GODS MANY

For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) 1 Corinthians 8:5

In the days of Jacob and Egypt, Joseph's brothers delivered their brother into bondage as a result of their own selfishness, envy and covetous hearts. Had they not done this Joseph's relation with God would have revealed to them the coming events and they, not Egypt would have prepared for the famine. The sons of Jacob would have become wealthy among nations. Instead they cast the source of their own salvation into a pit.

Because of their straying from the righteousness of God they were delivered into bondage. This bondage grew until the powers of Egypt through the subtleties of the state brought heavy burdens on their bondage.

They weren't slaves as we often think of slavery but 2.5 months out of the year they labored for the government of Pharaoh. This would be called a corvee system of statutory labor. It was an excise or tribute tax upon the sweat of men's brows. All the gold and silver was in the treasuries of the government which meddled heavily into the family life of Israel, abortion was encouraged. The people only had a legal title to their land, animals and labor.

God eventually arranged that Moses was able to redeem the people and bring them out of this bondage. They were given the gold and silver [an honest money system] replacing their interest bearing scarabs. They got their animals and families back and once they learned the ways of the God they obtained some land of their own.

Today, the average laborer in the United States works to pay off his corvee obligation to the government. Through the graduated income tax, crafts of state, this amounts to more than 5 months of labor out of each year. The people no longer actually own their land, having a mere legal title, and pay a annual use tax just to remain in their homes. All the gold in silver is in the hands of the civil and commercial powers and the people use a fluctuating system of interest bearing notes.

Can we learn anything from history? Rome at the time of Jesus had. They were very good at borrowing from other nations, including Egypt. Rome had been a Republic, it also had strong commercial interests which had come to power after their major civil war.

Rome was doing much the same as Egypt after it had been invited into Judea by two brothers fighting over the kingdom. Rome had not conquered Judea, not yet, but they were spreading their commercial influence, civil methodology and system of corvee through commerce and trade. Rome had formed sort of an international peace keeping force to maintain order. Their presence in Judea was mainly to resolve civil and political disputes concerning who would be King. Their strong commercial interest, which always requires stable government and a compliant population, supplied their incentive.

Rome recognized Jesus as King and Jesus as king redeemed the people from their Roman involvement, if they would learn his ways. Jews and others who prescribed to the perfect law of liberty established by the government of servants appointed by Jesus became known in history as Christians while those who denounced Jesus as King and continued in apostasy were conquered and destroyed at the fall of Jerusalem. An exodus took place at the destruction of Jerusalem and during much of the persecution of the followers of Christ. These people who we call Christians were mostly Jews and Israelites as well as others who formed the political Kingdom of Jesus on and therefore God on earth. His Kingdom was unique in history because it is not like the Kingdoms of the Gentiles or Nations. It is often over looked because few know what the Kingdom of Heaven looks like. And there are factions that would not want you to truly understand God's Kingdom on earth and therefore they choose to keep it a "Mystery."

In Gibbon's Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, he praised "the union and discipline of the Christian republic." He also pointed out that "it gradually formed an independent and increasing state in the heart of the Roman Empire."

Romans knew what a republic was having formed one in 500 BC after they drove our the Tarquinian Kings. They fashioned it after the early patriarch of Israel.

But alas as history repeats itself they too eventual went under a king type dominion.

In 29 B.C. Gaius Octavianus marched into Rome as the savior of the Republic and was given the title of Augustus by the Senate. He was then legally granted the position Emperator, under constitutional forms and limitations by an electoral college composed of the Senate and Conscripti Patres. Emperator means the 'commander in chief' [Emperator, emperatoris m.commander in chief Collins L.E. Dict. '62.] of all military and naval forces, for a period of ten years. He could set foreign policy and establish treaties. Each year he could also be elected consul (chief executive officer, Principas Civitas, the First Citizen, His wife was Principa Femina, the first lady) By this office Britannica calls him the President of Rome ["Thus the republic was restored under the presidency of its 'first citizen' (princeps civitatis)." (Encyclopedia Brittanica Vol 2, p. 687, '53].

The third office he requested was ApoTheos (literally the beginner of gods which means the appointor of magistrate ). Each of these offices required swearing another binding oath of office.

Augustus as Emperator had dropped his position of Consul of Rome for almost 18 years while he settled disputes as a sort of combination N.A.T.O, U.N. and U.S. military force all rolled into one. He kept banking, trade and commerce prospering throughout the world and received great praise and adoration for the accomplishment.
Today, the president of the US is the Commander in Chief of the military, the Emperor. As first citizen he is the chief executive officer called the President. He also can appoint federal justices throughout the federal empire, who then sits as theos or judges or gods of its citizenry.

"Civil Law," "Roman Law" and "Roman Civil Law" are convertible phrases, meaning the same system of jurisprudence." Black's 3rd p 332.

In the Old Testament the words "gods" and "God" are translated from the single word 'elohiym in the plural. 'Elohiym is defined "rulers, judges" and "occasionally applied as deference to magistrates" while in the New Testament the word God is translated from the Greek word theos which figuratively means "a magistrate." Check your concordance.
To realize that at the time of Christ you would address a judge in a Hebrew, Roman or Greek court as god should change the entire way you read your modern Bibles.
The emperors were often referred to as gods using the words Apo Theos. This was not because any one believed that they created heaven and earth but because they were the chief magistracy and ruler of the people appointing judges throughout the empire.

The president of the United States is also granted this office or title. We do not always read it in its Greek form but we can.

It is not so strange to think of the Roman Emperors as gods when you realize that George Washington himself was deified in the ceiling of the Capital dome. "Across the Dome's eye, 180 feet above the floor, spreads a gigantic allegorical painting by the Italian artist Constantino Brumidi. The painting depicts the 'Apotheosis,' or glorification, of George Washington. Surrounding Washington is sweeping circles are delicately colored figures--some 15 feet tall. They include gods and goddesses [among them Ceres, Vulcan, Mercury, Neptune, Minerva and 13 State godesses] pictured as protectors of American ideals and progress."¹

So, the dog does return to the vomit and the pig to the mire and History repeats itself. Jesus came to redeem us spiritually and in truth.

Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last [state] of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. Matthew 12:45

History has repeated itself again and you are delivered into bondage. The redemption of Jesus still stands in the world today both in spirit and in truth but one must knock and the door shall be opened.

"Redemption is deliverance from the power of an alien dominion and the enjoyment of the resulting freedom. It involves the idea of restoration to one who possesses a more fundamental right or interest. The best example of redemption in the Old Testament was the deliverance of the children of Israel from bondage, from the dominion of the alien power in Egypt." Zondervan's Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 7:21

Another note on the word god now that we see it as an office and men can choose or not to have other gods before them.

Ex 22:28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months: And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. (Acts 7:19, 21)

Fair is from the word asteios which in the original form was astu (a city). Here it is a form that mean "of the city" or civil. The word is only used in reference to Moses in the Bible.

The word exceedingly is the key in this context. Of the over 1300 times it appears in the new testament it is translated as exceedingly only once. Now here is the secret answered.... Over 1300 times it is translated "God". Yes, Moses was a god and had the power to rule over his brothers with executorial judgment as god of the city. All god meant was that he had the right to judge and rule according. Theos means ruling judge and as I have said was used every day as an address for the judges in Rome and through out the empires. The same can be said of the judges of Israel at the time of Jesus who were addressed also as god yet they were only arbitration courts at first deriving their authority from the consent of the participants.

Moses had the right to judge but did not want to take it for he despised the force that is required in such power and fled from it as Lemech and Cain should have done. The same could be said for Jesus and of course Peter and the husband and wife who lied about the land they sold. It was their money but they lied and were punished by the Holy Spirit not Peter for he could not act as the princes of the Gentiles would if you cheated on your income taxes. Moses too showed this holy restraint in the case of Dathan and Abiram who could have been judged by Moses the god but he left it to God the Father for vengance is mine saith the LORD.

But to us [there is but] one God, the Father, of whom [are] all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [are] all things, and we by him. 1 Corinthians 8:6