Introduction: Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13 about temptations that are “common to man.” Have you thought that those around you face the same kinds of temptations that you do? Have you considered that the people during the time of the early church faced the same kinds of temptations? What about those who left Egypt and traveled to Canaan? Some teach that those leaving Egypt were primitive people in no way comparable to us today. I don’t agree. Since the time of Adam and Eve humans have faced the same kinds of temptations. We need to learn about how those in the past reacted to temptation so we can gain an advantage. Let’s dive into our study of the Bible to aid us against evil!
I. Our Instruction
A. Read 1 Corinthians 10:1. Who are the “fathers” who were under a cloud and passed through a sea? (Paul refers to the exodus from Egypt. These are the Egyptian slaves who were freed by God so they could journey to the promised land in Canaan.)
B. Read 1 Corinthians 10:11. Who should learn from the record of those freed from Egyptian captivity? (Paul is writing to those in the church at Corinth. These are members of the early church. But note this record is also for those “on whom the end of the ages has come.” That is us.)
1. This lesson is part of a series on prophets. How does a review of the exodus from Egypt fit into a study of prophets? (For one thing, Moses their leader was a great prophet. More than that, those who participated in the exodus experienced God’s personal guidance.)
2. Have you thought it would be wonderful to be with Jesus when He lived on earth? Do you think that experience would help you to avoid sin? (I don’t think that is true based on three things. First, many people today prefer their own opinion to clear teachings of the Bible. Second, the prophets were often met with hostility. Third, as we are about to study, those on the exodus had a “high touch” relationship with God and they still rebelled.)
II. The Record
A. Read 1 Corinthians 10:2-4 to begin our examination of the exodus record. What advantages did those in the exodus have? (They experienced a great miracle when they passed through the Red Sea and the Egyptian army did not harm them. They were led by Moses. The spiritual Rock that was with them was Christ Himself. They had a healthy diet. They drank water provided by God.)
1. What kind of people do you think they should be? (Great people. They had repeated proof of God’s love and protection.)
B. Read 1 Corinthians 10:5. We could look at the exodus as a spiritual boot camp, meaning it was intense spiritual training. How did that turn out? (Not well. God was “not pleased” with most of them.)
C. Read 1 Corinthians 10:6. What is the purpose of the story of the exodus? (Again we are told that we should learn something from this journey. It contains examples that should cause us not to desire evil.)
1. If they experienced great leadership and great miracles, why did they still desire evil? (Assume most people sin because they think it gives them an advantage. Those in the exodus had all sorts of spiritual advantages and yet they rebelled against God.)
D. Read 1 Corinthians 10:7. What event during the exodus is described here? (Read Exodus 32:4-6. This is when Aaron made a golden calf to worship.)
1. Is “playing” the problem here? (Look again at Exodus 32:4. The worst part of this is attributing the great miracles done by God to this gold calf that Aaron had made. What an insult to God!)
2. What is the lesson for us today? (Attributing our success to our own works instead of giving credit to God is idolatry.)
E. Read 1 Corinthians 10:8. What event is described here?
F. Read Numbers 25:1-2. What was the initial point of failure for God’s people? (Sexual immorality.)
G. Read Revelation 2:14 and Numbers 31:16. Do you know the background story for the advice of Balaam? (Balak, the king of Moab, saw what God’s people had done during their exodus to defeat the local nations. In Numbers 22-24 Balak contacts Balaam and asks him to curse God’s people. It does not work. These texts tell us that the story continues in Numbers 25 with Balaam suggesting to Balak another way to bring down God’s people.)
1. Is sexual temptation a way for Satan to defeat Christians who cannot be defeated by other means? (That is the lesson for us.)
2. Have you known Christians who change their understanding of what the Bible teaches about sexual behavior because someone they love is involved in conduct the Bible condemns?
3. What is the difference between loving someone who is engaged in sinful conduct and approving that conduct? (We should love others, including our children, without allowing personal affection to determine what we believe God has said.)
H. Read 1 Corinthians 10:9-10 and Numbers 21:5-6. How did the people “test” Jesus? (These are obvious lies. On the one hand they say they lack food, and on the other hand they say the food is lousy. If God wanted them dead, He would have let the Egyptian army kill them.)
1. What is the lesson for today? Do Christians lie about their circumstances by denying their blessings? Are some Christians constant complainers?
2. Notice that Paul says some people were “destroyed by the Destroyer.” Who is this Destroyer? (Read Exodus 12:23 and Hebrews 11:28. The Destroyer also appears in the account of the Passover. Exodus tells us that God protected those whose doorposts were marked with the blood of the lamb. Whether the Destroyer was an obedient angel or a fallen angel acting under God’s ultimate authority is not expressly stated.)
a. What lesson do we find in this? (Our safety rests in trusting God’s protection rather than relying on ourselves.)
I. Read 1 Corinthians 10:12. Is this a powerful statement promoting righteousness by works? Is it a powerful statement about obedience? (I think Paul’s discussion is a powerful statement about righteousness by faith. The Israelites were saved from Egypt by God’s power, not their own. The Destroyer did not touch those protected by the blood of the lamb. Yet Paul warns that those who have experienced God’s salvation must not become spiritually proud. Their faith must continue to be placed in God rather than in themselves.)
III. Our False Pride
A. Read Numbers 14:1-4. The time period this records is when God’s people first came to the border of the Promised Land. Is this a familiar refrain?
1. Have the people learned nothing?
B. Read Numbers 14:6-9. Are the people hearing only discouraging reports? (No. Joshua and Caleb seek to encourage them to have faith in God.)
C. Read Numbers 14:10-11. How serious has the rebellion gotten? (They want to stone those who are arguing for God. God reports that they “despise” Him.)
1. Are we better than that? Do we attack God and His leaders when things are not going right?
D. Read Matthew 23:29-30. Did the religious leaders of Jesus’ day think they were better than their ancestors who rebelled against God? (Yes.)
E. Read Matthew 23:23-25. What is the problem with the religious leaders? (They neglect justice, mercy, and faithfulness. They are full of greed and self-indulgence.)
F. Read Matthew 23:28. What other sins do the religious leaders practice? (They are lawless and hypocritical.)
1. Are they all these things at the same time?
2. Do these sound like the failures of God’s people on the exodus? (They seem different.)
G. Some religious leaders today argue that the demands of justice and mercy require us to disregard certain biblical commands. They cite Matthew 23:23 in support of their position. What is the problem with that argument? (Jesus did not separate justice and mercy from faithfulness. He identified all three as weightier matters of the law.)
1. Notice that Jesus also condemns the religious leaders for lawlessness and hypocrisy. Can we properly claim to be following Jesus’ teaching about justice and mercy while rejecting His teaching about obedience? (Jesus teaches that justice, mercy, and faithfulness belong together. We cannot justify disobedience merely by appealing to our own understanding of justice.)
2. Is there an opposite danger? Can we be so concerned about obedience to particular rules that we neglect justice and mercy? (That is exactly what Jesus condemned in the Pharisees.)
H. Friend, we started out with the truth that we face temptations that are common to all humans. In the face of those temptations, will you take seriously God’s call to rely on Him and not on your own feelings about what is just? Why not commit right now to follow His Word and rely on His power to overcome temptation?
IV. Next week: Interpreting Prophetic Writings.
Copr. 2026, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.
