What does it mean to participate in the Lord’s Supper faithfully? Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 10 highlight the central story of Numbers to teach a lesson.
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That’s how the chapter opens: teaching us a lesson from Numbers. The lesson is negative: “They all ate the same spiritual food [as us] and drank the same spiritual drink… Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.” (1 Cor. 10:4a,5-6) Don’t do what they did.
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What did they do? The Israelites grumbled in many ways, (10:7-14) but this was the biggest grumble: they didn’t believe God would keep his promise to lead them to victory in Canaan. (Num. 13-14) Contrasting grumbling with thankfulness, 1 Corinthians continues by asking whether we are thankful for the cup of the blood of Christ, by which he promises us redemption and freedom.
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Like the Israelite reconnoitrer, Joshua, who brought back a cluster of ripe grapes and showed the whole assembly “the fruit of the land,” (Num. 13:17-27) so did Jesus, our fore-running reconnoitrer, bring back the first-fruits of the resurrection, a cup of his blood. Joshua’s question to the Israelites is the same as Jesus’ to us:
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Faithless generation, do you dare to believe that God will bring you to into that good land? Or will you taste and not believe?
That is the question.
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Receive the good fruit of the Land of the Resurrection in your hearts with thanksgiving. Don’t grumble, lest you perish.
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The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for you, preserve your body and soul to eternal life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ’s blood was shed for you, and be thankful.
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