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Keep On Walking in Jehovah’s WayThe Watchtower—1999 | May 15
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6, 7. Though they were worshipers of Jehovah God, on what occasions did the Israelites fall away, and why?
6 This did happen to ancient Israel, as Paul showed. He wrote: “These things became our examples, for us not to be persons desiring injurious things, even as they desired them. Neither become idolaters, as some of them did; just as it is written: ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and they got up to have a good time.’ Neither let us practice fornication, as some of them committed fornication, only to fall, twenty-three thousand of them in one day.”—1 Corinthians 10:6-8.
7 Paul refers first to the occasion when Israel worshiped a golden calf at the foot of Mount Sinai. (Exodus 32:5, 6) This was in direct disobedience to a divine command they had agreed to obey just a few weeks earlier. (Exodus 20:4-6; 24:3) Then, Paul refers to the time when Israel bowed down to Baal with the daughters of Moab. (Numbers 25:1-9) Calf worship was characterized by gross self-indulgence, ‘having a good time.’a Baal worship was accompanied by flagrant sexual immorality. (Revelation 2:14) Why did the Israelites commit these sins? Because they allowed their hearts to become ‘desirous of injurious things’—whether the idolatry or the licentious practices that accompanied it.
8. What can we learn from Israel’s experiences?
8 Paul indicated that we should learn from these events. Learn what? It is unthinkable that a Christian would bow down to a golden calf or an ancient Moabite god. But what about immorality or unrestrained self-indulgence? These are common today, and if we allow a desire for them to grow in our hearts, they will come between us and Jehovah. The result will be the same as if we had committed idolatry—alienation from God. (Compare Colossians 3:5; Philippians 3:19.) Indeed, Paul concludes his discussion of those events by exhorting fellow believers: “Flee from idolatry.”—1 Corinthians 10:14.
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Keep On Walking in Jehovah’s WayThe Watchtower—1999 | May 15
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a Referring to the Greek word here translated “have a good time,” one expositor says that it refers to the dances that occurred at pagan festivals and adds: “Many of these dances, as is well known, were directly designed to provoke the most licentious passions.”
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