#93 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth

Valley – August 3, 2003 a.m.

WORLD SYSTEM NECESSITIES FOR DEVELOPING RELIGION

This message involves an analysis of the things that were and are necessary for the human moral religion of the world system to have to control the sin nature. Hence, the title is "World System Necessities for Developing Religion." Certain mechanisms are needed to manipulate the sin nature effectively. Satan was fooled by the results of the fall. Mankind did not become his willing pawns but exhibited a nature over time that needed external control in order for Satan to move toward his goals. Man fell and was depraved with a perverted intelligence and will. Man's very being was anthropocentric with little regard for anyone or anything else. Mankind had a sin nature that had a bent toward religion, religion independent of God. When Satan designed the world system, it was necessary for him to design it in a way that appealed to mankind and held attention. He needed an intelligent system that appealed to human fleshly appetites. Man did not lose his intellect but retained it though it was perverted and twisted with a confused view of reality from the fall. The system required supernatural salesmanship by Satan and demons to draw mankind into its influence. Human moral religion needed characteristics that created the impression that the sophisticated thing to do was to be religious and moral. Religion designed by Satan, the master psychologist, was ordered in such a way as to find the most susceptible areas of each person's life and to provide attractive alternatives to seeking the God of creation.

What is necessary for the development of religion? There are three simple elements. Necessity one is the existence of a supernatural being or beings superior to man. Sometimes man himself is perceived to be the supreme being as are parts of creation. Necessity two is the provision of a mechanism or devices for perceived access to those beings. This may include human mediators as priests, gurus and such. An important element of this is a set of practices that are presented as pleasing, gaining access or earning favors from the superior power/s. The sin nature has a substantial appetite for working to earn merit with deity. Necessity three involves a system of belief and morality that makes some sense to the depraved mind. If all of this makes sense to enough human beings, it becomes a legitimate religion.

The approach of this message addresses the first element that requires supreme beings or "gods." The Bible refers frequently to the gods of the nations and peoples of the earth. The AV refers to "gods" [small g] over 230 times [statistics for the original language terms are in notes]. Societies, cultures and peoples have their own unique sets of deities in the world system and these often overlap. Generally these deities are the sources of emotional happiness and gratification providing physical blessing.

I. gives an overview of the Old Testament restrictions for Israel concerning the gods of the nations of the world system. Jehovah is over all of the gods of the world system. The gods of the world system are no gods [lit.] when compared to Jehovah. Many of the gods worshipped by the nations were made by human hands and worshipped by their makers and the people. C. is a sample list of God's requirements for Israel in relation to the gods of the nations. They were not to remember them, worship them, serve them, make covenants with them, seek help from them or swear by them. Those manmade gods were to be burnt.

II. deals with the fact that Satan tailor-made the religions of the world to appeal to groups of people on the earth. These involved races, cultures, geographical locations, genetic groups and other idiosyncrasies. Genesis 3:5 illustrates the manipulation of Satan in the fall that continues to persist in his system. He promised Eve that after eating the fruit mankind would be like Elohim. In a sense, this was an appeal to be proud of the potential. Old Testament Scripture describes groups of peoples who have gods. They are peoples, nations and foreigners (or strangers). The first group is peoples. This is a more intimate term. When used of Israel, it marks a close relationship between family groups. This is the term used by Ruth the Moabitess to Naomi. "Thy people shall be my people." In 2 Chron 7:14 Jehovah admonishes Israel with the line, "If my people which are called by my name. . ." marking a close relationship to Jehovah.

Jehovah confronts nations in general and specifically (that is by name) as possessors and worshippers of gods. Judges 10:6 gives the longest list of specific nations that had gods in the time of the judges. The word "strange" or "foreign" is frequently used with "gods" marking human deities of the world system that are distinct from Jehovah of Israel. Every time Israel got involved with the gods of the nations it spelled trouble. Judges presents seven cycles of sin and most often the sin involved Israel's going after the gods of other nations. The first cycle nicely illustrates this in Judges 3:5-7 and its context. Israel pursued the gods of the nations and was judged by Jehovah.

III. is material developed from the Hebrew terms "other gods" that occurs 58 times in the Hebrew Bible. The preposition "after" is found with the terms 17 times with these. Israel deliberately pursued gods that were totally unlike the true God, Jehovah. The first "commandment" clearly prohibited this (Ex. 20:3; Deut. 5:7). The verbs that precede the preposition "after" give a sense of the determination to give full allegiance to the gods of the nations. The word "walk" indicates a life direction and progression. Israel frequently determined to change direction and to live by the three requirements for world system religion in pursuit of the blessing of the gods of the nations. A list of the passages where this verb is found is given in C. 1. c. Judges 2:17 describes this as spiritual prostitution and adultery. Other passages use the same verb many times of the spiritual whoredom of the nation throughout its biblical history. This involved a willful turning of the heart – emotion, volition and rationale – from Jehovah toward other gods of the world system. At this point, I ran out of time. The ten points under D. are to be presented this coming Sunday. This material identifies how the world system religions are designed to bring at least these ten responses from human beings. Develop gods of some kind and give them credibility to the mind of fallen man and one has a basis for human moral religion that has used a Satanic idea to recruit human adherents.

The outline has a multitude of passages of Scripture included. (These are corrected from the notes in the Sunday bulletin.) I did not try to cover all of the passages but "skimmed the cream." They do provide material for extensive study in the Old Testament of the "gods" and Israel's relationship to them. In other works, these notes provide good file material for further study.

Trusting focused above,

DKS

WORLD SYSTEM NECESSITIES FOR DEVELOPING RELIGION

1 John 2:15

Proposition: To simply evaluate what is necessary for the world system to develop an organized moral religion. Mechanisms for establishing credibility for religion's adherents are necessary for religion to work with fallen mankind.

Introduction

A. The Condition of the Human Race

1. Fallen and Depraved

2. Perverted Intelligence

3. Self Centered = Anthropocentric

4. Religious with Religious Appetites of the Sin Nature

B. The Design Required to Appeal to a Part of the Race if Not All

1. Intelligent System Appealing to Human Appetites

2. Supernatural Salesmanship by Satan and Demons

3. Human Sophistication Perceived in the Religion

4. Human Susceptibility to the Arrangements for Religion

C. The Composition of Religion for the Sin Nature

1. Superior Being or Beings

2. Mechanisms for Access to

a. Mediation by Man or Men

b. Practices to Please

3. System of Belief and Morality

D. The Recognition of Legitimacy by Human Beings

E. The Presentation of Other Gods by Bible Terms for God

1. ~yhiloa/ (elohim) – 200+x of other gods

2. H;wOla/ (eloah) – 11x of other gods

3. Hl'oa/ (elah) [Aramaic] – 200+ of other gods

4. qeo,j (theos) – 5x of other gods

TRANS: The first and most important part of the design for a world system religion is the provision of a superior power that will bring a sense of emotional happiness and gratification. Such power can be singular or plural. This is easily seen in references in the Bible.

I. THE RESTRICTIONS FOR ISRAEL AND THE GODS OF THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM – THE SAME GOD BUT DIFFERENT PROVISIONS AND RESULTS FOR ISRAEL FROM THE CHURCH – THE IMPORTANCE OF IGNORING THE GODS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM

A. The Supremacy of Jehovah Over the Gods of the World System

1. Jehovah Is the God of Gods – Deut. 10:17; Josh 22:22

2. The Gods of the World System Are No Gods by Comparison – 2 Ki. 19:18; 2 Chron.

13:9; Jer. 2:11; 5:7; 16:20

B. The Source of Gods by Human Hands Prohibited

1. By Human Fabrication – Ex. 32:8, 23, 31

2. By the Hand of Aaron – Ex. 32:1, 4, 8, 23

3. By Jeroboam – 2 Chron. 13:8, 9

C. A Sample of the Regulations for Israel's Relationship to the Gods of the World System

1. Not to Revile Them – Ex. 22:28

2. Not to Remember Them – Ex. 23:13; Josh. 23:7

3. Not to Worship [Bow Down] Them – Ex. 23:24; Num. 25:2; Josh. 23:7

4. Not to Serve Them – Ex. 23:24, 32; Deut. 4:28; 7:16; 12:2; 28:36; Josh. 23:7

5. Not to Make a Covenant with Them – Ex. 23:22; 34:15

6. Not to Seek Help From Them – Deut. 12:30

7. Not to Swear by Them – Josh 23:7

8. To Burn with Fire – Deut. 7:25

TRANS: The world system has a challenging task when it comes to organizing its moral religion. It must cater to the sin nature and the cultures of each society in order to make each religion palatable for its prospective constituents.

II. THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE GODS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM TO GROUPS OF PEOPLE ON THE EARTH – SPECIFIC GODS DESIGNED FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLES, CULTURES AND RESPONSES – THE ISOLATION OF RELIGIONS IN THE WORLD SYSTEM TO GODS FOR PEOPLES

A. The Manipulation of Man to Give Him Credibility – Gen. 3:5

B. The Provisions of Gods for Peoples (~ymi[]) – Deut. 13:7; Judg. 2:12; 1 Chron. 16:25, 26;

2 Chron. 25:14; 32:19; Psa. 96:4

C. The Provision of Gods for Nations (~yIwOG])

1. In General – Deut. 29:18; 2 Sam. 7:23; 2 Ki. 17:33; 18:33; 19:12; 2 Chron. 32:13, 17;

Isa. 36:18; 37:12

2. Specifically – Gods of: Egypt (Ex. 12:12; Jer. 43:12); Ammonites (Judg. 6:10);

Sepharvaim (2 Ki. 17:31; Isa. 36:19); Seir (2 Chron. 25:14); Edom (2 Chron. 25:20);

Damascus (2 Chron. 28:23); Hamath and Arphad (Isa. 36:18)

3. A List of Specific Nations with Their Unique Gods – Judg. 10:6

D. The Identification of These Gods as Foreign to Israel ("Strange") -- rkn

1. By Jacob on His Journey Back to Canaan – Gen. 35:2, 4

2. Under the Dispensation of Law – Josh. 24:20, 23; Judg. 10:16; 1 Sam. 7:3; 2 Chron.

33:15; Jer. 5:19; Dan. 11:39; Deut. 31:16

E. The Participation with the Gods of the Nations by Israel – Example – Judg. 3:5-7 (Cycle

#1 of the Cycles of Sin)

TRANS: Jehovah instructed Israel in the matter of what they were not to do in relation to the gods of the nations. This gives an illustration of how the world system designed its gods to affect those who are its adherents.

III. THE RESPONSES TO THE GODS OF HUMAN MORAL RELIGION OF THE WORLD SYSTEM – SUBSTITUTE GODS FROM THE WORLD SYSTEM FOR THE GOD OF THE BIBLE BY ISRAEL – THE IMPLICATIONS OF ISRAEL'S PURSUIT OF OTHER GODS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM – "After Other Gods"

A. The Data for the Subject

1. "Other Gods" – 58 times in the OT

2. "After Other Gods – 17 times in the OT

B. The Prohibition Under the Law – Ex. 20:3; Deut. 5:7 ("above or over my face")

C. The Turning Away from Jehovah for Other Gods -- rx;a; (achar)

1. The Matter of Walking After Other Gods – %l:h' (halach)

a. Life Direction

b. Life Progression

c. Deut. 6:14; 8:19; 11:28; 13:3; 28:14; Judg. 2:12, 19; 1 Ki. 11:10; Jer. 7:6, 9;

11:10; 16:11; 25:6; 35:15

2. The Spiritual Prostitution with Other Gods – hn"z" (zahnah) – Judg. 2:17

3. The Turning Away of the Heart -- hj'n" (nahtah) – 1 Ki. 11:2-4

D. The Other Concepts of the Wrong Relationship to Other Gods

1. Serving Other Gods as Slaves – db;[' (ahvad) – Deut. 7:4; 13:6, 13; 17:3; 28:36, 64;

29:26; Josh. 23:16; 24:2, 16, 20; Judg. 10:13; 1 Sa. 8:8; 26:19; 1 Ki. 9:6; 2 Ch. 7:19;

Jer. 16:13; 44:3

2. Speaking in the Name of Other Gods – rb;D' (dahvar) – Deut. 18:20

3. Worshipping Other Gods – hx'v' (shahchah) – Deut. 30:17; Jer. 22:9

4. Turning Unto Other Gods – hn"P' (pahnah) – Deut. 31:18, 20; Hos. 3:1

5. Being Strong in Other Gods – qz:x' (chazaq) – 1 Ki. 9:9; 2 Chron. 7:22

6. Making Other Gods – hf'[' (ahsah) – 1 Ki. 14:9

7. Making Sacrifices and Offerings to Other Gods – xb;z" (zahvach) – 2 Ki. 5:17

8. Fearing Other Gods -- arey" (yahree) – 2 Ki. 17:7, 35, 37, 38

9. Burning Incense to Other Gods – rj;q' (qahtar) – 2 Ki. 22:17; 2 Chron. 28:25; 34:25;

Jer. 1:16; 19:4; 44:5, 8, 15

10. Pour Out Drink Offerings to -- %s;n" (nahsak) – Jer. 7:18; 19:13; 32:29

TRANS: The religion of the world system is designed to influence people to do these ten things. When Israel got involved in the world system they were directly influenced to do these things as they compromised their relationship with Jehovah with the other gods of the world system. The same is true of Christians who compromise in similar ways.

Valley Baptist Church

P. O. Box 99, Gaston, OR 97119