In I Corinthians 10:8 it refers to the 23,000 who died. Can anyone explain what happened to them? It seems like they were nonbelievers, pagans but living back in the time of Moses. What was Paul trying to get across here? I thought the law was by then covered by Jesus' sacrifice. Thanks in advance for your help!
Hello Amy. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10 & particularly verses 1 to 12, Paul is warning the Corinthians about their behaviour, using the examples set before them in the Scriptures about God's view on sin & punishment. As the children of Israel suffered under God's Hand in the wilderness, or as they were about to be wiped out at the foot of Mt. Sinai (except for the pleading of Moses to God), or when they committed whoredoms & sacrificed to idols in Moab, & also complained & murmured against God & Moses in the wilderness, all these accounts were reminders to the Church about their bad behaviour.
So, the people mentioned in 1 Corinthians 10:8 were the children of Israel who practised fornication & idolatry under the influence of the gentile pagans ( Numbers 25:1-9). The 23 thousand as quoted by Paul, was actually 24 thousand (in Numbers) as Numbers records the extra thousand killed by the judges (verse 5). The 23 thousand died of the plague that God sent (verses 3 & 6: the weeping of repentance & for the plague that they were suffering).
Therefore, Paul's message & warnings were not about Christians suffering under the Law (for the OT Law has no application to believers in Christ), but about setting examples that we are to learn from as God still doesn't overlook sin because of Calvary. Christ's Sacrifice made atonement for our sins (to satisfy God's Holy requirements & be the basis to forgive sin & to grant us forgiveness & purge our evil consciences), but is never a licence to sin. The Corinthians still had elements of licentious behaviour, as was the society & city they lived in, & Paul had to be very stern with them. And the example to them at the Lord's Table becomes relevant to them & us: 1 Corinthians 11:30, "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep"; when we wilfully sin, we can expect warning & punishment. Sometimes (not always), our sicknesses & intimely deaths may be God's message to the Church that all is not well. Every blessing.
Looks as though we answered at the same time. I can't help but wonder if you and I were reading through some of the same commentaries at the same time also?
Interesting Jesse, after I posted my comment to Amy, yours appeared. Some time ago I had read about the difference in the numbers of people killed & even posted a similar answer to that question at that time. So, at least my memory seems to be holding up, though my wife believes that there are many things she tells me that I don't remember. That's perplexing.
Yet, it's added joy to our hearts when others are moved to share responses with similar content. It gives further confirmation to the enquirer & special unity of mind & spirit to the responders. Thank you for what you shared also, brother.
That's from Numbers Chapter 25 Verses 1 and 9. The Moabites sent out the women to seduce the Israelites to cause them to sin. And when they sinned, 23,000 were slain.
It's interesting because if you look at Numbers 25:9, it says twenty-four thousand died in the plague, but in 1 Corinthians 10:8, Paul says twenty-three thousand. If you have access to some commentaries, there are some explanations on the number difference. The two I looked at, (Barnes and Clarke) were interesting.
Anyway, where it says "as some of them committed" in 1 Corinthians 10:8, it is referring to those people in Numbers chapter 25 who were involved in Baal worship.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, if you start at Verse 6, Paul is saying that if we study about how God dealt with the children of Israel through their physical circumstances, we can gain a spiritual example for us. It says to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Literally in the Greek text, it's not a verb. It's actually a noun, "To the intent that we should not become lusters of evil things as they also lusted."
And then Paul lists four things that are characteristics of the lusters: Do not be an idolater, do not commit fornication, do not tempt Christ, and do not murmur. Now that last one is interesting. That's the word complain. And since none of us ever do any of that, we don't have to worry about it, right?
Neither murmur as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. That phrase "the destroyer" at the end of Verse 10 is the same word for the angel of death that passed over Egypt and killed the firstborn of the Egyptians. So he says don't complain!
You see, every time we complain about anything, we're saying that God's will and what he's doing is wrong. He's in charge of everything. So I'm complaining against Him because that's the way He has it. We have to be careful!
In His name for there is none greater,
Amy
So, the people mentioned in 1 Corinthians 10:8 were the children of Israel who practised fornication & idolatry under the influence of the gentile pagans ( Numbers 25:1-9). The 23 thousand as quoted by Paul, was actually 24 thousand (in Numbers) as Numbers records the extra thousand killed by the judges (verse 5). The 23 thousand died of the plague that God sent (verses 3 & 6: the weeping of repentance & for the plague that they were suffering).
Therefore, Paul's message & warnings were not about Christians suffering under the Law (for the OT Law has no application to believers in Christ), but about setting examples that we are to learn from as God still doesn't overlook sin because of Calvary. Christ's Sacrifice made atonement for our sins (to satisfy God's Holy requirements & be the basis to forgive sin & to grant us forgiveness & purge our evil consciences), but is never a licence to sin. The Corinthians still had elements of licentious behaviour, as was the society & city they lived in, & Paul had to be very stern with them. And the example to them at the Lord's Table becomes relevant to them & us: 1 Corinthians 11:30, "For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep"; when we wilfully sin, we can expect warning & punishment. Sometimes (not always), our sicknesses & intimely deaths may be God's message to the Church that all is not well. Every blessing.
Looks as though we answered at the same time. I can't help but wonder if you and I were reading through some of the same commentaries at the same time also?
I like your response!
Yet, it's added joy to our hearts when others are moved to share responses with similar content. It gives further confirmation to the enquirer & special unity of mind & spirit to the responders. Thank you for what you shared also, brother.
That's from Numbers Chapter 25 Verses 1 and 9. The Moabites sent out the women to seduce the Israelites to cause them to sin. And when they sinned, 23,000 were slain.
It's interesting because if you look at Numbers 25:9, it says twenty-four thousand died in the plague, but in 1 Corinthians 10:8, Paul says twenty-three thousand. If you have access to some commentaries, there are some explanations on the number difference. The two I looked at, (Barnes and Clarke) were interesting.
Anyway, where it says "as some of them committed" in 1 Corinthians 10:8, it is referring to those people in Numbers chapter 25 who were involved in Baal worship.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, if you start at Verse 6, Paul is saying that if we study about how God dealt with the children of Israel through their physical circumstances, we can gain a spiritual example for us. It says to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Literally in the Greek text, it's not a verb. It's actually a noun, "To the intent that we should not become lusters of evil things as they also lusted."
And then Paul lists four things that are characteristics of the lusters: Do not be an idolater, do not commit fornication, do not tempt Christ, and do not murmur. Now that last one is interesting. That's the word complain. And since none of us ever do any of that, we don't have to worry about it, right?
Neither murmur as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. That phrase "the destroyer" at the end of Verse 10 is the same word for the angel of death that passed over Egypt and killed the firstborn of the Egyptians. So he says don't complain!
You see, every time we complain about anything, we're saying that God's will and what he's doing is wrong. He's in charge of everything. So I'm complaining against Him because that's the way He has it. We have to be careful!
Hope this helps you some!
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