1 Corinthians 10:5 Commentary and Bible Study

All of them, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb were overthrown in the wilderness. Even the believers among them sinned in some way. Perhaps it wasn't the believers who committed fornication. Perhaps it wasn't the believers who committed the worst sins, but even the believers must have been involved in the murmuring, and the grumbling, and the tempting of God, the trying of his patience. The unbelievers were destroyed, and the believers were disciplined, you may say. How do we know that there were a substantial number of believers in the exodus generation, who, though they lost their place in the promised land, would have been accepted by God in heaven, because they were really saved and walked with him; how can we assume that? We consider Moses. He is an example. He was not with Caleb and Joshua, and yet he was a man of God. But God's anger was towards him, so he was not permitted to enter the promised land. But there is no question that Moses went to glory and is in heaven, and will be glorified with all God's people. So we look at him and we realise that he probably represents the truly faithful among them. They had to be judge, but they were saved. But most were not even saved.