August 22 – LD 34, Day 3: The Only God

Read: Isaiah 40:12-31

The first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” tells us whom we are to serve and worship. This commandment is the foundation for all the other commandments. The law begins with God. He is first, and must be first in our hearts and lives. All obedience begins with recognizing Jehovah as God alone, and knowing, loving, and worshiping Him alone.

In this first commandment, Jehovah, the God of the Bible, tells us that he is God alone, alone in majesty, power, might and dignity as God, and that there is no god besides him. This is the message of the Word of God, and the confession of all true Christians.

1. Israel was delivered from the Egyptians, they exclaimed, “Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exo 15:11). In Deut 32:39, Jehovah says, “See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.”

The prophets proclaim Jehovah as God alone. Elijah's great contest on Mt. Carmel, shows that “Jehovah, He is the God! Jehovah, He is the God!” (1 Kings 18:39). Jehovah speaks through Isaiah and proclaims, “I am He: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior.” (Isa 43:10-11).

The New Testament speaks of “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Eph 4:6) and states that “there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim 2:5) “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Tim 1:17).

This means that all other gods are untrue, but simply the product of human imagination. “We know that an idol is nothing in this world, and that there is none other God but one.” (1 Cor 8:4). Baal, Zeus, Allah, Buddha, etc. are non-existent. They are not real. Yes, their images are real, and the idol worship of them is real, but they are “the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.” (Psalm 115:4-7).

“But our God is in the heavens:” (Psalm 115:3). The living, true, real, almighty, infinite, eternal, immutable, all wise, omnipotent, holy, just, only God. The creator of the ends of the earth.

We do well to meditate on the exclusive claims of God, and to humble ourselves before Him.