INTRODUCTION: Exodus 5 • Anytime You See Egypt in the Bible, It's

______EXODUS

INTRODUCTION: Exodus 5 • Anytime you see Egypt in the Bible, it’s symbolic of the world system • Now for those of you who don’t know what the world system is... • I googled it for you so now I’m an expert! • Everyone knows google knows everything about everything and everything you read on google is true! So now I’m an expert! • According to Immanuel Wallerstein, in the book World System History, a world system is the social reality in which we operate and the social system whose rules constrain us... it’s a system under law • He further elaborates in his book The Modern World System that a social system includes boundaries, structures, member groups, rules or laws of legitimation and coherence • A world system includes the rules or laws of a society, the bureaucratic structures, division of labor, national economies and the political centers that govern them

Paul in the iconic passage on spiritual warfare says... Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV) 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

• Principalities is the Gr. word “arche” which refers to the “archangels” that exercise authority over the world systems which include governments, religions and economies • Michael is the archangel assigned to Israel and what we are seeing in the Middle East is a spiritual battle between Michael and the other archangels over the world systems in the region. • Powers is the Gr. Word “exousia” and it refers to “legal authority” and this warfare happens through the legal system of a sovereign nation • The correct definition of sovereign is the power to make and enforce law • Thus what we are seeing in America is a power struggle between the Kingdom of God and the World System • Rulers is the Gr. Word “kosmokratoras” and it refers to national leaders who are under the influence of the World System • We see this with Isis, Hamas, Russia, Korea, China and Europe • Spiritual hosts of wickedness refer to fallen angels assigned to tempt people towards wickedness using evil desires

• This is the power structure behind the World System • The world system tells you how to act, how to be successful, how to fit in and who has the power to make and enforce law

In the days of Adam, Noah and Moses... the world system was global • But in our modern society, we have several world systems with multi- state political structures • America and the westernized nations are a world system... Russia is a world system... China, the nations under Islam and third world countries individually have independent world systems • The Bible teaches that all world systems are spiritually dominated by principalities, powers and rulers of the darkness of this age • AND all world systems are temporal... they are of this world and will end when God sets up His literal Kingdom on earth

All world systems are based on the government of man without God • Even in America where the pledge of allegiance states that we are one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all • Yet our Declaration of Independence states that the power of government is derived from the consent of the governed or in Abraham Lincolns terms... government of the people by the people • It is not God who governs, but the people govern themselves • Thus as great as America is... it is still a world system that is not governed by God... we are a democratic republic not a theocracy

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORLD SYSTEM • The first world system developed under Cain in Genesis 4 • In Genesis 4, Satan infiltrates Adam’s family through Cain and Cain murders Abel • But remember, man has a FREE WILL, the power to CHOOSE • Before Cain murders Abel, God offers Cain a way out

Genesis 4:6–7 (NKJV) 6 So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

• Notice, vs. 7 the issue is will the desire for sin rule over Cain or will Cain rule over the desire for sin?

Young’s Literal Translation says it like this... vs. 7 Genesis 4:7 (YLT) 7Is there not, if thou dost well, acceptance? and if thou dost not well, at the opening a sin-offering is crouching, and unto thee its desire, and thou rulest over it.’

• Cain you have a choice there is a sin offering at the door for you • Keep this image in mind when we get to the Passover and God tells Israel to put the blood of the Lamb on the doorposts... remember, everything in scripture ties together • In Genesis 4, God provided Himself a sin offering for Cain, but Cain didn’t take it • Instead he offered his body to Satan to be used as an instrument of evil • This is why Paul says in Romans 6:13... do not present the parts of your body to sin as an instrument of unrighteousness • Cain presented himself to become an instrument of unrighteousness and by doing so, Satan uses Cain to set up the first godless society, the world system that is against God • Satan begins to dominate the world through man • This is why John says... do not love the world or anything in the world for the Father is not in them (1 John 2:15) • John is speaking of the world system

After the flood... the world system continues through Noah’s son Ham • The grandson of Ham is Nimrod, the founder of Babel Nineveh • Nimrod was known to be a cruel and powerful person • In fact, Nimrod’s name means “let us be rebellious” or “let us revolt” • Now, as part of the curse, God told Noah in Genesis 9:2, the animals would attack mankind and Nimrod gained a name for himself as a mighty hunter before the Lord • He was one who deliberately hunted and slaughtered animals and the people saw him as a hero, a defender of mankind • But the term “before the Lord” is better translated “against the Lord”

• Thus, Nimrod used his natural skill and charisma to build a strong centralized society, a self-sufficient civilization to dominate and control the world through a network of cities on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers • Here’s the key... this “world system” was not governed by God... it was governed by a man, a strong charismatic political leader

Nimrod also invented the first false religion • Nimrod’s wife was Semiramis and she influenced Nimrod to worship the moon god, which was the local deity of the village she was born in • Today the moon god is known as Allah • Nimrod referred to her as the Queen of Heaven and Nimrod deified himself as the sun God or the Lord of heaven • They had a son named Damu or Dammuzi which is translated Tammuz in Hebrew who becomes the reincarnation of Nimrod after his death • This false religion worshipped the “heavenly hosts” or the fallen angels resulting in the direct worship of Satan and ritual demonic possession • Through this organized society, this world system, Nimrod sought to build a tower to be used as a link between heaven and earth, between fallen angels and man in order to corrupt mankind • The culmination of this world system was the Tower of Babel which God judged by confusing the languages of man and establishing the nations of the world... all governed by individual world systems • This is the state of the world today • It’s after the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 that God establishes His Kingdom through Abraham • From this point forward you have two opposing Kingdoms... the Kingdom of God and the World System dominated by Satan who is referred to as the god of this world • The World System is visible, the Kingdom of God is invisible • BUT the Kingdom of God is made visible through God’s people • When we come to Exodus 5 where Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh • We have a picture of the Kingdom of God confronting the World System

In Exodus 5 we see the characteristics of the world system Exodus 5:1–9 (NKJV) 5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ” 2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.” THE WORLD SYSTEM © 2020 Holland Davis ______EXODUS

3 So they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4 Then the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!” 6 So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”

Notice what Pharaoh says in vs. 2 • He says... “who is the Lord that I should obey His voice” • There are 2 characteristics to note here • First, the world system does not know the Lord • The word know means to know by experience • Thus the world system has no personal, intimate knowledge of God

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV) 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

• It is impossible to have a spiritual relationship with God as long as you are under the world system • In fact, you cannot know your purpose in life as long as you are under the world system for only God knows what you were created for • Only God can show us what real life is, what real joy is

Psalm 16:11 (NKJV) 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

• This is why the believer has no business looking to the world for advice • The world has nothing to offer the believer because the world does not know God, nor does it know God’s purpose or intentions for your life THE WORLD SYSTEM © 2020 Holland Davis ______EXODUS

• You can only get that knowledge from knowing God, knowing His Word

Second, the world does not obey God’s voice • REMEMBER: Before we had the written word of God, the logos, there was the living Word of God.... God speaking to man FACE TO FACE • Adam had open and continual communication with God • But Adam rebelled against God and did what God told him not to do and through one man’s disobedience sin entered the world, the sin nature came alive in man and man is now separated from God • Instead of having a spiritual mind (conscious of God), man has a carnal mind (conscious of sin) and thus man rebels against God

Romans 8:7 (NKJV) 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

The word subject means “submissive” • The Natural Man doesn’t submit himself to God’s rulership • Man wants to do what is right in his own eyes • When God says you will love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength... the carnal mind says... why should I? I am in control of my life. I decide what’s best for me. Not God. • The carnal mind is hostile towards God • Only after I’m born again do I want to please God with my life, I want to know His Word so that I can know God • Only after I am born again do I want to leave the world system behind and enter into that simple relationship of trust which results in obedience to God’s Word

Third, the world is based on works and performance Exodus 5:8–9 (NKJV) 8 And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”

• Pharaoh says to Moses... I won’t let Israel go • I don’t care if God commands you to go

• Obviously you think you have time to worship God which means you don’t have enough work • In vs. 6 Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters to give them more work • Here’s the problem with the world system • It doesn’t matter how much work you do, it will never be enough and you will never be rewarded adequately for your work

EX: I had a job where I worked 80 hours a week. My family suffered because in my mind I was working hard to support the family. At the time I thought I was doing something that mattered, something of eternal value. But after I left, everything I worked hard to build was torn down or changed. Why? Because the world system is temporal... it doesn’t last. All the hours I spent away from my family cost me more than I was paid...

That’s why Jesus said... John 6:27 (NKJV) 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

• If you’re going to work, work for that which has eternal value • Business owners... build strong, profitable businesses and be led by the Spirit to use your profits to further the Kingdom of God • Rockerfeller used his milliions to support his local church and through his local church he established the North American Missions Board to support church planting worldwide • He invested in something that had eternal value • Employees... work as unto the Lord... be led by the Spirit and don’t let your company put you under the world system... be a representative of Jesus and let Jesus use you to bring blessing to your company • That’s what it means to be in the world, but not of the world • As we go through the Book of Exodus... we are going to see God defeat the world system including the principalities and powers that govern the world system • We are going to see God bring Israel out of bondage to the world into a land of FREEDOM and that is the picture of salvation that I want you to understand... salvation is a power encounter and God wins