Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Corinthians 10:3

"and did all eat the same spiritual food;" — 1 Corinthians 10:3 (ASV)

The word “for” connects these verses with the argument in chs. 8–9. Having challenged the Christians in Corinth to self-discipline, Paul now looks back to Israel, who were in the race described in 9:24–27. “I do not want you to be ignorant” is a phrase used by Paul to introduce an important truth (cf. Romans 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:13).

First, Paul stresses the miraculous passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea. “Under the cloud” indicates that they were under God’s sure guidance (Exodus 13:21–22; Numbers 9:15–23; Numbers 14:14; Psalms 78:14). That “they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea” simply means they were initiated and inaugurated into union with God and also with Moses and his leadership (cf. the expression “baptized into Christ” in Ro 6:3–4; Galatians 3:27); the thought is a spiritual one (v.3). The cloud represented God in his shekinah glory; the sea, God’s redemption and leadership.

In the desert they were provided with food and drink. Paul calls these provisions “spiritual” (vv.3–4; GK 4461), meaning that these physical objects were a means of grace to God’s people. They pointed forward to Christ, the true bread and drink to come (cf. Jn 6:30-65). In other words, the entire nation shared in the blessings and the privileges of God’s grace.

In spite of all these blessings, however, God was not pleased with most of them (v.5; cf. Hebrews 3:17–19). He saw in them a heart of unbelief (vv.6–10) and scattered their corpses over the desert. Only Caleb and Joshua entered Canaan and won the prize.