OUR FATHERS
1 Corinthians 10:1-6 NET.
1 For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the
cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and
all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock
that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most
of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the
wilderness. 6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we
might not desire evil as they did.
There are some texts of Scripture when God pulls back the curtain and lets us see the spiritual dangers that lie beneath the surface of religious activity. First Corinthians 10 is one of those passages. Paul has just finished telling the Corinthians that following Christ requires discipline, intentionality, and self-control. He compares the Christian life to a race, to an athlete training, to a fighter who refuses to swing aimlessly. He is urging them to take their faith seriously.
But now, in chapter 10, Paul turns to the history of Israel to give a sobering warning. He reminds the Corinthians that the Jewish people—“our fathers,” he calls them—had every spiritual privilege imaginable. God’s presence surrounded them. They experienced God’s miracles. They participated in God’s rituals. They ate the manna. They drank from the rock. They walked through the sea. They were part of the covenant community.
And yet, despite all of that, most of them fell in the wilderness. They died under judgment. They never reached the Promised Land.
Why?
Because they confused participation with conversion, and ritual with relationship, they thought that being part of the religious community was enough. They assumed that showing up, going through the motions, and doing the rituals meant they were safe. But God was not pleased with them, because their hearts were never truly His.
Paul is warning the Corinthians—and us—that merely playing along leads to catastrophe. It is possible to be surrounded by spiritual blessings and still be spiritually lost. It is possible to be in the crowd but not in Christ. It is possible to be religious but not redeemed.
And on this Father’s Day, Paul’s warning takes on added weight. Because the failures of the Jewish fathers became the failures of their children, their lack of genuine commitment shaped the next generation. Their hypocrisy became their children’s inheritance. Their spiritual laziness became their children’s downfall.
We must ask ourselves:
What kind of fathers and mothers are we becoming?
What kind of believers are we becoming?
Are we founding fathers of faith—or failing fathers who pass down empty religion?
Paul gives us five principles from Israel’s history—five truths that can protect us from repeating their mistakes and help us pass on a living faith to the next generation.
1. Just Being There Does Not Make You a Leader.
“Our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea.” (v. 1)
Paul begins by reminding the Corinthians that all the Israelites were “under the cloud”—God’s visible presence—and all “passed through the sea”—God’s miraculous deliverance. They were present for the greatest acts of salvation in the Old Testament. They saw things we can only imagine. We can only dream of being there and having the kind of experiences they did.
But being present did not make them faithful. Being there did not make them leaders. Being part of the group did not make them godly.
They mistook proximity for spirituality. They assumed that being around God’s people meant they were right with God. They thought that being part of the crowd meant they were part of the covenant.
But God is not impressed with mere attendance. He is not fooled by proximity. He looks at the heart.
And parents, this is especially important for us. Being physically present in our homes is essential—but it is not enough. Being in church with our families is essential—but it is not enough. Leadership is not about just being there; it is about guiding, shaping, modeling, and living out the faith in front of those who follow us.
Being there is good. Leading there is better.
2. Just Doing the Ritual Does Not Identify You With the Reality Behind It.
“All were baptized into Moses… all ate the same spiritual food… all drank the same spiritual drink.” (vv. 2–4)
Paul continues by pointing out that the Israelites had their own versions of baptism and communion. Passing through the sea was like a baptism. Eating manna and drinking water from the rock were like spiritual meals. They participated in the rituals God gave them.
But the rituals did not save them. The rituals did not change them. The rituals did not make them faithful.
They thought that because they had gone through the motions, they were safe. They believed that outward participation equaled inward transformation. But God is not fooled by empty ritual.
And the same danger exists today. Baptism does not save. Communion does not save. Church attendance does not save. Religious habits do not save.
These things are important—but only if they reflect a heart that truly belongs to God.
Parents, your children need to see more than rituals. They need to see reality. They need to see a parent who prays, not just one who attends church. A parent who repents, not just one who participates. A parent who loves Christ, not just one who identifies with Him.
Rituals are symbols—not substitutes—for faith.
3. It Takes Courage to Trust God When You Cannot See Where He Is Leading.
“For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.” (v. 4)
Paul says something remarkable here: the Rock that provided water in the wilderness was Christ Himself. Jesus was with them. Jesus sustained them. Jesus provided for them even when they doubted Him.
But the Israelites struggled to trust God when the path was unclear. When the wilderness grew dark, they panicked. When the future was uncertain, they complained. When they could not see where God was leading, they assumed He had abandoned them.
Faith is not proven in clarity but in times of uncertainty. Trust is not tested when the path is smooth, but when it is confusing.
And parents, this is where our children learn courage. They learn it by watching us trust God when life is hard. They learn it by seeing us pray when we don’t have answers. They learn it by watching us obey when obedience is costly. They learn it by seeing us walk by faith, not by sight.
Courage is not the absence of fear—it is the presence of trust.
4. It Is One Thing to Acknowledge God; It Is Another to Seek to Please Him.
“With most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” (v. 5)
This is one of the most sobering verses in the New Testament. The Israelites believed in God. They never denied His existence. They saw His miracles. They heard His voice. They acknowledged Him.
But they did not please Him.
They believed in Him but did not obey Him. They acknowledged Him but did not pursue Him. They wanted His blessings but not His lordship.
And Paul says that because of this, “most of them” were overthrown in the wilderness. They died under judgment. They never reached the Promised Land.
Belief is not enough. Acknowledgment is not enough. God is not looking for people who merely believe He exists. He is looking for people who seek to please Him.
Parents, our children need more than a parent who believes in God. They need parents who seek God. Parents who obey God. Parents who please God. Parents whose lives are shaped by the desire to honor Christ.
Acknowledging God is easy. Pleasing God is costly.
5. As Parents, We Can Be Good Examples or Bad Examples.
“These things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.” (v. 6)
Paul ends this section by telling us why he brought up Israel’s history: it is an example for us. A warning. A lesson. A mirror.
Israel’s fathers failed because they desired evil more than God. They wanted comfort more than obedience. They wanted idols more than intimacy. They wanted the world more than the Word.
And their children followed in their footsteps.
Every father is an example—good or bad. Every father is building something—a foundation or a stumbling block. Every father is leaving a legacy—faith or failure.
The question is not whether you are influencing your children. The question is how you are influencing them.
Are you a founding father of faith—building a legacy of devotion, obedience, and trust?
Or a failing father—passing down empty religion, half-hearted commitment, and spiritual inconsistency?
We can be founding fathers of faith—or failing fathers of empty religion.
CONCLUSION: WHAT KIND OF PARENTS WILL WE BE?
Paul’s warning is clear:
Merely playing along leads to catastrophe.
Israel’s fathers failed because they:
- Relied on rituals instead of relationship
- Trusted in proximity instead of obedience
- Believed in God but did not seek to please Him
- Modeled fear instead of faith
- Religion passed down instead of devotion
But we can choose differently.
We can be fathers—and believers—who:
- Lead with courage
- Worship with sincerity
- Trust Christ our Rock
- Seek to please God
- Pass down a living, vibrant faith
This is the calling of every Christian. This is the legacy we must build. This is the faith we must pass on. The good news for all of us – parents and children alike – is that our God is a God of grace and mercy. Whatever relationship we have had with him in the past, we can change that today. His grace is available to turn us from just being present to being committed. And all it takes is his grace. That is all it has ever taken.
LORD, strengthen our resolve to dedicate our lives to honestly holding the faith we profess—faith in Christ our Rock—and passing that faith on to the generations after us.
jeffersonvann 