities are recorded for the benefit of the people of God as a warning to avoid unbelief, rebellious discontent, murmuring, idolatry and ingratitude even when mighty miracles are wrought in their favor, and to escape His wrath. Transgressors of His law will face judgment. God had sent Israel into Egypt and kept them there until His appointed time to bring them out, then delivered them with a wonderful display of power and led them through the wilderness toward the promised land, and those who murmured and complained and refused to be converted from their evil ways did not please Him and perished in the wilderness, but those who were obedient were sustained and strengthened by Him and were light-bearers to the nations through whose land they passed.
Warning Written for Us
All these things happened as examples and were recorded and chronicled for admonition and instruction for the benefit of the Israel of God till the close of time, upon whom the ends of the world are come. The record of God's dealings with the wanderers in all their marchings to and fro, in their exposure to hunger, thirst and weariness, and in the striking manifestations of His power for their relief is fraught with warning and instruction for His people in this age. Their varied experience was a school of preparation for their promised home in Canaan, and God would have His people in these days review with a humble heart and a teachable spirit the trials ancient Israel passed through, that they may be instructed in their preparation for the heavenly Canaan.
That history contains lessons God's people in the last days especially need to study. The accounts in Psalm 105 and Psalm 106 are to be read at least once every week and studied alongside this warning. God was preparing Israel for entrance into the promised land, training and educating them as they travelled, teaching them line upon line, precept upon precept the traits of character they should form, permitting trials to come upon them that they might learn how to conduct themselves under difficulties, with Christ as their Leader and Commander making known the will of God through Moses and giving strength for each successive march. The instruction given then was given not for the Israelites alone but for future generations, and its importance is to be discerned, acknowledged, appreciated, studied and obeyed now when the end is near.
That ancient history has not worn out and no part of the Bible has died from old age. The Word carries its testimony down from age to age to the unchangeableness of the truth, and all the past history is to be studied today so believers gain Christian evidence from the Bible rather than from human experience and benefit from the recorded experiences. Both their virtues and their iniquities are recorded for the benefit of the people of God.
Their experience is an example and warning not to repeat Israel's unbelief, disobedience, distrust of salvation, complaints against God's provision, and resistance to His purpose to teach healthy and holy habits, lest the same sure result follow. Christians face like dangers in every age and are under the same injunction to remain separate from the world. Those who refused to submit to His wise arrangements fell, and later believers are warned not to follow that disobedience and fall as they did.
The verse warns that whoever thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall, must not desire evil things or presume security from falling. It calls not to lust after evil things as they lusted, not to be idolaters as when the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play, not to commit fornication as those who fell in one day three and twenty thousand, not to tempt Christ as those destroyed of serpents, and not to murmur as those destroyed of the destroyer. Temptation can be resisted because God is faithful not to suffer temptation above what can be borne but to make a way of escape to bear it. Their punishment following fornication and the other judgments stands as admonition for people living at the end of the world against lust and sin and against self-sufficiency and unbelief.
Their failure to enter the earthly Canaan warns that people with great light and privileges may also lose the heavenly Canaan. Even those who outwardly keep God's commandments but harbor unbelief can lose it. Satan laid snares for Israel just before entering Canaan, and the same snares confront God's people again as they approach the promised land. That history is being repeated through increasing lightness, vanity, love of ease and pleasure, selfishness and impurity, with lack of holiness and power and efforts for self-exaltation; therefore they must watch and be sober and remain faithful.
Living the Warning
With many of them God was not well pleased and they were overthrown in the wilderness as a warning for God's people in every age, who face the same dangers and are under the same injunction to remain separate from the world. Forgetting God, turning to idolatry, and departing from obedience brings a sure fall, while those who separate from the world and walk humbly in obedience are offered blessing, and those who join the idolatrous face a curse. God's dealings with the children of Israel on the way from Egypt to Canaan were recorded for the benefit of those now journeying heavenward in the last days, when He was preparing Israel for entrance into the promised land by training and educating them as they travelled, teaching them line upon line and precept upon precept the traits of character they should form, permitting trials that they might learn how to conduct themselves under difficulties, with Christ as Leader and Commander making known God's will through Moses and giving strength for each march. That instruction was given not for Israel alone but for future generations, and its importance is to be discerned, acknowledged, appreciated, studied and obeyed now when the end is near, as a warning not to become so like the world in practice that God's denominated people cannot be found, not to sell peculiar characteristics as His chosen people for any worldly advantage, not to value the favor of transgressors of God's law, not to suppose any power higher than the great I AM, and not to blot out distinguishing points of faith, with safety only in standing constantly in the light of His countenance.
The forty years in the wilderness warn against backsliding from the principles of reform. Eating and drinking as one pleases repeats the history of the children of Israel, and continuing in that self-chosen course leads to growing carelessness toward other phases of present truth and to reaping as sown.
Many were overthrown because they wanted to move independently, were unwilling to submit to the teachings of the Spirit of God, and would not listen to advice or counsel, and the same condition exists among the remnant of these last days. God has a church upon the earth to which He has delegated power, and He is teaching, leading and guiding His people that they may teach, lead and guide others. Those who follow their own independent judgment and despise counsel and reproof depart from the faith, and disaster and ruin of souls follow, while those who rally to support and build up the truth stand united in heart, mind and voice in defense of the truth, and those who do not labor in harmony of purpose and action but choose their own unsanctified human judgment range themselves on the side of Satan, take Satan as leader, and join him in tearing down what God is building up, yet none of these discordant elements will finally thwart God's purposes in preparing a people to stand in the great day and in completing salvation. God designs that there be men to reprove sin and wrong, or His people become careless and corrupt their ways before Him, so reproof must exist in the church and there must always be those who stand in defense of the right to oppose wrong and repress sin and corruption, and men must be awake and not stupid or asleep in regard to errors and sins existing among them.
Satan laid snares for Israel just before entering Canaan, and the same snares are laid now, with that history being repeated through increasing lightness, vanity, love of ease and pleasure, selfishness and impurity, with great lack of holiness and power and efforts for self-exaltation among ministers. The verse calls for men who are firm and fearless in declaring the whole counsel of God, who will not sleep as others do but watch and be sober. Ministers are to see Jesus as He is and themselves as they are — weak, inefficient and unlike their Master — and to be content if their names are written even in the obscurest part of the book of life.
Although all shared the same spiritual privileges, being under the cloud and passing through the sea and being baptized unto Moses and eating the same spiritual meat and drinking the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, which was Christ, privilege does not save the disobedient, and their fall happened as examples to keep others from lusting after evil things, from idolatry, fornication, tempting Christ, and murmuring, which brought destruction by plague when twenty-three thousand fell in one day, by serpents, and by the destroyer upon murmurers. These things were written for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come, so that whoever thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall. God's people today therefore have no excuse for turning away from the counsels of His Spirit, but must learn from known examples of His dealings, must be genuinely converted if they have continued in a wicked course or Christ cannot accept their services, and must humble their hearts and correct their ways instead of exalting themselves and making of none effect His reproofs and warnings. They must flee from idolatry, hold confidence steadfast to the end, exhort one another daily against the deceitfulness of sin and a hardened evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, and trust that God is faithful not to suffer temptation above what can be borne but to make a way of escape to bear it.