#97 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth
Valley –
The world system not only establishes places for the
practice of its human moral religion but it also provides personnel for those
places and for its perpetuation. These
are often very similar to what God provides for His people in the dispensation
of Law. Adherents of world system
religion are vulnerable to religious leaders in the world system. Authoritative leadership is often all an
adherent needs to keep him or her in the religion and to encourage his loyal
participation. In the Old Testament
priests, prophets and pastors (or shepherds) are most clearly seen in relation
to
The work of the priest in the religions of the world system
was varied and this is seen in the biblical record. Generally priests were seen as men who could
appeal to gods because they had been granted special privileges by those
gods. They were recognized as people who
could appease the gods through various priestly activities including sacrifices
and offerings. They were seen as
intermediaries who attempted to have access to the gods for adherents of the
religion. They could then seek the favor
of the gods. These men and women affirmed
certain practices for the adherents of the religion proclaimed as pleasing to
the gods that prevented adversity and purchased blessing from those gods. Often this involved special activities and
rituals performed by selected priests that adherents saw as appropriate service
to gods. There were two groups of priests described in the Hebrew Bible: priests and idolatrous priests (cf. I.
B.). World system priests are rarely
mentioned in the New Testament where the term translated priest describes one
who performs temple service. Acts
How did the priest in the world system get the job of being
a priest? Scripture describes several
ways. In Judges 16, 17 an Ephraimite named Micah stole money from his mother. She cursed the one who stole it. He then confessed that he had stolen it. As a result, she had him make a graven image
and a molten image (in violation of the second commandment) with it. He then made his son a priest (17:5). A Levite (no mention of his being a son of
Aaron) from Bethlehem of Judah came through and Micah hired him to replace his
son to be the family priest. In chapter
18 some Danites came through the area and learned of
Micah's priest. They stole the images
and took the Levite and hired him for their priest. Be reminded that this was the era when every
man did that which was right in his own eyes (Judg.
17:6;
Groups of people often selected their own priests (cf. 2 Ki.
The Mosaic Law was very firm concerning who could be priests
for the twelve tribes under the Mosaic Law.
And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and
to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of
Several groups of priests that are a part of world system
religion are mentioned in the Old Testament.
The replacement priest by Micah the Ephraimite
is a good example in Judges 17, 18.
Reference is made to the priests of Dagon of the Philistines. Dagon was the fish god and its image was a
fish with human hands and head. The
Philistines took the Ark of the Covenant from
There are three passages that describe a group of idolatrous
priests. The word is Chemarim
and may refer to idolatrous priests who jump around as dervishes, as those
identified with the Egyptian pantheon of gods or of eunuch priests. The first passage is Zephaniah 1:4 where the
word is transliterated: I will
also stretch out mine hand upon
The second passage translates the word "idolatrous
priests." Josiah destroyed these priests in his reinstitution of the
Mosaic Law. And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of
Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah,
and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto
Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of
heaven (2 Ki. 23:5). The last passage simply translates
the word "priests." The
inhabitants of
The religious world system used priests to control people
and to access the gods. They were
important human figures who helped control or direct the religious works of the
flesh. Often they were involved with the
curbing and directing of many of the other works of the flesh as well in
conformity to the moral standards of the world system in their time and
culture. Many modern manifestations of
the religions of the world system use priests in the same way as was done in
antiquity.
In the Unity called "the Christ,"
DKS
1 John 2:15
Proposition: To demonstrate from the Bible the ways that world system moral religion provides personnel to make the religion function and to pacify and to gratify its adherents.
Introduction
A. The Necessity for Personnel for Human Moral Religion of the World System
B. The Vulnerability of People to Authoritative Leadership in World Religion
C. The Diversity of Personnel in Human Moral Religion
1. Priests Who Served for Access
2. Prophets Who Show Revelation for Authority
3. Pastors Who Shepherd the Adherents
D. The Identity of Personnel for Old Testament World Religions
1. Astrologers 5. Wizards
2. Diviners 6. Charmers (Enchanters)
3. Soothsayers 7. Exorcists
4. Sorcers 8. Chaldeans (
TRANS: The first group of the personnel for religion
that we will consider is that of a group of priests for world religion as they
are mentioned in the Old Testament and New Testament. The priests of the world system functioned in
similar ways as the true priests of Jehovah though in the nations surrounding
I. THE PROVISION OF PRIESTS WHO DID THE
RELIGIOUS WORK OF WORLD SYSTEM RELIGIONS – HUMAN ELEVATED BY THE WORLD SYSTEM
TO PERFORM RELIGIONS SERVICE WHILE MANIPULATING THE ADHERENTS – SUBJECTION TO
REPRESENTATIVES BEFORE THE GODS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM
A. The Work of a Priest in World System Religion
1. Appeal to Gods
2. Appeasement of Gods
3. Attempted Access to God
4. Affirmation
of Practices
5. Activities of Appropriate Service
B. The Two Kinds of World System Priests
Mentioned in the Bible
1. !heKo (cohen) – Act as a Priest Taking the Cause of Another
Before a God
2. ~yrim'K. (cemahreem) – Idolatrous Priests Involved with Dark
Things – 3x OT
C. The Priest in Service to gods in the New
Testament Era -- i`ereu,j (heirous)
– One who
performs official temple service – Acts 14:13 – of Jupiter
D. The Process for the Selection of Priests in the World System
1. Hired by Man – Judg. 17, 18
2. Appointed by the King – 1 Ki.
3. Appointed by People – 2 Ki.
4. Established in a Priestly Lineage
5. Priesthood Is Only as Good as It Is Accepted
by People
6. The Limits Concerning the Priesthood Under the Law – Num.
E. The Priests of World System Religions in the
Old Testament
1. !heKo (cohen) – Act as a Priest
a. A Replacement Priest to Jehovah – Judg. 17,
18 (17:5, 10, 12, 13; 18:4, 6, 17-20,
24,
27, 30)
b. Priests of Dagon – 1 Sam. 5:5; 6:2
c. Priests in the Ten Tribes – 1 Ki. 12:31, 32;
13:2, 33
d. Priests of Baal – 2 Ki.
e. Priests of the High Places – 2 Ki.
f. Priests of Baal – 2 Chron 23:17
2. ~yrim'K. (cemahreem) – Idolatrous Priests
a. The Destruction of Idolatrous Priests with
the Priests of Baal -- Zeph. 1:4
b. Josiah's Destruction of the Idolatrous
Priests – 2 Ki. 23:5 (4-14)
c. The Departure of the Glory of the Calves in Bethaven – Hos. 10:5
F. The Perversion from Jehovah and His Law
1. Within the
Priesthood – Isa. 28:7
2. Compromise – Heresy
3. Idolatry and Religious Superstitious Awe
TRANS: Next week we will be examining the
provision of false prophets by the world system that create
a method for providing a false form of revelation that gives an objective
authority for the practice of its adherents.
II. THE PRONOUNCEMENTS OF PROPHETS WHO DELIVERED
RELIGIOUS MESSAGES TO HUMAN ADHERENTS – HUMANS ENERGIZED TO BRING FALSE
REVELATION FOR A RELIGION TO ITS FOLLOWERS – SETTING STANDARDS FOR WORLD SYSTEM
RELIGION AGAINST THE REVELATION OF THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE
A. The Role of Prophets in the Old Testament
B. The Role of Prophets in the New Testament
TRANS: The whole idea of a separated priesthood from
the followers of world religion has early origins. It replaces any legitimate priesthood
sanction by God in any dispensation.
© by David K. Spurbeck