Paul continues, giving the most solemn warnings against the sins of idolatry, licentiousness, and presumption, which caused so many of the Israelites to fall in the wilderness. He cites examples from sacred history to show how love of ease and pleasure prepared the way for those sins which called forth the signal vengeance of God. It was when the children of Israel sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play, that they threw off the righteous fear of God which they had felt a short time before as they listened to the law from Sinai. They made them a golden calf to represent God, and worshiped it in a festive religious gathering. Again, it was after enjoying a luxurious feast connected with the worship of Baal-peor that many of the Hebrews fell through licentiousness, and the anger of God was manifested toward them, and twenty-three thousand were slain by the sword at the command of God through Moses. {LP 168.3}

Paulus fortsætter med at give de højtideligste advarsler imod afgudesynder, ryggesløshed og formastelse, som fik så mange Israelitter til at falde i ørknen. Han citerer eksempler fra den hellige historie, for at vise hvordan kærlighed til lethed og fornøjelser bereder vejen for de synder, der fremkalder Guds tydelige hævnvrede. Det var da Israels børn satte sig ned for at spise og drikke, og rejste sig op for at danse, at de bortkastede Guds retfærdighed, som de havde følt for kort tid, før de lyttede til loven fra Sinaj. De gjorde en guldkalv til at repræsentere Gud, og tilbede den ved festlige religiøse samlinger. Efter at en luksuriøs fest med tilbedelse af Baal-peor faldt mange af hebræerne på grund af tøjlesløshed, og Guds vrede viste sig imod dem, og treogtyve tusinde blev slået ihjel af sværdet efter Guds befaling gennem Moses.