But with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the desert.

“Still further did He also make it manifest, that we ought, after our calling, to be also adorned with works of righteousness, so that the Spirit of God may rest upon us; for this is the wedding garment, of which also the apostle speaks, "Not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up by immortality." But those who have indeed been called to God's supper, yet have not received the Holy Spirit, because of their wicked conduct "shall be," He declares, "cast into outer darkness." He thus clearly shows that the very same King who gathered from all quarters the faithful to the marriage of His Son, and who grants them the incorruptible banquet, [also] orders that man to be cast into outer darkness who has not on a wedding garment, that is, one who despises it. For as in the former covenant, "with many of them was He not well pleased;" so also is it the case here, that "many are called, but few chosen." It is not, then, one God who judges, and another Father who calls us together to salvation; nor one, forsooth, who confers eternal light, but another who orders those who have not on the wedding garment to be sent into outer darkness. But it is one and the same God, the Father of our Lord, from whom also the prophets had their mission, who does indeed, through His infinite kindness, call the unworthy; but He examines those who are called, [to ascertain] if they have on the garment fit and proper for the marriage of His Son, because nothing unbecoming or evil pleases Him.”

“"That our fathers," saith he, "were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of a spiritual Rock that followed them: and the Rock was Christ. Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased." And wherefore saith he these things? To point out that as they were nothing profited by the enjoyment of so great a gift, so neither these by obtaining Baptism and partaking of spiritual Mysteries, except they go on and show forth a life worthy of this grace. Wherefore also he introduces the types both of Baptism and of the Mysteries. But what is, "They were baptized into Moses?" Like as we, on our belief in Christ and His resurrection, are baptized, as being destined in our own persons to partake in the same mysteries; for, "we are baptized," saith he, "for the dead," i.e., for our own bodies; even so they putting confidence in Moses, i.e., having seen him cross first, ventured also themselves into the waters. But because he wishes to bring the Type near the Truth; he speaks it not thus, but uses the terms of the Truth even concerning the Type. Further: this was a symbol of the Font, and that which follows, of the Holy Table. For as thou eatest the Lord's Body, so they the manna: and as thou drinkest the Blood, so they water from a rock. For though they were things of sense which were produced, yet were they spiritually exhibited, not according to the order of nature, but according to the gracious intention of the gift, and together with the body nourished also the soul, leading it unto faith. On this account, you see, touching the food he made no remark, for it was entirely different, not in mode only but in nature also; (for it was manna;) but respecting the drink, since the manner only of the supply was extraordinary and required proof, therefore having said that "they drank the same spiritual drink," he added, "for they drank of a spiritual Rock that followed them," and he subjoined, "and the Rock was Christ." For it was not the nature of the rock which sent forth the water, (such is his meaning,) else would it as well have gushed out before this time: but another sort of Rock, a spiritual One, performed the whole, even Christ who was every where with them and wrought all the wonders. For on this account he said, "that followed them." Perceivest thou the wisdom of Paul, how in both cases he points out Him as the Giver, and thereby brings the Type nigh to the Truth? "For He who set those things before them," saith he, "the same also hath prepared this our Table: and the same Person both brought them through the sea and thee through Baptism; and before them set manna, but before thee His Body and Blood." As touching His gift then, such is the case: now let us observe also what follows, and consider, whether when they showed themselves unworthy of the gift, He spared them. Nay, this thou canst not say. Wherefore also he added, "Howbeit with most of them God was not well-pleased;" although He had honored them with so great honor. Yea, it profited them nothing, but most of them perished. The truth is, they all perished, but that he might not seem to prophesy total destruction to these also, therefore he said, "most of them." And yet they were innumerable, but their number profited them nothing: and these were all so many tokens of love; but not even did this profit them, inasmuch as they did not themselves show forth the fruits of love. Thus, since most men disbelieve the things said of hell, as not being present nor in sight; he alleges the things heretofore done as a proof that God doth punish all who sin, even though He have bestowed innumerable benefits upon them: "for if ye disbelieve the things to come," so he speaks, "yet surely the things that are past ye will not disbelieve." Consider, for example, how great benefits He bestowed on them: from Egypt and the slavery there He set them free, the sea He made their path, from heaven he brought down manna, from beneath He sent forth strange and marvellous fountains of waters; He was with them every where, doing wonders and fencing them in on every side: nevertheless since they showed forth nothing worthy of this gift, He spared them not, but destroyed them all.”

“Above he warned them to abstain from things sacrificed to idols: first, on account of avoiding the scandal of weak brothers, chapter VIII; second, on account of his own example, in that he abstains, for the sake of others, from receiving support, chapter IX. Here, third, he warns to the same end from consideration of the punishment of the Jews who worshiped idols in the desert, where, by the example of their punishment, first he warns to abstain from the perpetration of similar sins; second, specially from the eating of things sacrificed to idols, where: "wherefore, my dearest, flee from the worship of idols," etc. In the first part, first he shows what happened to the Jews of old; second, why — because it did not happen for their own sake only, but for our correction — "now these things were done in a figure of us," etc.; third, that they might beware by their example, he concludes, where: "wherefore let him who thinks himself to stand," etc. Therefore the punishment is to be feared, the cause is to be remembered, and caution is to be applied. In the first part, first he sets forth the benefits of grace bestowed on them while they were in Egypt; second, those granted in the desert, where: "and all ate the same food," etc.; third, the scourges inflicted on account of ingratitude, where: "but with most of them," etc. In the first he touches on three benefits: the first, in the protection of the cloud; the second, in the crossing of the Red Sea, where: "and all passed through the sea," etc.; the third, in the cleansing of Baptism, where: "and all in Moses," etc. He says therefore, "I would not have you," etc., as if to say: one must act thus, just as I have warned. For the sacraments of the Church received do not suffice for you if you afterward sin, just as the benefits of God did not suffice for the Jews either, but they were afterward punished. "For I would not have you ignorant," etc. This is read in two ways: in one way, of the good and the evil in common; in another way, of the evil specially. In the first way, thus: "I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers" — the founders of our faith — "all," both good and evil, "were under the protecting cloud." Exodus 13:21: "the Lord went before them to show the way by day in a pillar of cloud," etc. Or "under the cloud," that is, under figure and shadow. Hebrews 10:1: "the law, having a shadow of things to come," etc. "And all passed through the Red Sea," their enemies being submerged, not from one bank to the opposite bank, but to the same bank, whence they crossed a certain gulf of the sea. "And all in Moses," that is, under the leadership of Moses, "were baptized in the cloud and in the sea," that is, by those signs that were seen, cleansed from ignorance; or from vices through faith, namely with the Egyptians submerged. Exodus 14:31: "the people feared the Lord, and they believed the Lord and his servant Moses." Or "they were baptized," that is, they received the sign of Baptism. For Baptism consists of water and spirit. John 3:5: "unless one be reborn of water and spirit." Now the cloud was a symbol of the spirit, and the sea of the water, as Damascene says. Then, when he says "and all ate the same spiritual food," etc., after the benefits shown to Israel as it went out of Egypt, here he touches on the benefits shown in the desert. And first, the benefit of the manna; second, the benefit of the water, where: "and all drank the same drink," etc.; third, the wondrous origin of the drink, where: "for they drank," etc.; fourth, the meaning of that origin, where: "now the rock," etc. He says therefore, "and all ate the same spiritual food," namely the manna from heaven. Now he calls it spiritual, though it was bodily, because it was given miraculously; of this it is said in Wisdom 16:20: "you gave them bread from heaven." "And all drank the same spiritual drink," namely water from the rock. Numbers 20:8: "speak to the rock, and it will give you water." He struck the rock, and waters flowed. "For they drank of the spiritual rock," which is called spiritual on account of the miraculous effect, on account of the sign of what was to come. "The rock following them." "Following" is understood in two ways: that is, satisfying their will. Psalm 77:29: "he brought them their desire." For the waters followed them everywhere. Isaiah 48:21: "he brought forth water for them from the rock," etc. Or "following them," that is, signifying the truth that was to follow. "Now the rock was Christ" — not through substance, but through signification. Matthew 21:42: "this is the stone which they rejected," etc. In another way it is read briefly of the good, thus: "I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers" — the founders of our faith — "all," the good ones, spiritually. Hence he says: "our fathers" — not theirs — "were under the cloud," as before, "and all ate the same spiritual food," that is, the body of Christ understood spiritually in a sign. Hence they ate the same spiritual food, the same, that is, as we, but a different bodily food than we; and this as regards the elders believing in Christ. They ate Christ spiritually, according to that saying: "believe, and you have eaten." "And all drank the same drink," namely the blood of Christ, in a sign. Thus he speaks of the sign and the spiritual drink through faith, not of the bodily one. "For they drank of the spiritual," etc., as before. The food and drink are to be desired, because sufficient; hence he says "all ate" — unfailing, because it is the same; useful, because the drink and food are spiritual: which is noted in the very name "spiritual," etc. Then, when he says "but with most of them," etc., after the benefits he touches on the scourges. And first the offense, second the punishment, where: "for they were laid low." He says therefore, "but with most of them," etc., as if to say: the Jews made use of all these benefits, but "God was not well pleased with most of them" — namely, with those who offended God — but only with two, namely Caleb and Joshua, to whom alone it was granted to obtain the land of promise, Numbers 14:24. Malachi 1:10: "I have no will in you."”

“But with many of them God was not well pleased,.... As he is with none but those that are in Christ; and with none of the services of men, but what are done in faith, which become acceptable to him through Jesus Christ; for in him only persons and services are accepted with God; and this was the way of acceptance in the Old, as in the New Testament dispensation: how many of the Jewish fathers God was not well pleased with, or took no delight in, but hated and abhorred, which is the sense of the phrase here, whether they were the greatest part or not, is not certain; however, they were not all, excepting Joshua and Caleb, as some interpreters understand it; for not all that died in the wilderness were out of the special grace and favour of God, witness Moses, Aaron, Miriam, and, it is to be supposed and hoped, hundreds and thousands more; but the apostle has respect to such who were the instances of God's direful vengeance and displeasure, as appears from the reason given; for they were overthrown in the wilderness: he does not say merely that they died there, for many with whom God was well pleased died there; but these, their carcasses fell in the wilderness, being stricken, thrown down, and overthrown by the immediate hand of God; they did not die a common death, according to the ordinary course of nature; but by the plague, or by the sword, or by fire from heaven, or by fiery serpents, or by a destroying angel, or by one judgment or another, as hereafter mentioned.”

“They were overthrown in the wilderness - And yet All these persons were under the cloud - All passed through the sea - All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea - All ate the same spiritual meat - All drank the same spiritual drink, for they were made partakers of the spiritual Rock, Christ. Nothing can be a more decisive proof than this that people, who have every outward ordinance, and are made partakers of the grace of our Lord Jesus, may so abuse their privileges and grieve the Spirit of God as to fall from their state of grace, and perish ever lastingly. Let those who are continually asserting that this is impossible, beware lest they themselves, if in a state of grace, become, through their overmuch security, proofs in point of the possibility of ending in the flesh, though they began in the Spirit. Reader, remember who said, Ye shall not surely die; and remember the mischiefs produced by a belief of his doctrine.”

“But--though they had so many tokens of God's presence. many of them--rather, "the majority of them"; "the whole part." All except Joshua and Caleb of the first generation. not--in the Greek emphatically standing in the beginning of the sentence: "Not," as one might have naturally expected, "with the more part of them was," &c. God--whose judgment alone is valid. for--the event showed, they had not pleased God. overthrown--literally, "strewn in heaps." in the wilderness--far from the land of promise.”