Warnings from Israel’s Past

10 Brothers and sisters, I ·want you to know [^Ldon’t want you to be ignorant of] what happened to our ancestors. They were all under the cloud [^Cthe Israelites were guided in the wilderness by a cloud, a symbol of God’s presence; Ex. 13:21; Num. 9:15–23] and all went through the sea [^Cthe miraculous passage through the Red Sea; Ex. 14:22]. ² They were all baptized ·as followers of [^Linto] Moses in the cloud and in the sea [^Cjust as believers are baptized “into Christ” (Rom. 6:3), so the Israelites were “baptized” into Moses, their leader-redeemer]. ³ They all ate the same spiritual food [^Cthe manna God provided from heaven; Ex. 16:15, 35], ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink [^Cthe water miraculously provided from a rock; Ex. 17:6; Num. 20:7–13]. They drank from that spiritual rock that followed them [^Cin Jewish tradition, the rock travelled with the Israelites, providing continual refreshment], and that rock was Christ [^Ca type of Christ, who provides spiritual sustenance]. ⁵ But God was not pleased with most of them, so they ·died [or were struck down; or (their bodies) were scattered] in the desert [^Cas judgment for unbelief and refusing to enter the Promised Land; Num. 13—14].