This message continues the outline sent last week. It picks up at II. and continues through IV. The outline is the same so I am not sending it again. I'll send the remaining outline material with some changes next week to conclude the material. The gods of the world system are designed to make people respond in a multitude of ways. This message involves their design to make people speak in their names, worship them and to turn to them. Once again we need to be reminded that the religions of the world system were designed to distract human beings from the God of Creation. Romans 1:20, 21 describe natural revelation that is obvious in a multitude of ways. Through this revelation mankind is responsible for understanding the power of God and His godhood – that is that there is an intelligent originator of that creation. The world system attempts to misdirect the religious works of the flesh into its own religions and away from what is obvious in natural revelation.

(II.) Deuteronomy18 prophesies the coming of a Prophet from Israel (18:15, 18, 19 fulfilled by Jesus Christ in John 12:48, 49; 14:10). It then gives tests for prophets. Jehovah warns concerning prophetic utterances in 18:20. But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. The Hebrew word translated "presume" in the AV literally means "to boil up or to percolate with prophetic utterance." He may speak in the name of Jehovah misrepresenting Jehovah with words that Jehovah did not command him to speak or speak in the name of other gods. In either case the death penalty was to be imposed (cf. Deut. 13:1-3). The test is in verse 22. If what is prophesied does not happen or come, Jehovah has not spoken it through him. Such a prophet is seen as one who speaks insolence to Jehovah and the nation was not to fear such a prophet. In other words, if his prophecy was not from God, they were not to be afraid to put him to death. God expected Israel to test the validity of any prophecy. Without a question a prophecy made in the name or character of one of the other gods of the world system was invalid and was not of divine revelation.

The gods of the moral human religious systems of the world are designed to make people worship. This is accomplished in a multitude of ways. Buildings are designed to appeal to religious superstitious awe through the human soul and bring a physical response of worship. Old Testament worship was very much a physical thing. An adherent bows down before a superior being in obeisance. The Hebrew root's simplest meaning is "to bow down." It is found in either an intensive active form (to worship with intensity) or a reflexive form (to worship on one's own behalf). "Worship" is misunderstood in most churches. They believe that the songs they sing, the feelings they feel, physical responses to God, a "worship service" or the playing of certain musical instruments are worship in the New Testament sense. Many Christians have been taught that worship for the church is the concepts found in the Greek word proskuneo that means "to kiss toward or to kiss the hand." The Greek Old Testament translates the Hebrew word consistently with this word. Worship has changed. The Father now seeks a different form of worship. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him (Jn. 4:23). He seeks worship in spirit (the center of the rationale) and truth. The Old Testament concept was to bow down with all one's soul (the center of emotions and feelings) and might under the Mosaic Law.

The Mosaic Law was clear concerning an Israelite's worship. "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God (Ex. 34:14)." The penalty of the Law for the nation is clearly described in Deu. 30:16-18. The nation would perish and receive the curses of 28:15-68. This was fulfilled with the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Jeremiah predicted that those of the Gentile nation who passed by the ruins of Jerusalem would understand that the ruined city was judgment as the result of their worshipping other gods. "Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them (Jer. 22:9)." Israel's worship was limited to Jehovah and Jehovah only. 1 Chron. 16:29 (cf. Psa. 29:2) is a Psalm that David presented when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem. There is no question who was to receive worship. "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." Several concepts relate to Israel's worship of Jehovah in Psa. 45:11: "So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him."

1 Cor. 14:25 is the primary grace revelation passage using the word for Old Testament worship in a grace context. This clearly involves the physical action on the part of one who hears a prophet prophesy. "And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth." He falls down on his face. "Worship" has changed. The word most often translated "prayer" is now "worship." It is not a general term for communication with God in grace revelation. 1 Timothy 2:1 places it second in the list of four of the eight types of communication with God in the present dispensation. Philippians 4:6 also lists four types of communication but clearly isolates "prayer" from "supplication" by using a definite article and conjunction so one couldn't put a colon there to mark a general term with a list of other terms under its umbrella. Paul tells the Thessalonian saints to "Be communicating worship without ceasing (5:17)."

(IV.) The religions of the world system and their gods are designed to cause human beings to turn their attention toward them. This directly involves turning attention away from the God of Creation to other gods. The Hebrew root is found 135 times in the Hebrew Bible. It is translated "turn" in the familiar Isaiah 53:6 passage: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Deut. 31:18 describes this turning as a turning of the heart – the center of the rationale, emotions and will. As a result, Israel chose not to hear but would be drawn away and worship and serve other gods. As Israel entered into the Promised Land, Jehovah predicted that after they were in the land a while and had all their needs met, they would turn to other gods. "For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant (Deut. 31:20)." The AV translation of Hosea 3:1 conceals the idea of turning from Jehovah to other gods. Jehovah required the prophet to marry Gomer, a prostitute, as a prophetic action. She remained in business while married to Hosea just as Israel did with her idolatry against Jehovah. "Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine (Hos. 3:1)." The English verb "look to" is a translation of the Hebrew verb "to turn." Here it is a participle that means that the problem of turning was an ongoing action or condition on the part of the nation. The religious appetites of the flesh are attracted to elements of human moral religion and that draws attention away from the Creator of the Universe.

Built Together with the Saints Growing into a Holy Temple and Blended (Eph. 2:20, 21; 4:16; 1 Cor. 12:24),

DKS