Living Contently

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

LIVING CONTENTLY

1 Cor 10:6-10

6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry."   8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did — and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did — and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did — and were killed by the destroying angel.

NIV

Paul is still talking about what happened to the children of Israel when God delivered them out of slavery in Egypt. In other words, what happened to them should serve as a lesson to us as we travel on our journey from slavery to sin to the Promised Land that Jesus promised he would prepare a place for us and come back to take us there. We should not turn our hearts to evil things as they did. Although Paul did not outline the exact things the Israelites did that angered the Lord enough to cause twenty-three thousand of them to die, and there is no record of that number in either Exodus or Numbers that match that number, we have to assume there was some record that Paul was aware of that is not recorded for us. Nevertheless, the point is taken. We should keep ourselves from turning our hearts against the Lord. The one event that could be an example is when all they had was the manna from heaven to eat. Many started to wail to Moses about it and kept reminding him that at least in Egypt they had meat and fruit to eat, not just this same stuff every day. So God met with Moses and he told him he would give them meat for a month. It is an interesting account, but the point was that when all the quail showed up, and they were feasting on it before they could even swallow it, a great plague broke out among them and many died because of it. This turning our hearts to evil carries the meaning of being discontent with what the Lord has provided for us and always wanting more and more, lusting after things we should not lust after. This could be included in making idols, which is easy enough to idolize certain things or people, or groups of people. Grumbling against the Lord is simply not the way to live in this new creation colony. Learning to be content in this journey is the key to a successful life in Christ. But at the same time learning to keep ourselves from being distracted by all the things in this life. The Corinthian people were getting themselves in trouble over this food offered to idols. Some were eating and others felt guilty if that did, so Paul was telling them to stop causing the weaker brother to sin. Here we should pay more attention to this as well. It is about our desires that can cause a distraction to others. If we are to be an example to others believers as well as be a witness to unbelievers, then we should be careful not to idolize something or someone other than God. In other words be content with the manna God supplies, thus living contently.