The summer, we traveled to Georgia to visit family. We do this each year to spend time with grandparents, cousins, and friends. One of the highlights of going to Georgia is finding good barbecue; this summer was no exception. On the way back from one of my favorite barbecue places, I decided to return an alternate route in order to explore our old family home place. We visited the old family house, which is now abandoned, and an old family cemetery full of our ancestors; this sparked my interest about our family tree. After some investigation, my uncle gave me a stack of papers which explained the family history. The stories were fascinating; plantations, slaves, tragic deaths filled the pages of this document. I love this sort of stuff; we can learn much from our past.
In this week’s text, Paul directs our attention to our ancestors. Not only biologically, but spiritually, we have a family tree. As we explore this family tree, we find both failures and spiritual successes. In the same way, we can gain much from the experience of those who have gone before. While there is both good and bad, the experience of our ancestors is mostly negative. Paul describes,
(1 Cor 10:5 NIV) Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert
This is a graphic image; bodies scattered all over the desert. God had plans for his people. Yet, in many ways they failed to be the people that God desired them to be. They were unable to inhabit the land that God deeply desired to give them. Instead, they wandered around for 40 years. Eventually, the entire generation died off. Paul describes their failures as a reminder to us.
(1 Cor 10:6 NIV) Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
We don’t have to go down the same road. We don’t have to suffer in the same ways that they suffered. We can learn from their mistakes. In this week’s text, Paul explores ways in which our spiritual ancestors failed. He assures us that we have all that we need to handle the temptation to wander from God.
Susan Londt
I love this kind of stuff too! We have become such a “throw away” society that we’ve carried over that mentality into the recording of our family histories. Many of us (me included) don’t know exactly where our first immigrants hailed from, let alone what triumphs they experienced or hardships they endured. Also, many of us don’t feel that we have anything to contribute. My father served in Korea and he never ever talks about his experience. I always assumed that it was too harrowing for him to relive. Our little hometown paper ran a series on Veterans a few years ago. They sent a young reporter to conduct interviews in the homes of the service men and women. At that time, my father told his story. He was a Jeep driver for officers and spent his time in the war mostly waiting outside of Officers Clubs to drive the VIPs where they needed to go. He was embarrased that that was all the “action” he saw. The moral he is that I don’t think less of him for doing the duty he was assigned. I’m actually thankful and relieved that he doesn’t have combat syndrome. Everyone has a story to tell. It may not seem significant or earth shattering to you, but to someone else, it may exactly what they need to hear at exactly the right time. This is so important in Christian communities because we all share a very important trait, a wonderful heritage in Christ!! xoxo