Shalom, my dear friends and dear brothers and sisters. I would like to continue with the study of the book of 1st Corinthians. We are in chapter 10 together. And as we are studying this 10th chapter, you will notice, beloved friends, that the apostle Paul in this 10th chapter brings to conclusion his discussion concerning things offered to idols. If you remember, if you remember already in chapter 8 and verse 1, when Paul wrote to the Corinthians in verse 1 of chapter 8, he said, Now as touching things offered unto idols. And then he continued, we know that we all have knowledge, knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth. And then he continued to speak about idols.

Offering sacrifices unto idols. Eating food that were offered to idols. And Paul helped the Corinthians to understand the importance of having fellowship with the Lord Jesus the Messiah. And not to be entangled about with things which dishonor the Lord. He did say in verse 4 of 1st Corinthians chapter 8, he says, As concerning, therefore, the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols. He says, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and there is none other God but one. And so he wanted the believers at Corinth to have this understanding that idols are nothing. And some of them who went and purchased some food that may have been offered to idols, to realize that they are not to be occupied with the idols.

And they purchased certain food that came from the certain pagan places in Corinth just simply to purchase the food and realize that the idol is nothing. And therefore, not to be occupied with idols. And therefore, not to be occupied with idols. But apparently, as he concluding this discussion concerning things that are offered to idols, here in the second part of 1st Corinthians chapter 10, the Apostle Paul seeking to communicate with the Corinthians that they must be warned not to provoke the Lord to jealousy, but to realize that they are to have fellowship with the Lord and not with idols or with demons in their feasts and celebration.

To remind you, to remind you, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends, in the verses that we are going to look into, verses 15 to 22 of 1st Corinthians chapter 10, Paul charged and challenged the Corinthians in this 10th chapter to beware not to provoke the Lord to jealousy and not to have fellowship with demons in their feasts. And so while the first lesson in 1st Corinthians chapter 10, verses 1 to 14, he challenged the Corinthians by saying to them, look at the example in Israel's history and apply it to your own life and realize that you are called to live a life of obedience to the Lord. Now, in verses 15 to 22, Paul is charging the Corinthians to beware not to provoke the Lord to jealousy in their practical day-by-day life.

And so let me read these verses, 1st Corinthians chapter 10, verse 15 to 22, and I'm reading. If you have your Bible with you, please open it to 1st Corinthians 10, verse 15, where we read, I speak as to wise men, judge ye what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ, the blood of Mashiach? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ, the body of Messiah? For we being many are one bread and one body. For we are all partakers of that one bread. Behold Israel after the flesh, are not they which eat of the sacrifice, partakers of the altar?

What say I then, that the idol is anything, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything? But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. And I would not that ye would have fellowship with demons. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and the table of demons. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? And I will stop here, beloved brothers and sisters, in verse 22 of 1 Corinthians chapter 10. So really, beloved brothers and sisters, as the Apostle Paul draw nigh into finalizing the discussion concerning things that have been offered to idols, The second major point that is found here in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 is that warning to the Corinthian believers not to provoke the Lord to jealousy by having fellowship with demons in their feasts, in their celebration, in their meetings.

To remind you that these believers at Corinth were once pagan worshiping idols. And the Lord gloriously saved them and brought them in to be part of the local assembly in the city of Corinth. From among the Gentiles they were. From among the Gentiles they were. They never knew the true and living God. But here now the Apostle Shaul Paul presented before them the gospel and they have come to faith in the person of the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, And became part of the local assembly at Corinth. It's like the Ephesians to whom Paul wrote in Ephesians 2 verse 11. Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hand, that in time past ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ, in Mashiach, Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of the Messiah, by the blood of Christ. Well the Corinthians were made nigh by the blood of our Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. They became part of the assembly, of the called out one, of the church, of the congregation. And in the context of first Corinthians, they are part of the local assembly in the city of Corinth. They were called by the Apostle Paul in chapter one and verse two. Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours.

They were called by God. They were called in the power of the Holy Spirit of God. They were called by the person of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah to be part of the assembly of the living God. By a part of the congregation of the living God. The heavenly assembly that belonged to the Lord in this present day age of the church. And so in these verses 15 to 22, Paul continued to charge the Corinthians to beware against provoking the Lord to jealousy. If you remember, we have already covered the first 14 verses. Where the Apostle Shaul Paul reminded them of Israel's history and blessing. And how wonderful it was where God chose a nation for himself.

And he brought them out and he led them through the wilderness of Sinai until he ultimately brought them into the promised land. And by saying this, he reminded the Corinthians, they also were gloriously delivered by God, were redeemed, delivered. And now they are walking in the wilderness until they will be going to be taken to be with the Lord Jesus, the Messiah in heaven. And then in the previous portion, verses 6 to 14, Paul pointed to Israel's failure, much failure during their journey in the wilderness. And he applied this to the Corinthians, who have already written the first ninth chapter, how much failure existed in their lives, in their behavior, even as believers in their time.

And if you remember, we have looked at these beloved brothers and sisters and have seen that throughout the whole book of 1 Corinthians, we learn of the divisions and immorality and taking one another to court and divorces and failure in understanding liberty of the believers and error concerning the Lord's table, which is coming right now here in this chapter 10 and chapter 11. The lesson is, learn from Israel, realize that all these things happen unto them, namely unto Israel, as an example for you, and are written here for your admonition, for our admonition upon whom the end of the age are come. Therefore, beloved brothers and sisters, 1 Corinthians 10, he began, Paul in verse 15, by speaking to those who are capable to make sound judgment.

That's why we read in verse 15 of 1 Corinthians 10, I speak to the wise men, to the wise persons, judge ye what I say. In other words, is there anyone who is wise among you? Are there any of the brothers and sisters who are godly among you, who are wise to understand what the mind of the Lord is? You remember in chapter 6, he said already to them, and he warned them, he said, dare any of you having a matter against a brother go to the law before the unjust and not before the saints? Well, there should be some saints in a local church, in any local church, in any local congregation, even today, beloved friends, dear brothers and sisters, there should be those that are wise men.

That are able to evaluate and judge things, and give a good godly instruction for the believers. So now notice what he is saying to them. Because in these verses, he is speaking about the importance of having fellowship, koinonia, in Greek, hitchabrut in Hebrew, with the Lord, with God. In fact, if you remember, the word fellowship here, as we have read it, communion mentioned more than once. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of the Messiah? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ, of Messiah? Verse 20. I say then, the things which are gentle sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God.

And I would not that ye have fellowship with demons. Verse 21. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot be partakers or have fellowship of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. In fact, beloved brothers and sisters, these verses, verses 15 to 22, Paul would emphasize the importance of having fellowship with the Lord and not fellowship with demons, with idols. In fact, the Bible teaches us, my dear friend, that all the three persons of the Godhead desire to have fellowship with God's people. Just like in Israel's history. The God of Israel always wanted His own people to have fellowship with Him.

To enjoy Him, to love Him, and to have fellowship with Him. That is the desire of God for His people. You remember in Exodus 25, Make me a tabernacle that I may dwell among them, among the people of Israel. That's what God desires, is to have fellowship with His people, the people of Israel. And today, in the present day age, God desires to have fellowship with all true believers of the Kehillah, of the assembly, of the congregation, of the church. You remember what He said to Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 10? And now Israel, what does the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all His way, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul?

To keep His commandments, to keep His commandments, the commandments of the Lord, and His statutes, which I commended thee this day for thy good. Deuteronomy 10, verses 12 and 13. It is very much similar today, beloved friends and dear brothers and sisters, that God wants to have fellowship with the people whom He delivered, whom He saved. Notice what we read about the Son, the Messiah. In 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 9, we read, listen to this. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto, listen to this, unto the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. We are called to have fellowship with the Son, God the Son, who became a man, the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah.

This is so important to understand. At the end of the second epistle to the Corinthians, in chapter 13, and there in verse 14, we read the last verse of 2 Corinthians. Chapter 13, verse 14. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, listen to this, and the communion, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. This is God, the Holy Spirit is desiring to have fellowship with the believers, those that belong to the assembly, to the church, to the called out ones. Also, John, in his epistle, wrote in 1 John, chapter 1 and verse 3, that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with the Son, Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah.

Notice all the three persons of the Godhead desire to have fellowship with God's people. The word fellowship in the Greek is koinonia. The word fellowship in the Hebrew is hitchabrut. And it simply means to have participation, to have, as someone may say, two fellowships, but it's much more in relationship with the Lord. He is the eternal God, and we are the forgiven sinners, and God wants fellowship with his own people. Solomon, the king of Israel, wrote many, many years ago, concerning the Messiah, who is called Wisdom, that my delight is with the sons of men. God love you, God love us, God love the human race, God love his people, and his delight is in the children of men.

But, the Corinthians, as we have already mentioned, those saints, positionally, belong to the Lord, saved, forgiven. But, in their day by day living, sadly, they didn't live as they ought to have lived. No wonder we have the whole letter here as a corrective ministry that Shaul Paul is writing to the believers. So, he said, I'm speaking, verse 15, as to a wise man, judge ye what I say. After he gave them all the previous exhortation. To be careful, to take heed, lest one will fall, and that realize that every testing that God allowed in their life, it is for their own good, and ultimately, God is faithfully, will not suffer the believers to be tested above what he or she are able to bear.

And he will ultimately, will, with the testing, will make a way to escape. So, they were called to flee from idolatry. They were called to flee from that which is against the Lord. Idolatry. Remember, this is exactly what they were called to when they came to know the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, out of the people of the city of Corinth. Now, notice in verses 16 and 17. Here, the Apostle Paul developed this in connection with the feast of the remembrance of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, in his death. And notice what he is saying in verse 16 and 17. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion, the fellowship, of the blood of Christ?

The bread which we break, is it not the communion, the fellowship, of the body of Christ, the body of Messiah? For we being many are one bread, and one body. For we are all partakers of that one bread. Here it is a presentation of the importance of understanding in the feasts, in the celebration, in the meeting of the local assembly, to realize that when a believer comes to be with his own brothers and sisters in a local assembly to meet around the Lord Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, he or she must realize that when they participate in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, in his death, in his death, in his death, burial, and resurrection, by participating with the emblems of the bread and the wine, by doing so, it's representing, on the one hand, the body of Messiah that had been given, the blood of the Messiah which had been shed, but also, at the same time, it represents the fellowship of the body of all believers.

The bread that is being set before, in days of old Israel, they used the matzah, the unleavened bread, and it represented the body of the Messiah. We being many are one bread and one body. And while it represented the body of the Messiah, the word here for body is in relationship to the body of all believers who are members of that one goof, one body of all true believers. The head is the Lord Jesus, the Messiah in heaven. The body are all the members, all true believers here on earth. And when one take and participate in the remembrance of the Lord with the drinking of the wine and the eating of the bread, what they are really saying is that they belong to that one body.

Although, all true believers positionally belong to that one body because there is only one body, only one church, one assembly, one kehila, one congregation. There are no more than one. You will notice this later on in chapter 12 and verse 13 that he will say to them, Paul, for by one spirit we are all baptized into one body. And that body represents the body of all believers. It is the spiritual body, those that belong to the Lord, all true believers. The head of the body is the Lord, Yeshua, Jesus. He is in heaven. The members of that body are here on earth and these are all believers.

Now just to understand that, just like the human body have a head and then you have the eyes, the ears, the mouth, the nose, the hands, the fingers, the legs, the toes and all the members of the body, the internal members, the liver and the heart and all the members of the body, the human body, yet there is only one body, many, many, many members. In a similar way, the word of God presents those that belong to the Lord, Jesus, the Messiah, as one body. This is one of the most beautiful descriptions of the church, the assembly. The head of that body is Christ, is the Messiah.

He is the head. The body is a composition of only true believers. And this body of Christ, the body of Messiah, is the composition of all true believers, which had its beginning some 2,000 years ago in the city of Jerusalem, in Jerusalem, where the Holy Spirit of God came down from heaven and formed the body of Christ, where all these Jewish early believers came to faith in Jesus the Messiah, already in the city of Jerusalem. And from there on, they preached the message of the gospel to all the nations of the world. And Gentiles and Jews became united together in that one body, which is called the church.

The word church in the Greek is ekklesia. It's the word called out ones. They are called out from among the nation of Israel. They are called out from among the nations of the world. And together we are forming one body. And when the believers remembering the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and his death, burial, and resurrection, when they gather together around him, they need to realize that they are really in communion with him. But also, symbolically, they are also in communion with all believers. So here is the beautiful lesson. The cup and the bread represent koinonia, represent hitchabrut, represent fellowship. Participating in the Lord's table, the Lord's supper, is a communion of all believers.

That's why in some places it is called the communion. Have you been taking the communion? But in reality, the communion is not only there, it is a communion that we have every day in our life, in our practical walk, to enjoy the Lord, and to walk with him. And we can enjoy this communion with him and with one another. But positionally, we are already in communion with God and with one another, and with the Lord Jesus, positionally, by virtue of the fact that we have accepted his sacrifice on the cross for our sins. And so we read, in verse 16 and 17, again I'm reading, the cup of blessing which we bless, Paul is saying to the Corinthians, is it not, notice that, the communion of the blood of Christ, the blood of the Messiah?

Because the cup, as the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, gave this instruction to the disciples in the city of Jerusalem, before he died, in Matthew chapter 26, you remember, when he was sitting at the upper room with his disciples, he gave these instructions to his disciples, and he told them already then and there concerning the remembrance of him. Matthew 26, and there we read in verse 26, we read these words, and as they were eating Yeshua, Jesus took bread, and he blessed it, and he break it, and he gave thanks, and he gave it to his disciples, and he said, take, eat, this is my body. And he took the cup, and he gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, drink ye all of it.

For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. And so, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends, the Apostle Paul is emphasizing here, because again, the subject that we have here in chapter 8, 9, and 10, is really the subject that has to do with things offered to idols. So they did not know how to handle that, when they were buying some food at the market, or buying some food by a place where it was cheaper, in some kind of pagan temple. But he explained to them that an idol is nothing but. He's saying to them, you cannot have idols part of your fellowship with the Lord, or part of the communion, and the remembrance, when you gather together to remember the Lord, in the Lord's Supper.

So, partaking of the Lord's Supper is a communion. A communion of the Lord's body and blood. And so I'm reading these verses once again. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? When we participate with the remembrance of the Lord, in this practical way, in the local meetings of all the gather saints, what we really have there, is an act of fellowship with the Lord. It reminds us of the blood that He shed. The wine does not become His blood. It's also, it's only a reminder.

It's only an emblem that reminds us that He shed His blood. The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? This bread is not becoming His body. Of course not. His body was already given some 2,000 years ago. But what happens is that it is a symbol, it symbolically becomes a reminder for the believer that the Messiah died. And as the bread is being broken after the giving of thanks, and shared among the believers, that one bread represents the whole gathered as saints locally and universally. While initially it represents the body of the Messiah, who already said in Matthew chapter 26, take this is my body.

He took the matzah, the unleavened bread, and said, this speaks of my body, which will be given and offered for you. And the cup represented the blood which will be shed, the blood of the new covenant that will be shed for you. And indeed, he gave his body, and he gave, he shed his blood when he went and he died on the Roman cross. And so my dear brothers and sisters, Paul is emphasizing that when we remember the Lord, Yeshua, the Messiah, at the Lord's table, we are actually having fellowship with Him, but not only fellowship with Him, but together with all true believers, fellowship with the Lord and His own people.

It's a representation, because all believers are not in the same local assembly, local congregation. Not all believers are the same city. There are some huge cities that have many local assemblies of true believers. But it's a representation of all believers who are represented by the one single bread. And so it is so interesting, because in verse 17, he explained that, and he says, for we, this is I, Paul, you, Corinthians, and all true believers, we are many, but we are all together, one bread, and one body. For we are all partakers of that one bread. You see, the bread is only one, and in its primary lesson, it speaks of the body of the Messiah that was given.

But it also represents, but it also represents, according to verse 17, the body, the mystical, the spiritual body of all true believers who belong to the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, who is the head of that body. He's in heaven. And the believers, the true believers, who are born of the Spirit of God, they are here on earth. How beautiful to see that. And then, beloved brothers and sisters, he's making this application. And as he's speaking once again about his people, his brethren, the people of Israel, historically, he already began in chapter 10 to mention things in relationship to the people of Israel. Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers, this is the father of the people of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt, they were under the cloud, and they all passed through the sea.

He already spoke about Israel Israel as an example how the Lord led Israel and the blessing that he gave the people of Israel and how when they fell, God was not pleased with many of them. And he's sharing this with the Corinthians that though they are saints of God and they belong to the Lord and when there was a disobedience in the local assembly, how failing they were and they need to correct themselves. He doesn't change their positional relationship with the Lord. They belong to the Lord Jesus because they are saints, they are saved. They are not losing their salvation, but they sure need to be corrected and sometime God will have to discipline his own people.

That's why we read in this portion how important to realize that God judges his people as well. He disciplines as a father his own people. And so in verse 18, after his Paul mentioned that a partaking of the Lord's Supper is fellowship with the body and the blood of our Lord Jesus the Messiah and also fellowship with all believers representing that one bread represents the one body of all believers, then he goes back to the example in Israel's history and once again he's saying behold Israel after the flesh. Look at the history of Israel when Israel were here on earth after the flesh day where they lived the people of Israel when they walked with the in the days of Moses and in the days of when they enter into the land Israel the physical descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob whose name was turned to Israel look at Israel after the flesh are not they which eat of the sacrifice partakers of the altar?

You see beloved friends and dear brothers and sisters when Israel were offering sacrifices in days of all they were really participating with the Lord from that which they have taken from the altar these are verse in Leviticus chapter 7 and verse 6 every male among the priests shall eat thereof eat of what?

of the offering that they offered if it says it shall be eaten in a holy place it is most holy as the sin offering is so is the trespass offering there is one law for them the priest that maketh the atonement therewith shall not as have it in other words when offering were offered the priest would have part in it why on the one hand the sacrifice represented the fact that the sacrifice had to die because of the sin of the nation of Israel just like in type and in picture the Lord Jesus the Messiah had to die for your sins and mine and all who have trusted in him so whenever we participate with

the bread and the wine in the Lord's table we are remembering looking back at the time when the Lord himself gave his life when Israel will offer sacrifices in days of war they were looking forward for the time when the Messiah will come and he will offer himself a ransom for many we cannot offer sacrifices anymore now that the Messiah has come and offer once and for all sacrifice but whenever we have the remembrance meeting we actually look back and are reminded of the body and the blood that the Messiah Yeshua Jesus had to give in order to provide salvation for us it is fascinating when you really think about it and therefore the believer

is called to have fellowship with the Lord and not fellowship with demons you remember what Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 he wrote in verse 14 but he said be not unequal yoke together with unbelievers for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion has light with darkness and what conquered has the Messiah with and what part has he that believeth with an infidel and what agreement has the temple of God with idols for ye are the temple of the living God as God has said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people he's quoting of course the word of

the Lord to the people of Israel in days of old and applying it to the believers today of the church wherefore in verse 17 he said come out from among them and be ye separate says the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a father unto you and you shall be my son and daughter says the Lord Almighty God want fellowship with his people and he does not want that his own people will have unequal yoke together with unbelievers and have fellowship with worship of idols what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness what communion has light with darkness what conquered has Christ the Mashiach with Belial and

what part has he that believe with the one that believe not you are the temple of God what agreement have the temple of God with idols for ye are the temple of the living God first second Corinthians chapter six and verse fourteen to verse eighteen so beloved brothers and sisters now that he made sure to remind the Corinthians that partaking in the Lord's table is really communion of the Lord's body and blood but also a koinonia a fellowship with all true believers just like in Israel's history when a sacrifice was offered on the altar which representing in type the Messiah Yeshua Jesus who died by the animal dies and those who participated of the sacrifice

from off the altar they were participating with the blood and the body of the sacrifice which was a type of the Messiah to come there is a verse that is found in the book of Hebrews in chapter 13 that is very helpful there we read where the author who wrote to his Hebrew brethren to remind them of the importance of having fellowship with the Lord and being occupied with Yeshua Jesus the Messiah in chapter 13 and verse 10 we read we have an altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle in other words those that are serving still here on earth the tabernacle or the temple and offer sacrifices that only

pointed to the Messiah they don't have an altar that belongs to the Lord anymore because when the Messiah Yeshua Jesus came and he died all the sacrifices that had been offered had no value anymore when Yeshua Jesus the Messiah died at around 30 AD the temple in the city of Yerushalayim continued to function for another 40 years until 70 AD all the sacrifices that were offered had no more value because the Messiah had come he died he was buried and he rose again once and for all he shed his blood by one sacrifice he sanctified them that belonged to him he set us apart he set the believers apart and therefore there is no longer

a need to offer sacrifices so the Hebrew believers were challenged not to go back to offer sacrifices again because they would offer on an altar sacrifices that were no longer accepted by God and that's why they needed to move forward and and to continue to follow the Lord Jesus the Messiah himself who once at the end of the world appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Hebrews chapter 9 we read in verse 28 of Hebrews 9 so Christ was once offered the Messiah once offered once he died to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation so beloved

brothers and sisters and dear friend now from verses 19 to verse 22 the apostle make an application to the things that are sacrificed unto idols in verses 19 20 21 and 22 as he writes now to the Corinthians and so in verse 19 he says to them do not say that an idol is anything say I then that the idol is anything or that which is offered in sacrifice to idol is anything he's really asking a question and he says really as he already mentioned in chapter 8 earlier that an idol is really nothing is really nothing remember in chapter 8 in verse 4 we read as concerning therefore the eating of those things which

are offered in sacrifice unto idol we know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is none other god but one there's only one god as god said to israel here israel the lord is one he's only one god and therefore all these idols and all the offering to idols that others the unbelievers continue to offer that has no value anymore they have no value whatsoever because really an idol is nothing anything that offered to an idol really nothing and don't be occupied with these idols you remember we already mentioned here flee from idolatry don't participate in that so you see the condition there beloved friend on the one hand they live

in a city that is filled with idolatry so wherever you went there was idolatry in the city of coin you went to the market you buy food you buy meat you don't know where is this food or this meat came from was it offered to an idol or not some who couldn't pay so much money and were poor went to buy outside of the pagan temples they were selling all kind of food there too for the poor so they were going to buy they were hungry they need to eat so if they bought anything that they didn't know what it was offered for they didn't need to worry about it because idol is nothing but

at the same time they were to be careful not to bring idolatry into the midst of the assembly of the believers and that's why at the same time here in chapter 10 Paul reminded them yes an idol is nothing but you don't want to participate in idolatry and then come into the Lord's table and have idolatry within the communion of the believers in the remembrance of the Lord and so don't provoke the Lord to jealousy you know the Lord you know that he loves you you know that he is true you know that Yeshua is the Messiah you know that God loved you and sent his son to provide salvation for you so don't have

fellowship with these demons don't have fellowship with idolatry it is one thing if you buy something at the grocery store and you don't know where it was offered to don't worry about it if if if it's possible unless you know a place that you can buy something that you know who cut it and who put it together and who provided and who sell it then you can find all the information if you can it's fine but apparently at Corinth it was a real issue that's why the whole chapter 8 and chapter 9 and chapter 10 was dealing with the issue of idolatry and Paul is seeking to help the Corinthians to know how to conduct

themselves in a city that is filled with idolatry and so he says in verse 19 he says to them I say then that the idol is anything or that which is offered in sacrifice to idol is anything but I say notice verse 20 those who offer the sacrifices do actually offer them to demons and not to God be careful not to participate in going to places and offering sacrifices knowing that you are offering them to idols but I say that the things which are which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God and I would not that ye would have fellowship with demons in other word you see the dilemma beloved brothers

and sisters and dear friend that these Corinthian had they needed to be careful not to participate in offering sacrifice to idols but at the same time as the question that came to the apostle Paul when they were buying food in the market and they needed to know how to handle things they needed to realize that an idol is really nothing you who are wise notice verse 15 I speak as to wise men men the plural men while people among the believers in the assembly who should be wise and should judge things aright have healthy balance healthy understanding and so he continued beloved brothers and sisters and he is saying in this verse 20 but I

say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice to demons and not to God and I do not want you that ye should have fellowship with demons in that case you cannot have fellowship with demons you cannot go and offer sacrifice to those demons knowing that they are nothing and they are merely man-made idols it it is interesting that apostle Paul mentioned in Galatians chapter 4 in verse 8 he said to the Galatians in verse 8 of chapter 4 he said how bit then when ye know not God when ye knew not God ye did serve or ye did service ye were in bondage unto them which by nature are no gods when you did not

know God you were worshipping idols but now you know God and you are to be these wise men or 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 15 later on the apostle Yohanan that is John he also gave warning to the believers in Revelation chapter 2 we read in verse 14 in relationship to the assembly in Pergamos but I have a few things against you because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Bilam who taught Balak to cast the stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication you see apparently in the local assembly in the city of Pergamos there were those who were teaching the people of

God specifically to eat things that have been sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication as Bilam have taught Balak to do it to the children of Israel according to Numbers chapter 25 in other words when there is a willful teaching of false doctrine that one can offer sacrifice to knowingly to idols that is a violation against God this is the doctrine of Bilam a little bit later on in verse 20 writing to the church to the assembly of Tayetaria we read not with standing here to the assembly of the people of God in the city of Tayetira not with standing I have a few things against thee because thou suffered the woman Jezebel which called

herself a prophetess to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols you can see beloved brothers and sisters already in the early days of the church how already there and then there was influence of the believers to offer things to idols and to have fellowship with idolatry that's why as we have mentioned earlier both Paul and John said flee idolatry 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and as we have studied earlier in verse 14.

Also in 1 John chapter 5, little children, keep yourself from idols. Now again, idols in those days were probably like figurines or things that were representing some sort of a God. But idols can be for us anything and everything, our job and our own achievement and our education and our possession. And many things can become idols for the believers. And they are taking us away from having fellowship with the Lord. How important is to have fellowship with the Lord Jesus the Messiah and not to allow things to take us away from fellowship with Him. And so in the last two verses here for this portion, in verses 21 and 22, believers are exhorted that they cannot eat and drink at the Lord's table and then do the same things at the table of demons.

And so we read in verse 21 of 1 Corinthians chapter 10, Ye cannot drink of the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. You see that the Lord's table, according to chapter 11 and verse 20, representing for us the Lord's supper. It's called a shulchan ha'adon. Aruchat o sa'udat ha'adon. The Lord's table, the Lord's supper, the Lord's remembrance of the Lord. It belongs to the Lord and one cannot have part in the Lord's table and then have part in a fellowship with demons or the tables of demons. There is a verse, as I have already read it earlier, and I will re-read it again in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verses 15 and 16, where Paul already challenged the Corinthian believers, where he said to them, And what, notice, what conquered, what conquered has the Messiah with Blyal?

And what part has he that he believed with an infidel? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God, as God had said, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people, quoting from the prophets of Israel. And so, my dear friend, this is very important. Paul is charging the Corinthian and challenging them not to provoke the Lord to jealousy. God is a jealous God, and he will not share his people with others. And so, we read in verse 22, he says, Paul, do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?

Are we stronger than he? You see, communion with idols is really an offensive to the Lord. You remember when our people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt? There in the land of Egypt, God had something against the gods of the Egyptians. That's why we read in Exodus chapter 12 and verse 12, I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And notice what it says at the end of verse 12 of Exodus chapter 12, God is against all the gods, small g. All the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgment.

I am the Lord. God is against all idolatry. God is against all that which is dishonoring to him, that which replaces him. Idolatry, man-made idols, they seek to replace the true and living God. And God is not finding any pleasure with those who do so. In Deuteronomy chapter 32, we read in verse 21, They have moved me to jealousy, God said through Moses to the people of Israel, with that which is not God. They have provoked me to anger with their vanities, and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people. I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. You see, because our forefathers, the people of Israel, according to Deuteronomy chapter 32, and verse 21, because by disobedience, and by adapting to themselves the gods of the nation, of the goyim, of the Gentiles, which were no gods, by worshipping idols, by setting before them all sort of other idols, and not the living God of Israel, who took them out of the land of Egypt, by doing so they provoke me, God said, to jealousy, with that which is not God, with idols.

God is jealous of His people Israel. He loved the nation. He chosen the nation of Israel to be His own, to be a testimony, a light to the Gentiles, or la goyim, but when Israel provoked God to jealousy, they provoked me to an anger, with their vanity, God says, okay, I will move them now to jealousy, with those which are not a people. I will provoke them to anger, with a foolish nation. And if you will go to the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul in Romans 11, is quoting these verses, to remind the Gentiles believers of the church age, that they are now, are to provoke the Jewish people to jealousy, by presenting before the Jewish people, the Messiah is sure to show, the nation of Israel, who today, have a partial blindness, that the Messiah, Jesus have come, and that He is the promised one of Israel, and the Savior of the world.

And by doing so, they can provoke the people of Israel to jealousy, so they will turn back to the living God, and Israel as a nation, will be restored. I say then, have they stumbled, the day should fall? God forbid, but rather through their fall, salvation came unto the Gentiles. Why, Paul says, in Romans 11 and verse 11, to provoke them to jealousy? Beloved brothers and sisters, the church, the assembly, the kehila, the congregation, is called to provoke, the people of Israel to jealousy, so that Israel will turn back to God. And in this verse 22 of 1 Corinthians chapter 10, Paul is saying to the Corinthians, Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?

Are we greater than He? Of course not. Communion with idols is offensive to the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. Communion with idols is offensive to all the three persons of the Godhead, the Father, the Father, the Son, the Spirit, who want to have fellowship with His own people. And therefore, beloved brothers and sisters, and dear friends, remember, that the cup of blessing, which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of the Messiah of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread.

May the Lord help us. May the Lord help His people, as His people walk here in this world, and need the grace of God to help us not to provoke the Lord to jealousy, and not to have fellowship with demons, with idols, in the feast and in the life of God's people. Well, may the Lord bless His word to us all, my dear friend. God bless you and encourage you, encourage us all, as we seek to have the mind of the Lord here upon the face of this earth. God bless you. Until the next time, Shalom, Shalom.