Yahweh- The Apex God 1.

Intro

Why This Series?

Direction of this Series.

Apex Predators (Grey Wolf, Bengal Tiger, Lion, Grizzly Bear, Great White Shark, etc.).

Read Isaiah 44:6–8 ““Thus says Yahweh, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts: ‘I am the first, and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. ‘Who is like Me? Let him call out and declare it; And let him tell it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient people. And let them declare to them the things that are to come And the events that are going to take place. ‘Do not be in dread and do not be afraid; Have I not long since caused it to be heard to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.’””

Context

Up to this point > Isaiah 1 :1 > Prophet ( 2 Ki 19-20), Father, And Recipients.

Isaiah 6 sinful nature and response (v. 5 & 8).

Date > 740-681 BC.

Key Points >Is 6 Vision of Yahweh

Is 9 Prince of Peace

Is 11 The Branch of Jesse

Is 25 Yahweh will swallow up death

Is 37 Hezekiah comes to Isaiah

Is 40 Yahweh and His Word will comfort His people.

The Authority of Yahweh (6)

“Thus says Yahweh” - What do we think of God? His Work? (PS 19:1), Himself? His name?

Yahweh- God’s Covenant Name (Exodus 3:14–15 “And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” And God furthermore said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name from generation to generation.” )

General (Ps 19:1) v Special (2 Tim 3:16) Revelation > 1689 LBC 1:4 “The Bible should be believed because of its authority, which does not depend upon the testimony of any person or church, but rather upon God, who is the author and is truth itself. Therefore, the Bible should be received because it is the Word of God.”

The Bible is Authoritative because it’s Author is Authoritative

“the King of Israel and his Redeemer, Yahweh of hosts:” - OT history, What separated Israel from all other nations (King)

1 Sam 8-10, we see God in His divine Providence gives the people what they want. But they never understood that they had a greater and more powerful king = Yahweh (Ps 10:16, Ps 95:3, Zep 3:15)

Who or What is your King today?

Redeemer -”To pay a price in order to secure the release of something or someone. It connotes the idea of paying what is required in order to liberate from oppression, enslavement, or another type of binding obligation. The redemptive procedure may be legal, commercial, or religious.” Key Text = Romans 3:24 “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;”

God, is the ONLY being that can save AND redeem us to the praise of His Glory.

2. The Longevity of Yahweh (6)

The Baptist Catechism, Question #1

Who is the first and chiefest being?

God is the first and chiefest being.⁠¹⁠

¹ Isaiah 44:6; 48:12; Psalm 97:9

God is above all other gods, and it’s not even close!

“That this language (first and last) is applied to Christ not once but four times in Revelation (1:17; 2:8; 21:6; 22:13) is some indication of the force of the early church’s conviction that Jesus Christ was Yahweh incarnate.” - John Oswalt.

God is the main character not only in our lives as believers, but in the unfolding revelation in Scripture, it begins with God (Gen 1:1) and ends with God (Rev 22:21).

I think of Paul’s defense of God in Acts 17:22-31. Master class in Apologetics

He can give and take away life, Jesse Duplantis

He’s been around since the beginning and created everything, and He made us in His image…but sin corrupted that.

Herman Bavinck notes “Infinity in the sense of not being determined by time is the eternity of God. Scripture nowhere speaks of a beginning of or an end to God’s existence. Though he is often most vividly pictured as entering into time, he still transcends it. He is the first and the last (Isa. 41:4; Rev. 1:8), who existed before the world was (Gen. 1:1; John 1:1; 17:5, 24) and who continues despite all change (Ps. 102:27–28). He is God from eternity to eternity (Ps. 90:2; 93:2). The number of his years is unsearchable (Job 36:26). A thousand years in his sight are as brief as yesterday is to our mind (Ps. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:8). He is the everlasting God (Isa. 40:28; Rom. 16:26), who inhabits eternity (Isa. 57:15), lives forever and ever (Deut. 32:40; Rev. 10:6; 15:7), swears by his life (Num. 14:21, 28), is called “the living and enduring God” (1 Pet. 1:23), the immortal God (Rom. 1:23; 1 Tim. 6:16), who is and who was and who is to come (Exod. 3:14; Rev. 1:4, 8). “

3. The Rule of Yahweh (7)

Psalm 93:1–2 “Yahweh reigns, He is clothed with majesty; Yahweh has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is established, it will not be shaken. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.”

God rules not karma, luck, nature, Satan, Man, but God and God alone.

Psalm 2:1–5 “Why do the nations rage And the peoples meditate on a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against Yahweh and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord mocks them. Then He speaks to them in His anger And terrifies them in His fury, saying,”

God is calling out ALL challengers, Satan tried and see where it got him.

This phrase “From the time that I established the ancient people”, established can also mean “as “put” 155 times, “make” 123 times, “set” 119 times, “lay” 64 times, “appoint” 19 times.”

Reminds me of Job where God challenges Job and his friends.

“It restates that the fundamental proof of God’s uniqueness is His ability to predict what seems impossible and then bring it to pass.” Oswalt.

Another thing unique about God is His immutability (Mal 3:6 > Heb 13:8)

4. The Comfort of Yahweh (8)

With all that being said, we have a respectable fear and peace about God.

46 x in the LSB it says do not be afraid…it’s not a suggestion but a command!

Earlier in Ch. 40 the prophet opens with “Comfort, O comfort My people”.

We shouldn’t dread because God is on our side (Rom 8:31)

He ends by stating the first.

Why call Himself Rock?

God is King, Ruler, Conqueror, and all other gods are nothing to Him.

Ending

My prayer

My challenge

Our response.