1 Corinthians 10:7, commentary and pictures

The verse forbids becoming idolaters like ancient Israel when they turned the worship of the golden calf into feasting and revelry with eating and drinking and dancing as part of shameful worship of false gods. Their playing came after trembling before God at the giving of the law at Sinai, when love of ease and pleasure threw off that fear and set up a golden image to represent God, letting appetite and passion rule reason until grievous sin brought His wrath and nearly all who left Egypt died in the wilderness. These things happened as examples and were written to warn those on whom the ends of the world are come not to repeat their disobedience, unbelief and rebellion, especially near the close of time. It therefore calls God's people to stay separate and distinct from the world, to flee idolatry and shun evil, and whoever thinks he stands to lay aside self-confidence and watch and pray lest he fall, trusting God to make a way of escape. That ancient eating and drinking and rising up to play is repeated in low pleasure parties and frivolous gatherings for revelry with singing and instruments of music, which are inspired by a spirit from beneath, besot and debase the mind, and destroy keen discernment between the sacred and the common.

Words and Historical Setting

Neither become idolaters like some of ancient Israel, for the sitting down to eat and drink and rising up to play recalls the worship of the golden calf in idolatrous feasting, revelry and dancing that became part of shameful worship of false gods. The eating, drinking and playing belonged to joining in that idolatrous feast and revel around the calf.

It took place after the people had felt the fear of God while listening to the giving of the law at Sinai, when love of ease and pleasure led them to throw off that fear and make a golden calf to represent God and worship it. Instead of praising and thanking God and directing others to His blessings, their eating, drinking, playing, idle words and amusements took the place of praise and drew the minds of those around them away from Him. In this sense idolatry includes self-serving, love of ease, and gratification of appetite and passion, which prepare the way for sins that call forth God's signal vengeance.

Israel was overthrown through gratification of appetite in that idolatrous eating, drinking and playing, as indulgence of lustful appetite and corrupt passions was used by Satan to ruin them. Though the Son of God Himself was with Moses and Joshua, appetite controlled reason and they committed grievous sins that brought God's wrath, so nearly all who left Egypt died in the wilderness and were not led into Canaan.

Example for the Last Days

These things happened as examples and were written for admonition upon those on whom the ends of the world are come, so the history of ancient Israel in the wilderness is recorded to warn God's people today, especially near the close of time, not to repeat their disobedience, unbelief and rebellion. The command not to become idolaters like some of them belongs to that warning, recalling how the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play in idolatrous feasting and revelry. Disobedience and refusal to submit to God's arrangements bring judgment, and rejecting that warning leads to the consequences of unbelief. The calling in view of this example is to remain separate from the world and to take heed lest he who thinks he stands should fall.

That history is unchanging truth that has not worn out or died from old age, recorded as a lesson book in both the Old and the New Testaments to be studied for benefit. The same experience is recorded in Psalm 105 and Psalm 106, to be read at least once every week, because the people of God in these last days especially need to study its lessons of warning against lusting after evil things. The account of their marchings to and fro, their exposure to hunger, thirst and weariness, and the striking manifestations of God's power for their relief is fraught with warning and instruction for God's people in this age. Those now journeying heavenward in the last days of this earth's history are to review with a humble heart and teachable spirit the trials ancient Israel passed through, recognizing Christ as their Leader and Commander training and educating them line upon line and precept upon precept to prepare them for entrance into the heavenly Canaan.

The idolatry of eating and drinking and rising up to play stands with the other wilderness failures that brought God's signal displeasure and overthrow despite great privilege. All were under the cloud and passed through the sea and were baptized unto Moses, and all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, which was Christ, yet with many of them God was not well pleased and they were overthrown in the wilderness. With lusting after evil things is joined fornication that felled twenty-three thousand in one day, tempting Christ that brought destruction by serpents, and murmuring that brought destruction by the destroyer, with thousands falling under swift judgment. Lightness, pleasure-seeking and moral impurity in connection with that feasting and revelry show how such things can become snares for God's people.

God has given these examples in His Word so His people should not lust after evil things as Israel lusted, and therefore they have no excuse for turning away from the counsels of His Spirit. Knowing reproof, warning and judgment yet continuing in a wicked course leaves God not well pleased, and such service cannot be accepted without genuine conversion. Those who exalt themselves and defy His words without humbling their hearts will be judged.

The record of the travels of the children of Israel, their rebellion, and the visitation of God because of their sins shows that God designed there should be men to reprove sin and wrong, or His people would become careless and corrupt their ways before Him. It teaches the necessity of being awake and not stupid or asleep in regard to errors and sins existing among them. It proves that reproof must exist in the church and that He always has those who will stand in defense of the right to oppose wrong and repress sin and corruption.

God kept Israel in Egypt until His appointed time, then delivered them with a wonderful display of power and led them through the wilderness toward the promised land. Those who murmured and complained and refused to be converted from their evil ways perished in the wilderness, while those who were obedient were sustained and strengthened by God and were made light-bearers to the nations through whose land they passed. In all ages God's faithful people are aggressive missionaries, consecrating mind and body, talents and resources to His honor and wisely improving what He gives for the saving of the world. Today that consecration includes surrender to Him as a willing offering of the powers of mind and body and the use of institutions from which the light of truth shines to every part of the world. Failure to improve the most precious opportunities for doing the work of God and meeting the requirements of this time repeats Israel's failure, whereas truly improving the opportunities of the past three years would have kept some now lost to the cause standing ready to serve as genuine missionaries.

Separation and Watchful Obedience

The verse calls God's people to remain separate and distinct from the world as His denominated, chosen people, holding fast their peculiar faith and distinguishing points of faith and standing constantly in the light of His countenance for safety. To flee idolatry and shun evil is its command, recalling Israel's eating and drinking and rising to revel around the golden calf as rebellion that must not be repeated. Mingling with the world and following its abominations leads away from God and brings judgment, so believers must not become like the world or seek the favor of transgressors of God's law. The history of Israel's overthrow is written for admonition upon those on whom the ends of the world are come, to take heed and not be found committing the same sins and following the same way of unbelief and rebellion.

Whoever thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall, laying aside boastfulness and self-confidence and not presuming security from falling. Israel's idolatrous feasting and revelry stands with lusting after evil things, committing fornication, tempting Christ, and murmuring, sins that brought God's signal displeasure when many were overthrown in the wilderness. Though all were under the cloud and passed through the sea and were baptized unto Moses and ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink from the spiritual Rock that followed them, which was Christ, fornication felled twenty-three thousand in one day, tempting brought destruction by serpents, and murmuring brought destruction by the destroyer. These things happened as examples and were written for admonition of those upon whom the ends of the world are come, so believers must watch and pray lest they fall into grievous sin, trusting that God is faithful not to allow temptation beyond what can be borne but to make a way of escape.

Disobedience and refusal to submit to God's arrangements bring judgment, and Israel's history is held up to teach believers to learn from that example. Their sins brought God's displeasure and judgment, and rejecting that recorded warning leads to the consequences of unbelief. The judgments on unbelieving Israel show that transgressors of God's law are punished.

As Israel was given counsel by the cloudy pillar by day and the pillar of fire by night, with the ministration of angels to cheer them in pilgrimage and guide them by the only safe course to the haven of rest, believers now must hear God's counsel the same way. The lesson is to abide willingly when the cloud rests and move when it moves, never losing faith and trust in God. They are to move onward even when no way is seen because He sees the way and bids go forward, to rest in the Lord and make Him their confidence, and to be clothed with His own garments of righteousness.

For believers preparing for eternal life, the lesson is to separate from whatever diverts the mind from God's service and leads into sin. Worthless reading can become such a hindrance by weakening regard for God's Word. Backsliding from the principles of reform by eating and drinking as one pleases repeats the history of the children of Israel in the wilderness during their forty years of travel. Continuing to follow one's own course in eating and drinking leads gradually to carelessness of the instruction given regarding other phases of present truth, and those who do so will surely reap as they have sown.

God's people must not repeat Israel's failure to improve precious opportunities for doing the work of God and meeting the requirements of this time. That mistake stands recorded in both the Old and the New Testaments as a lesson book. Truly improving the opportunities of the past three years would have kept some who are now lost to the cause standing ready to serve as genuine missionaries.

Modern Pleasure as Idolatry

Israel's eating and drinking and rising up to play is repeated today in low, common pleasure parties and gatherings for eating and drinking, singing and playing on instruments of music, in exhibitions like the bicycle craze, and in frivolous worldly gatherings for revelry. These modern forms are the idolatry of Israel of old acted out again by pleasure-lovers. The same pattern of idolatrous feasting and play that marked the golden-calf worship now appears in entertainments that indulge the senses.

Such gratifications are inspired by a spirit from beneath and are an oblation unto Satan, an offense to God that kindles His wrath. In these pleasures the mind becomes besotted even as with liquor-drinking, debased and dulled, and thoughts allowed to run in a low channel soon pervert all the powers of the being. The door is opened to vulgar associations, and they produce mirth and carousing, hilarity and glee. They defile character and dull spiritual discernment.

Those who take the lead in these frivolities bring upon the cause a stain not easily effaced, wound their own souls and carry the scars through life. They leave a permanent evil effect upon character, and in great measure destroy the keen, sensitive power to distinguish between the sacred and the common. Even when the sin is seen and repented and pardoned, that discerning power remains in great measure destroyed. The snares that confronted Israel just before entering Canaan recur now, so lightness, love of pleasure and ease, selfishness, vanity and impurity can become snares drawing God's people into the same unfaithfulness, calling for watchfulness and sobriety.