#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
Human moral religion of the world system provides places for
religious practice. In the last message
we examined the prominent Old Testament concept of high places that were a key
part of the Canaanite religions. In a
sense, Jehovah's provision of the tent of meeting, tabernacle and temple was an
act of grace for Israel. He chose to place His name or character in a
place where individual Israelites could find Him. Prior to the events at Mount Sinai Jehovah
picked the time and place where a select few individuals would meet with
Him. In a sense, a place was designated
for people to keep appointments with Jehovah.
As soon as the tabernacle was completed, Jehovah gave specific requirements
for Israelites to access the tabernacle with specific sacrifices and
offerings. When Israel
entered the land and the ark and tabernacle were in a location (Shiloh
and then Jerusalem), each Israelite
male of age was required to visit the site or place at least three times a year
for the pilgrimage feasts of Jehovah.
They could seek and find Him through the Aaronic
priests in that place. Middle Eastern
religion built high places to meet their gods in elevated places on hills and
mountains and then on pedestals in valleys and in the gates of some of the
cities. These elevated places were
designed to give people of the world system a place to go and to do homage and
serve the various gods of the world system.
They provided a location that gave adherents a specific place with which
to identify psychologically. There are two
other important designations for places to practice world system religion: houses of gods and temples. These same terms are used to describe the
provisions for the worship of Jehovah by Israel. They were common designations for centers of
religious practice. One must be reminded
that these places were all designed to provide some form of gratification for
the religious works of the fallen sin natures of men.
A house was designed as a habitation for gods and a place of
religious activity. The term focuses on
the idea of a dwelling place where one resides.
David saw it in this manner. He
had built himself a house of cedar and started thinking about the Ark of the
Covenant across the street in the tabernacle.
That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth
within curtains (2 Sam. 7:1). Jehovah
reminds David of more than 340 years of history. Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build
me an house for me to dwell in? 6 Whereas I
have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the
children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent
and in a tabernacle (2 Sam. 7:5, 6).
The tent is the tent of meeting used during the time of the construction
of the tabernacle at Sinai. David
expresses his concern that Jehovah needs to live, reside or dwell in a house at
least as good as his own. Ultimately the
promise is given to David in the Davidic covenant that his son Solomon would
build the temple. He shall
build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever (2 Sam. 7:13).
When the ten tribes broke with Jerusalem forming the
Northern Kingdom under Jeroboam, Jeroboam was afraid that if anyone from the
ten tribes went to the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem, they would be turned to
give allegiance to Rehoboam (1 Ki.
12:27, 28). As a result Jeroboam made
two calves from gold and put one in Bethel
and one in Dan for their worship. In 1
Kings 12:31 it is clear that he made
a house of high places and provided his selected personnel. And he made an house of high
places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the
sons of Levi.
These were places for the ten tribes to gather and to offer
sacrifices and burn incense (1 Ki. 12:32, 33).
By making these houses in the high places Jeroboam was saying that
Jehovah had other houses in addition to the one He had chosen to place his
character in Jerusalem. By 1 Ki.
13:32 many other houses of the high places
were in the cities of Samaria. For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD
against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places
which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass (1 Ki. 13:32). These
were taken away by Josiah a righteous king.
And all the houses also of the high places that were in the
cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to
anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had
done in Bethel (2 Ki. 23:19). In the era of the judges Micah an Ephraimite as a part of doing that which was right in his
own eyes build a house of gods and hired a Levite to serve as his personal
priest. Before he hired the Levite he had made one of his sons his priest (cf. Judg. 17:5 on).
There are multiple references to individual houses of Baal and at least
one had an altar to Baal. And he
[Ahab] reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria (1 Ki. 16:32). Jehu killed
worshippers in the house of Baal while destroying its images and the house
itself (2 Ki. 10:21-27). In 2 Ki.
11:18 the whole of the people were
involved with the destruction of the house of Baal. And all the people of the land went into the house of
Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images
brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the
priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the
house of the LORD. The
Philistines had a house for Dagon their fish God. It was there they took the Ark of the
Covenant when they captured it from the Israelites (1 Sam. 5:2). The image of Dagon fell on its face and the
Philistines suffered physical malady until the Ark
was removed. As a result, Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into
Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this
day. There are several references
to the houses of the gods of Babylon
in Scripture (cf. Dan. 1:2; 5:3; Ezra 1:7).
Jeremiah 43:13 also describes the "houses of the gods of the
Egyptians" which will be burnt with fire.
God is not in an earthly house in the present dispensation. He is in a building described in Ephesians 2:19-22. This building is the heavenly building
identified as the Christ. This building
is called the "habitation of God by the Spirit" in Eph. 2:22.
The next designation of a place for meeting gods in the
world system is the word "temple."
Temple in Hebrew is the same
word that is frequently translated "palace." It emphasizes the idea of the center of the
government of rule or a god king. Temples
were earthly structures constructed by world system religion as places of
elevating certain gods of its religions.
Temple is loosely used today
where there are Masonic temples, Mormon temples, Shriner's temples, Knight's Templar, Temple
Baptist Churches
and Baptist Temples. In the dispensation of grace the focus is on
either the heavenly temple, on the Church which is the Body of Christ or on the
bodies of believers as temples of the Holy Spirit.
Hosea condemned Israel
for building temples to other gods. They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of
mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth
them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall
return to Egypt (Hos. 8:13). There were physical temples to the
gods of Tyre,
Zidon and Philistia
(Joel 3:4). There are a number of
references to the temples in Babylon
notes in the outline. History tells us
that there was a major edifice in the city of Babylon
to Marduk god of Babylon
with other lesser temples nearby. The
vessels from the temple in Jerusalem
were taken there by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chron. 36:7;
Ezra 5:14; 6:5; 5:2-5). In the New Testament specific mention is made
of the shrine or temple of Diana
of the Ephesians (Acts 19:24,
27).
Two terms describe the temple in New Testament Greek. One describes the temple and all of its
environs including living quarters, storage barns, courtyards, walls and
such. The other describes the Holy of
Holies where God dwelled. Be reminded
that the glory of Jehovah had departed from the temple, Jerusalem
and Israel in
the book of Ezekiel before the fall of the city. It will not return until Jehovah comes in His
second advent to earth. The return is
described in Zechariah 14 and in Ezekiel 40-48.
The Church which is His Body is the Holy of Holies of God (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 2 Cor. 6:16,
17). The physical body of a grace
believer is the Holy of Holies of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor.
6:19, 20).
The building in which the local church meets is not a house
of God nor is it a temple of God. It houses temples of God when the church
meets. Technically it is the church
building. My father often referred to
the building as the church house. As a
young person I thought he was a little off and wrong but now I know that he was
right. It is only the house in which the
church meets. When the church isn't
meeting, the local church doesn't exits.
God goes with the saints where they go and the assembly (or church)
ceases to exist until its next gathering or assembling.
The world system uses specific locations as a mechanism to
make people to identify with its religions.
These draw people, hold attention and gratify elements of religious
superstitious awe. The place gives them
warm fuzzies concerning their god or gods and they
are happy – gratified. When the true
church uses these mechanisms, it is following the example of the Satanic world system and I believe it is abusing the world
system rather than using it.
Reflectively thinking while tenting here,
DKS
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: 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