#96 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth

Valley – September 7, 2003 p.m.

                                                                                                                              

THE PROVISION OF THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM OF PLACES FOR THE PRACTICE OF RELIGION

With this message we begin a segment of the series on human moral religion of the world system that involves some of the things provided by the religions to appeal to mankind.  The things that will be covered involve the provision of places to access and honor its gods, of personnel to access and honor its gods, of props to access and please its gods and of procedures and programs to gratify its adherents.  Each item is designed to draw people into the influence of a specific religion by appealing to various appetites of the sin nature.  This message involves the fact that human moral religion provides places designed to bring people together to practice and to express their allegiance.  These are special places for access to deity or deities that give the adherent a sense and feeling of identity with the deity in that place.

 

The world system established places for the practice of religion (I.).  These are often buildings on a specific geographical site.  The site may have significance.  The building is given significance.  The building may be a house, temple, monument etc.  The Old Testament describes the need for a place to meet Jehovah in a multitude of ways.  In the patriarchal era (before the arrival of Israel at Sinai) there was no specific place to go to find God.  Jehovah sovereignly appeared to men whenever and wherever He desired.  Man had little choice or opportunity.  Jacob had met Jehovah at Bethel.  After he had been in Haran for more than 21 years, he returned to Canaan and went to Bethel hoping to meet Jehovah there again.  He had no other option.  There was no temple for Jehovah.  Any relationship between Jehovah and men was by divine appointment.  After the Exodus from Egypt, Israel returned to Mount Horeb, Sinai, where Moses had a divine appointment with Jehovah.  They camped there.  After Moses had accomplished a number of things on the mountain, Jehovah made arrangements for a place to meet him that I translate "the tent of meeting."  It was there that Moses and the elders of Israel kept appointments with Jehovah.  Moses had been given instructions for the more formal tent with specific environs called "the tabernacle."  The word means a place of temporary dwelling or tent.  While the tabernacle was being constructed and crafted, Moses met with Jehovah in the tent of meeting.  When the tabernacle was completed, Israel left Sinai.  The tabernacle was the center of the camp with the Ark of the Covenant the residence of the Shekinah glory.  More than 40 years later Israel entered Canaan, the Promised Land, and the tabernacle was located in Shiloh (Josh. 18:1; 1 Sam. 1:3).  It remained in Shiloh for nearly 300 years.  The ark was taken by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4:3 on) and ultimately ended up in Kirjath-jearim for 20 years.  Then David took the ark and a part of the tabernacle materials to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6).  It remained housed in a tent in Jerusalem until Solomon completed the temple.  The temple was identified as the "house of Jehovah."  Grace believers serve in the heavenly tabernacle as believer-priests and need no earthly tabernacle to have access to God. 

 

The religious world system uses its places of service, worship and religion to hold the attention of its adherents and to draw prospective adherents into its influence.  A physical place or building gives a basis for identification with a specific religion and its personnel and practices.  The places that I plan to study from the Old Testament are high places, house of gods and temples. 

 

Places for worship in world system religions historically are tied with high places especially in the Old Testament era.  Religion often finds its best locations on hills or mountains.  Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree (Deut. 12:2). Balak took Balaam to the high places of worship on the mountains to show him Israel gathered in the valley (Num. 22:41; 23:3, 14, 28). Scripture also describes high places in valleys, in a city and in city gates (cf. outline).  These were evidently artificial elevations where gods were served and worshipped.  Jeremiah describes sacrifices in valley of Ben Hinnon which was the valley SE and below Jerusalem.  And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart (Jer. 7:31).

They offered child sacrifices – human sacrifices – to Baal there (Jer. 19:5; 32:35).  Jehovah promises judgment and ruin of the high places as part of the curses on Israel.  And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you (Lev. 26:30).  Jehovah expected Israel to destroy the high places when they entered and invaded the land of Canaan (Num. 33:52; Deut. 12:2, 3).  His purpose was to remove the temptation for Israel to use the high places to worship other gods thereby gratifying the religious works of the flesh.

 

Worship in the high places became a problem in Canaan probably from the time of the death of Joshua and the elders that ruled with him.  In the era of the judges the nation refused the standards of righteousness of the Law.  In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes (Judg. 21:25 cf. 17:6).  Who was the last judge?  Samuel.  He participated in sacrifices on the high places (1 Sam. 9:11-14, 19, 25).  I believe that he was involved with an element of pagan worship and offered a blessing on the sacrifice made on the high place.  He also did that which was right in his own eyes. 

 

Solomon is an interesting dilemma.  He loved Jehovah yet he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.  And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. 2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. 3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar (1 Ki. 3:1-4).  This was early in his reign before the building of the temple. Later he constructed high places for his Gentiles wives.  Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon (1 Ki. 11:7).   And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king [Josiah] defile (2 Ki. 23:13).  Nearly 300 years after Solomon constructed these high places to the idols Josiah defiled them taking away their use.  What a sad commentary on the ongoing permanence of human moral religion when it infiltrates the belief system of the people of God!  Under II. F. numbers 2-11 indicate that most kings that followed Solomon either tolerated or practiced idolatrous religion in the high places.  A trip through the verses listed provides an abhorrent commentary on the power of human moral religion over the sin nature.  The religious adultery of the ten tribes led to their captivity to Assyria because of their use of high places to other gods.  2 Kings indicates that Hezekiah destroyed the high places in his lifetime (2 Ki. 18:4, 22 (cf. 21:3).  Often the high place contained an image of some kind of the god it was designated by the world system to honor. 

 

Four verbs are listed under II. J. describing Jehovah's demands that Israel remove the high places.  They were to be destroyed, annihilated, broken down and burnt.  The key passages are noted. 

 

As should be evident by the above material I only finished I. and II. last Sunday.  I plan to finish the message this coming Sunday.  It is so interesting that the world system is so interested in places that will bring people in.  How many preachers want a new, more attractive, bigger building to attract people rather than to let them come from simple hunger for the teaching of the Word of God.  Christendom has its shrines, cathedrals, temples and spectacular buildings that all are the places in which human moral religion can thrive.  True Christians need to be reminded that the church isn't the building.  It is the people and exists when it is assembled or gathered.  The building is only a structure used by the local church.  A spiritual believer has access to God anywhere he or she is at any time.

 

THE PROVISION OF THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM OF PLACES FOR THE PRACTICE OF RELIGION

 

1 John 2:15

 

Proposition:   To show how world system religion establishes places that are isolated for the practice of religion designed to hold the attention of its adherents.

 

        Introduction

              A. The Provision of Places to Access and Honor Its gods

              B. The Provision of Personnel to Access and Honor Its gods

              C. The Provision of Props to Access and Please Its gods

              D. The Provision of Procedure and Programs to Gratify Its Adherents

 

TRANS:  World system religion generally provides specific geographical locations where its adherents can go to practice.  This gives the human being a sense of going apart to a deity which in turn gratifies and controls the sin nature and its appetites.

                 

I.    THE ESTABLISHING OF PLACES FOR RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY BY THE WORLD SYSTEM – THE PROGRAM FOR PLACES FOR THE PRACTICE OF WORLD SYSTEM RELIGION – THE INDENTIFICATION OF SACRED PLACES FOR THE PRACTICE OF RELIGION BY PERSONS IN THE WORLD SYSTEM

      A.  The Places for Practice of God's People in the Old Testament

            1.   Divine Appointments with Individuals at Specific Places of Divine Selection – ex.

                  Bethel

            2.   Tent of Meeting

            3.   Tabernacle from Sinai to Shiloh (Josh. 18:1; 1 Sam. 1:3)

            4.   Tabernacle in Shiloh to Jerusalem

            5.   Temple in Jerusalem = House of Jehovah

      B.   The Places for the Practice of Grace Believers = the Heavenly Tabernacle

      C.  The Places for World System Religious Practice Mentioned in the Old Testament

            1.   High Places

            2.   House of gods

            3.   Temple

TRANS:     World religion seems to try to create a closeness to its gods by establishing its places 

                  for practicing religion at elevated places on the surface of earth.  This creates the impression of being closer to the second heaven.

 

II.  THE ELEVATIONS USED FOR WORSHIPPING OTHER GODS – THE PROMENTORIES IDENTIFIED AS HIGH PLACES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT – THE INFILTRATION OF ISRAEL THROUGH THE HIGH PLACES OF WORLD SYSTEM RELIGION – hm'B' (bahah) – 103 times

      A.  The Concept of Elevation

            1.   The Tradition of Physical Geographical Elevations – Deut. 12:2

                  a.  Mountains – Num. 22:41; 23:3, 14, 28

                  b.   Hills – Deut. 12:2

            2.   The Taking of a Place of Honor with Minimal Physical Elevation

                  a.   In a Valley – Jer. 7:31; 19:5 (cf. vs. 3); 32:35; Ezek. 6:3

                  b.   In a City – 1 Ki. 13:32; 2 Ki. 17:9, 29; 23:5

                  c.   At Entering in of Gate – 2 Ki. 23:8; Ezek. 16:24

      B.   The Curses Upon the High Places – Lev. 26:36

      C.  The Command for Entry Into the Land

            1.   Num. 35:52

            2.   Deut. 12:2, 3 (cf. vs. 30)

      D.  The Confusion with Samuel – 1 Sam. 9:11-14, 19, 25

      E.   The Conduct in the High Places of the World System – 1 Ki. 3:1-4

            1.   Sacrifices and Burnt Incense

            2.   Burnt Offerings

      F.   The Continuity of the High Places of the World System Maintained by Kings

            1.   Solomon

                  a.   Built High Places for Chemesh and for Molech – 1 Ki. 11:7

                  b.   Built High Places for Ashteroth, Chemesh and Milcom – 2 Ki. 23:13

            2.   Rehoboam – 1 Ki. 14:23 [Judah]

            3.   Jeroboam – 1 Ki. 12:31, 32; 13:2, 32, 33 [Israel]

            4.   Asa – 1 Ki. 15:14 [Judah]

            5.   Jehoshaphat – 1 Ki. 22:43 [Judah]

            6.   Amaziah – 2 Ki. 14:4 [Judah]

            7.   Azariah – 2 Ki. 15:4 [Judah]

            8.   Jotham – 2 Ki. 15:35 [Judah]

            9.   Ahaz – 2 Ki. 16:4 [Judah]

           10.  Manasseh – 2 Ki. 21:3-5 [Judah]

           11.  Ahab – 1 Ki. 16:29-32; 2 Ki. 21:3, 4 [Israel]

      G.  The Captivity of the Ten Tribes Because of Religious Adultery – 2 Ki. 17:9-12

      H.  The Conduct of Hezekiah Destroying the High Places – 2 Ki. 18:4, 22 (cf. 21:3)

      I.    The Containing of an Image of a god – 2 Ki. 17:29

      J.    The Command Concerning the Removal of High Places

            1.  Destroy – db;a'  (ahvad) – Ezek. 6:3; 2 Ki. 21:3 cf. dm;v' (shamad) Lev. 26:30; Num  33:52

            2.   Break Down – #tn" (nahthatz) – 2 Ki. 23:8,15

            3.   Burn – @r;f' (saharaf) – 2 Ki. 23:15

TRANS:  Man thinks in terms of the shelter and protection of a house.  As a result, man and the world system makes houses for their deities and for religious practice.

 

III.THE ESTABLISHING OF A HOUSE FOR A GOD AND RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES – THE PROVISION OF A STRUCTURE FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES AND THE GODS OF THE SYSTEM – THE INHABITATION OF A HOUSE MADE FOR RELIGIOUS WORSHIP AND SERVICE – tyIB;

      A.  The Concern of David – 2 Sam. 7:2-7

            1.   House of Cedar and Tent?

            2.   House of Cedar and Temple?

      B.   The Construction of the Temple by Solomon Providing a House – 2 Sam. 7:13; 1 Ki. 5:5

      C.  The Continuation of Houses to Gods in the High Places

            1.   Jeroboam's Houses in High Places of Bethel and Dan – 1 Ki. 12:31 [vss. 27-33]

            2.   Houses in High Places of Samaria – 1 Ki. 13:32

            3.   Houses in Samaria Josiah Took Away – 2 Ki. 23:19

      D.  The Collection of Houses for Gods Noted

            1.   House of gods – Micah – Judg. 17:5

            2.   House of Baal – 1 Ki. 16:32; 2 Ki. 10:21-27; 11:18; 2 Chron 23:13

            3.   House of Dagon – 1 Sam. 5:2, 5

            4.   House of the gods of Babylon – Dan. 1:2; 5:3; Ezra 1:7

            5.   House of gods of the Egyptians – Jer. 43:13

            6.  House of god of Israel – Amos 2:8

 

TRANS:  A temple was a very special house for a god and it emphasized his or her ruling over its adherents in world system religion.

 

IV. THE ESTABLISHING OF A TEMPLE FOR A GOD AND FOR RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES – THE PALACE FOR THE WORSHIP OF A GOD – THE INSTITUTION OF A PLACE OF HONOR AND ESTEEM FOR THE RESIDENCE OF A GOD

      A.  The Construction of a "Palace" of God as Ultimate King

      B.   The Condemnation of Israel for Building Temples to Other gods– Hos. 8:13, 14

      C.  The Concept of Temples for gods in the World System

            1.  Temples of Tyre, Zidon and Philistia – Joel 3:4, 5

            2.   Temple at Babylon – 2 Chron. 36:7; Ezra 5:14; 6:5; Dan. 5:2-5

 

TRANS:  The world system's religions function because they have specific geographical places to relate to their gods.  These are places tied to deity and service to that deity.  These provide an anchor for their faith and practice.

 

© by David K. Spurbeck

Valley Baptist Church

P. O. Box 99, Gaston, OR 97119