“Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things.” I Corinthians 10:6. The Bible contains many shining examples of men and women of faith.  Their courage and character stir within us a desire to follow in their footsteps.  But have you ever profited from the many bad examples that stand out in the sacred record? They often speak more clearly than any of the others.  In I Corinthians 10, the apostle Paul appealed to the power of a bad example to help believers avoid certain sins.  He reminded his readers of Israel’s wilderness wanderings in the hope that this would keep them from the tragic consequences of lust, idolatry, fornication, murmurings, and presuming upon the Lord.  He said in effect, “Look what happened to God’s chosen people when they dishonored the name of Jehovah.  As many as 23,000 died in one day” (v. 8). It was his way of showing them that the failures of others can teach you how to avoid being a failure yourself.