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In 1st Corinthians 10, Paul is teaching the Gentiles that the Law and Prophets were written for "Our Admonition". This was 14 some years after the death and resurrection of the Lord's Christ. So this would mean, "written for "my" admonition", as well.
Jesus also taught exclusively from these Scriptures. There are so many wonderful stories God had written for us, that we all hear when we were children. Since Paul is bringing it up, it seems edifying to recall some of God's Word's which, as Paul said, "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
The one that came to my mind this sabbath was about Naaman, a Leper of Syrian decent.
2 Kings 5: 1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. 3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. 4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. 5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. 7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.
8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. 9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
So how cool is this. Naaman had Leprosy, which is a very contagious and awful condition, with no known cure at the time, and even today, the treatments available must be taken for up to two years before one is cured. In Naaman's case, all that God's Spokesmen's messenger instructed him to do was wash in a particular river 7 times. You would think he would be overjoyed at the prospect. Let's continue.
11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He (Elisha, the Man of God) will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
What??? Naaman was mad because God's Spokesman didn't come himself, and cure him of his disease. Instead, Naaman was actually instructed, by a lowly servant, to "DO" Something in order to be cured, to wash himself in a river in Israel. A specific river. And Naaman refused the simple instruction from God, and stormed off like an petulant child, choosing to stay sick, rather than humble himself to the simple instruction of God.
This really struck me this morning. Was God capable of curing Naaman? Well sure HE was. Did God need Naaman's help to cure him? Of course not. And yet God instructed him to "Do" something, to wash himself in a specific river, a certain number of times, before he could be cleansed. If this were today, Naaman would be called out by "many", who come in Christ's Name, for "Trying to earn" his cleansing by obeying God. He would be accused of "relying on his own righteousness" for following God's instruction on being cleansed. When the truth is, God Created the Jordan river "for Naaman", not Naaman for the Jordan River..
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
As with all of the Examples God had written for us, they are essential in our journey, in the race God has set before us in this evil world. God had this story written for us, so we don't lust after the same thing Naaman lusted for.
There are so many things about God that can be gleaned from this Story, and it is fun and enlightening for me to dwell on them. One such lesson I found, is that even though Naaman went off in a huff at first, the River of Jordan was still there for him. And God remained faithful to His promise of cleansing, should Naaman repent, and humble himself to God's instruction. This is good news for me.
Also, it was only after Naaman humbled himself to God in obedience, that he understood the wisdom and power of God. Prior to his "Doing" what God instructed, he was just "intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,"
Jesus quoted this story to the mainstream preachers of His Time.
Luke 4: 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
But they didn't like the message very well.
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
A good story to examine and discuss.
Jesus also taught exclusively from these Scriptures. There are so many wonderful stories God had written for us, that we all hear when we were children. Since Paul is bringing it up, it seems edifying to recall some of God's Word's which, as Paul said, "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
The one that came to my mind this sabbath was about Naaman, a Leper of Syrian decent.
2 Kings 5: 1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. 3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. 4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. 5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. 7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.
8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. 9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
So how cool is this. Naaman had Leprosy, which is a very contagious and awful condition, with no known cure at the time, and even today, the treatments available must be taken for up to two years before one is cured. In Naaman's case, all that God's Spokesmen's messenger instructed him to do was wash in a particular river 7 times. You would think he would be overjoyed at the prospect. Let's continue.
11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He (Elisha, the Man of God) will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
What??? Naaman was mad because God's Spokesman didn't come himself, and cure him of his disease. Instead, Naaman was actually instructed, by a lowly servant, to "DO" Something in order to be cured, to wash himself in a river in Israel. A specific river. And Naaman refused the simple instruction from God, and stormed off like an petulant child, choosing to stay sick, rather than humble himself to the simple instruction of God.
This really struck me this morning. Was God capable of curing Naaman? Well sure HE was. Did God need Naaman's help to cure him? Of course not. And yet God instructed him to "Do" something, to wash himself in a specific river, a certain number of times, before he could be cleansed. If this were today, Naaman would be called out by "many", who come in Christ's Name, for "Trying to earn" his cleansing by obeying God. He would be accused of "relying on his own righteousness" for following God's instruction on being cleansed. When the truth is, God Created the Jordan river "for Naaman", not Naaman for the Jordan River..
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
As with all of the Examples God had written for us, they are essential in our journey, in the race God has set before us in this evil world. God had this story written for us, so we don't lust after the same thing Naaman lusted for.
There are so many things about God that can be gleaned from this Story, and it is fun and enlightening for me to dwell on them. One such lesson I found, is that even though Naaman went off in a huff at first, the River of Jordan was still there for him. And God remained faithful to His promise of cleansing, should Naaman repent, and humble himself to God's instruction. This is good news for me.
Also, it was only after Naaman humbled himself to God in obedience, that he understood the wisdom and power of God. Prior to his "Doing" what God instructed, he was just "intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,"
Jesus quoted this story to the mainstream preachers of His Time.
Luke 4: 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
But they didn't like the message very well.
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
A good story to examine and discuss.