Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, (2) all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink.  For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.  (5) But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

(6) Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.

(10) nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.  (11) Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

(12) Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

First Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul in answer to theological questions and practical problems of daily living  faced by the Corinthians in the earliest days of the Church.  In today’s verses Paul is presenting several examples of sins of the Israel nation at the time of Moses.  Israel had a covenantal relationship with God and enjoyed many blessings and the miraculous deliverance from Egypt but still displayed disobedience and unbelief in God.  The Israelites all passed through the Red Sea, they were under God’s sure guidance of th pillar of the cloud for protection and leadership; they were provided with food and drink from the heavens and from the very rocks.  Still they became idolaters, sexually promiscuous, and murmured against the Lord for bringing them out of Egypt – this protest reached the final provocation at Kadesh Barnea where the Israel nation feared to go forward into the promised land and expressed a desire to return to Egypt and a fear of death in the desert.  God saw their unbelief in spite of all the miracles and signs and only 2 faithful men – Caleb and Joshua – of all those who left Egypt, entered the promised land.  the rest died during plagues and the years of wandering in the desert.

The Apostle Paul is warning the Corinthians against false security by using the examples of the Jews – of the many privileges they enjoyed but they were terribly punished by God for their many sins and we have the record of their history as an example of what not do do as Christians.  Men may enjoy many and great spiritual privileges in this world and yet come short of eternal life.   Some of the Corinthians seem to have also murmured against Paul and in him, against Christ.  Such conduct was very provoking to God and likely to bring swift destruction.  The history of the Jews was written to instruct and warn the Corinthians and us.  If we think we have standards we should take heed of failure – if we are confident and secure we should be on guard.  Others have fallen and this is most likely to happen if we fear no failure and are not on guard against it.  God has not promise to keep us from falling and we must exercise our own care and caution.