We must remember that Christians are monotheistic. There is one "Lord":
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.In other words, the "Lord" of the Old Testament is Emmanuel of the New. He is "called" Jesus. In the Old Testament he was referred to as the "Word" (John 1). Just as we can't see Jesus now, his "Ghost" is always present. Throughout time, then, the "Lord" is the Word JHVH, Jesus JHVH, and the Holy Ghost JHVH since there is "one Lord".
Now look further at what Paul wrote to the Ephesian church. There is "one faith". We present Christianity as a sect of Judaism, but they and we are "one faith" with the provision that the Jews profess the Messiah, and accept his sacrifice, as their own scripture professes! Most Jews fail to accept that Jesus Christ has come, only believing that he will come! That's better than most in Christian nations who just can't accept Jesus at all, yet maintain that they are Christians.
Judaism and Christianity are "one faith". The Old Testament is all about Jesus, and since he was there in the beginning (John 1:1), Christianity is "the faith", and Judaism is the sect! Our faith is the foundation, and theirs is the schism. Someday, many Jews will have the same Light that we have when the darkness hovering over them is removed.
Now, it is understood, I hope, that the "Lord" of the Old Testament Is pre-incarnate Jesus. Jesus said that outright while he was walking on water. "Who is it?" he was asked. "I Am," he replied (Matthew 14:27; direct transliteration).
Now to todays verse:
1 Corinthians 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them (Jews of the Exodus) also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.The Jews tempted Christ - the Messiah, around the fifteenth to thirteenth B.C. (i.e., over 1000 years before Jesus was ever born!) Yes, Christ was there even back then! He Is always with us in "Spirit and in Truth".
John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.This passage speaks specifically of the Holy Ghost of Jesus who would come to dwell in the believers. Don't take my use of "Ghost" as Pentecostal because it's not. The Lord is sort of: (1) You can't see Him, (2) now you see Him, and (3) now you don't! In all cases, though, He was present! Christ was as real in the Old Testament as He was in apostolic times, and Is as real today. Because Jesus has the ability to transfigure does not make him less real nor less JHVH!
Paul, to the Corinthians, said "Neither let us tempt Christ," as the Jews had after they were saved from Egypt - the symbol of sin. "Tempting" in this context is "testing" Christ. We already know that tempting Christ is futile. "Testing" Christ is also futile but the Jews did it anyway. Read this passage from that time:
Numbers 21:2 And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. 3 And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities... 5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses... 6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7...the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us... 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.Where was the "tempting" Christ here, remembering that Christ was tested? The people of Israel made a vow to the Lord (verse 2) that if they are delivered they would destroy the enemies' cities. He did, and they did. So far ...so good. However, being ungrateful, they spoke against God (verse 5). Essentially, they took the Lord's grace in vain. I have contended that "taking the Lord's Name in vain" is taking for granted the grace of Jesus in vain. Jesus didn't come to allow us to sin, but to save us from sin!
That was the "test". Will "Christ" punish for sin or will he not? He will, and He did! The Lord sent poisonous snakes, they bit many, and many died. Remember, Christ is "Spirit and Truth". He had to follow through with the penalty for sin. This example is a reminder to us, "Christ cannot be tested. He will judge the world, and unrepentant sinners will be punished! The Israelites took the Lord in vain, and today many take Jesus's propitiation vainly!
In the case of the Israelites, their punishment was death. However, by grace, Christ provided a way out for some. Why? Because the people confessed to Moses: "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord." (verse 7). They were contrite. Then, because of their contrition, the "testing" of Christ was over. Not only does Christ judge and punish, but he also saves! Verse 9 speaks of Christ's salvation to all those who trusted Him. Vicariously, by Christ's Spirit lifted up symbolically in the bronze serpent, those who looked upon it were saved.
This is what Paul was referring to as "tempting Christ" over one-thousand years before He was made flesh (John 1:14). Because the Israelites lifted up and trusted Christ way back then, those who did were saved from dying right then, and their faith saved them from eternal death! Those Jews who looked up were Christians! We will see them in heaven with one provision: "Neither let us tempt Christ" or we too will be destroyed by the serpent! If we the people fail to lift up Christ, the Serpent will bite us as well, and it will be with eternal death!
Tempting Christ is taking his mercy in vain. That is the unpardonable sin, and only by lifting Him up can we be saved.
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