The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 351

Vers. 3, 4.-Meat and drink/or God's people. By a few master strokes of bis per. St. Paul indicated the typical significance of Israel's life in the wilderness. His object in these allusions to the Old Testament was to correct party spirit amona- the Greek Christians of the first century, by showing that, like the tribes of Israel in the old time the people of Christ are one in respect of their redemption and consolation in him. A~ all the Hebrew fathers were delivered from slavery in Egypt, so all the Christians are delivered from the bondage of the flesh. As all of them were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and the sea, so all the Christians have been baptized into Christ by death and burial with him. As all of them ate of the manna from the Lord, so all Christians have the same spiritual food; and as all of them drank of the water from the smitten rock in Horeb, so all Christians drink of the same spiritual Rock, which is Christ. 'l'hus "ll'hat God did for Israel, be did for all; what he gave to Israel, be gave to all that people. It was the fault of the people that this unity was broken. "Some of them were idol- aters ; " "some of them committed fornication ; " "some of them tempted the Lord;" "some of them murmured." Christians should mark this, and beware lest any of them, thrcu\!h temptations to idolatry, fleshliness, or wilfulness, forfeit what the Lord bas provided for all of them without respect of persons. Here are the necessaries of the spiritual as of the natural life-food and drink, bread and water. I. SPIRITUAL FOOD. The Israelites got manna as a direct and free gift from God. Christians receive Christ as "the true Bread which came down from heaven," a direct 'l.nd a free gift from God. The bread is bis flesh which he has given for the life of the wori.:l; i.e. Christ nourishes his people through the efficacy of his atonement. Who- soever heartily believes in Christ crucified eats by faith of the flesh which is heavenly bread. The emphasis in this passage lies on the words, "'!'hey all did eat the snme." In the wilderness, every family of the whole redeemed nation ate daily of exactly the same bread with every other family. Moses himself partook of the manna, and so did the lowest of the people. 'fhere was no difference between the princes of Israel and the feeblest in the tribes, between the old people and the children, or between masters and servants. .All partook of the same daily bread. So there is the same Christ for all of us. Believers have the same life and the same support or staff of life. No matter what social and intellectual distinctions may be among us, or what varieties of view on secondary points; in this we are at one, that we have the same spiritual food. And we show this when we all partake together of the Lord's Supper. II. SPIRITUAL DRIJS"K. 'l'he water from the rock at Horeb not only supplied the immediate want, but was of use to the tribes of Israel for many days. Now, that rock si"uified Christ. Jehovah said to Moses, "I will stand before thee there upon the rock in°Horeb." So God is now before us in Christ Jesus, able and willing to satisfy all the 11oor and needy whose hearts faint and" fail them for thirst." Christ as the Rock smitten is a Fountain of life, available to ns now, and not now only, but all our lives long. As the bread resolves itself into the flesh, so the stream also into the precious blood of Christ. Vve eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of man, accordini to his own teaching 1.t Capernaum. Thus we are again bronght to the fact and virtue of the atonement. l'hat which it would be gross and intolerable to eat and drink after a literal and carnal manner, is, after a spiritual manner, full of sweetness and strength. And again, the emphasis is on the participation by all Christians of the samo spiritual drink, which -au. x. 1-33.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 855