#63 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth

Valley – October 6, 2002 p.m.

 

CHOICES:  JOIN THE WORLD SYSTEM OR AVOID THE WORLD SYSTEM

 

Kings over Israel were given a choice.  They could trust Jehovah and obey the law and avoid the world system or they could they could join the world system and build their governments like those of the world system.  The Mosaic Law was clear.  Israel was not to walk in the statutes {AV "ordinances, manner"} of the nations (Lev. 18:3; 20:23).  God demanded that the nation and its kings were not to incorporate the laws of the nations in their governance.  Israel's monarchs were surrounded by the monarchies of the nations.  They had many patterns for laws, regulations, practices and methods of operation.  It was easy for them to operate their governments by patterns evident in the surrounding world system.  More often than not they joined the world system in the programs and the practice of government.  Jehovah had demanded that the nation be separate from the nations and they were isolated by their practices.  Their obedience made this isolation effective.  One of the punishments inherent in the law was national slavery or captivity to the nations of the world system.

 

A good example of the divine guidelines and expectations for the nation is the establishing of fortified cities or forts.  In the Book of the Covenant that established the Mosaic Covenant Jehovah promised "I will proceed to sent my fear before you and will destroy the people which you will proceed to come among them, and I will make your enemies turn their necks unto you (Ex. 23:27)" if the nation would obey and serve Him.  He promised to drive the nations out a little at a time so the land could be inhabited by Israel (cf. Ex. 23:28-32).  Throughout the dispensation of promise the seed of Abraham had no fortified cities.  Their faith in Jehovah and His provision for their protection was adequate.  The offer made at Sinai (Ex. 19) continued that arrangement.  With the presumption at Sinai a theocracy was established in a different way.  Even so there was no need for fortified cities.  Jehovah would bring them into the land and protect them.  One of the physical blessings in time was protection from enemies.  There were no fortified cities in the era of the judges.  The only fortified cities mentioned before the coming of the kings who built cities for defense (as did the world system) involved two unique cases.  Many times the nations of the lands were possessors of fortified cities.  When Israel came to enter the Promised Land, the lands east of the Jordan River were made an inheritance for Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh.  Their men made a commitment to go across the river and fight for the other nine and a half tribes.  This meant that they left their wives and children alone on the other side of the Jordan.  They built fortified cities to protect their families from the inhabitants of the land (Num. 32:17).  Gad built nine fortified cities (Num. 32:36).  In the distribution of the land among the tribes Naphtali drew the lot by which they received 16 fortified cities (Josh. 19:35).  These are the only two references to the provision of fortifications for the nation Israel before the kings built fortifications.  The lack of fortified cities is evident during the era of the judges in Judges 6:2 where Jehovah punished Israel for their sin by using the Midianites to enslave them.  As a result Israel "made them holes which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds (in rocks)."  Another illustration is under Saul the first king who had not begun to build fortified cities as the world system did.  The Philistines came to fight with Israel with a large, well-equipped army.  The men of Israel panicked.  "And the men of Israel saw that it was tight for them, for the people were hard pressed; and the people proceeded to hide themselves in the caves, and in the crevices, and in the crags, and in the tombs and in the cisterns (1 Sam. 13:6)."  They had few fortified cities to which to flee.  In 13:7 they fled over to the east of the Jordan to Gad where there were evidently still fortified cities that existed from their entry into the land.  One of the curses of the Mosaic Law was that a foreign invader would come and pressure them and their walled cities (Deut. 28:50-57).  Jehovah expected the nation trust Him and not in their walled cities.  "And he will cause to besiege you against all of your gates, until your high, fortified walls come down, which you continually are trusting [participle] in them; and he will cause to besiege you in all of your gates in all of your land that Jehovah your God has given to you (28:52)."  Their trusting in walled cities is a factor for the curse for disobedience.  As the monarchy came on the scene the kings began to build fortified cities like the world system.  This continued from the united kingdom and into the divided kingdoms.  The fortified cities were testimonies to the lack of faith on the part of the kings who built them in their relationship to Jehovah in the theocratic monarchy.  After all of this you may wonder where this material is in the message outline.  It isn't.  This was an added section that made it necessary to divide the material into two messages.  Because of this only I. of the outline was covered in the actual message.

 

The ebb and flow of the monarchies of the united kingdom and the divided kingdoms demonstrate connections with the world system and disconnections from the world system.   Many of the connections involved wars with other nations and their kings.  Often the nations were the aggressors and were used by Jehovah to punish the respective kingdoms.  As a result of these wars, the kings entered defense alliances.  They could have ruled righteously and relied on Jehovah.  But they entered alliances with kings of the system.  Often this cost the nation a great deal of money and goods (cf. 1 Chron. 19:6-10; 2 Chron. 16:1-6).  Tribute and taxes became a part of the life of the nation.  They gained tribute when they were victorious over nations and peoples (Josh. 17:13; 16:10; Judg. 1:28; 2 Ki. 23:33).  On the other hand, when they lost they were either enslaved by the nations or were required to pay tribute to the victor. 

 

The kings often patterned their governments after the nations.  The king had absolute power and often Jehovah was ignored.  There were bureaucratic organizations of subordinates to the king.  An example of this is princes, eunuchs and servants in 1 Sam. 29:7-9.  This practice fulfilled the prediction that Samuel made in 1 Samuel 8:10-18.  Generally there was a failure to let the Mosaic Law govern.  Jehovah's evaluation of the character of the monarchs of the Northern Kingdom and the Southern kingdom is evident in the fact that so many did "evil in the eyes of Jehovah" while few did "right in the eyes of Jehovah."  The monarchies were directly linked to world system religion in that many of the kings followed the religions of the nations and incorporated their practices in their kingdoms.  They refused to accept the isolation that Jehovah expected from the religions of the world system.  The monarchies were often unstable because of their rejection of the law and participation in evil that was the result of their accepting the influence of the world system.  Ultimately the monarchies led the nations into offenses that brought divine punishment.  This was especially true of the Northern kingdom which was taken by the Assyrians in 722 BC.  Later it was true in 586 BC for Judah with her fall to the Babylonians.  Inevitably the world system tries to replace the provisions of Jehovah and distract from divine purposes.

 

Framed and reflectively thinking on things above,

 

DKS

 

 

                                                                                                                              

CHOICES:  JOIN THE WORLD SYSTEM OR AVOID THE WORLD SYSTEM

 

1 John 2:15

 

Proposition:   To demonstrate the ways that Israel (united or divided) often choose to have ties with the world system rather than to obey Jehovah and maintain a type of isolation from the governments of the system as demanded by the law.  This is especially evident during the rule of the kings whether of united Israel or the divided Judah and Israel.

 

        Introduction

              A.  The Operation of Israel's Monarchy and the World System

              B.   The Incorporation of the World System in Israel's Monarchy

              C.  The Progression of Monarchies of Israel and the World System

              D.  The Isolation That Was the Natural Result of Obedience

              E.   The Subjection to the World System as Punishment

 

TRANS:     There are a number of connections of Israel with the world system in the revelation given concerning the monarchies of the twelve tribes.  Let us consider some of the general circumstances in which they became involved with the world system beyond the prohibitions of the Mosaic Law.

 

   I.  THE EBB AND FLOW OF THE MONARCHIES OF THE UNITED AND DIVIDED KINGDOMS – THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH TO THE WORLD SYSTEM – THE CHARACTERISTIC COMPROMISE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL WITH THE WORLD SYSTEM

        A.  Wars Against the Monarchies by Other Nations

        B.   Defense Alliances Made by Payment of Wealth – 1 Chron. 19:6-10; 2 Chron. 16:1-6

              1.  Option One:  Rely on Jehovah – 2 Chron. 13:18; 14:11; 16:8

              2.  Option Two:  Rely on the Kings of the World System – 2 Chron. 16:7

        C.  Tribute/Taxes Paid When

              1.  Victorious Over Nations and Peoples

              2.  Defeated by Nations

        D.  Government Patterned After the World System

              1.  The Power of the King

              2.  The Organization of Subordinates

              3. The Fulfillment of Samuel's Prediction

              4.  The Failure to Let the Mosaic Law Regulate

        E.   Activities and Life of the Kings Judged by Jehovah

              1.   Did Evil in the Eyes of Jehovah

              2.   Did Right in the Eyes of Jehovah

        F.   Monarchies Were Directly Linked to Religion

              1.   Isolation to the Religion of Jehovah

              2.   Incorporation of World System Religion

        G.  Monarchies Were Often Unstable Because of Evil

        H.  Monarchies Were the Cause of Punishment

              1.   Of the United Kingdom – 12 Tribes

              2.   Of the Northern Kingdom – 10 Tribes

              3.   Of the Southern Kingdom – 2 Tribes

TRANS:  There were several ways in which Israel and her kings (whether divided or undivided) were linked to the world system.  The following information illustrates some of these compromises of the nation and the involvement with the world system.  Most of these relate to Judah.  The Northern Kingdom was far worse.

 

  II.  THE EXTENT AND LESSONS FROM LINKS OF ISRAEL'S NATIONS TO THE WORLD SSYTEM – THE REPLACEMENT OF FAITH IN JEHOVAH WITH THE METHODOLOGY OF THE WORLD SYSTEM – THE CONTINUING CONNECTIONS WITH THE WORLD SYSTEM

        A.    Satan Leveraged David to Number the People – 1 Chron. 21:1

               1.  Satan Was an Instrument for Census of Might – 1 Chron. 21:1

               2.  Jehovah's Involvement and Purpose – 2 Sam. 24:1

               3.  The Information Sought Based on the Victories of Israel = Assessment of Military

                    Capabilities

        B.    Kings Built Fortified Cities – 2 Chron. 8:1-6; 2 Chron. 11:5-11

               1.  Be Righteous and Jehovah Will Defend

               2.  Do Evil and Try the Cities of Defense

        C.    Kings Reached Out to Nations of the World System [examples]

               1.  Military Alliances (Defense Pacts):

               2.  Protective Tribute:

               3.  Political Alliances

        D.    Israel Mixed with the Nations and Learned Their Works – Psa. 106:35, 36

TRANS:  Jehovah used the nations and their governments as instruments of punishment for Israel and the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom.  When Jehovah punished the nations of the system were directly involved and were used to demonstrate to God's people the negative effects of their governments.

 

III.  THE EXTENSION AND LIMITATIONS FROM THE WORLD SYSTEM AS PUNISHMENT FOR ISRAEL AND JUDAH – THE REDUCTION OF THE NATIONS TO SLAVES OF OTHER NATIONS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM – THE CHASTIZEMENT FOR DISOBEDIENCE TO THE LAW AND THE WORLD SYSTEM

        A.  Seen in the Cycles of Sin in Judges

        B.   Seen in Tribute Paid in Defeat

        C.  Seen in the Administration of the Curses of the Law

              1.   Culminating in 722 B. C. for the Northern Kingdom – 2 Ki. 17

              2.   Culminating in 586 B. C. for the Southern Kingdom – 2 Chron. 36

        D.  Seen Until the Completion of Daniel's 70th Week

 

        E.   The Control and Influence of the World System

      TRANS:  The nations and governments of the world system are seen as opponents of Jehovah the God of Israel.  Either the people obeyed God and enjoyed His power beyond that of the nations of threw in their lot with losers in the war of the gods.

                                                                                                                              

 IV. THE ENMITY AND LEADERSHIP OF THE NATIONS AGAINST JEHOVAH – THE REALITY THAT JEHOVAH OF ISRAEL IS SUPREME OVER THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE NATIONS AND THEIR GODS – THE COMMUNICATED CERTAINTY OF THE SUPREMACY OF JEHOVAH OVER THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM

        A.    Jehovah Causes the Counsel of the Nations to Shatter – Psa. 33:10

        B.    Jehovah Is Supreme Over Anything Resembling the Government of the World System – Psa. 33:16-20

        C.    The Nations Have Made Treaties Against God – Psa. 83:5-8

TRANS:  Throughout the rule of the kings of Israel as a united nation and the kings of Judah and Israel after division there was an ongoing tinkering with the world system that separated the nations from Jehovah.  This stood in absolute juxtaposition to what was expected under the Law.  The governments of the world system drew the nation from the required focus on Jehovah and his program for blessing in time in the land.

 

© by David K. Spurbeck

Valley Baptist Church

P. O. Box 99, Gaston, OR 97119