The Lord Alone is God

Introduction

The last time I preached we started a series on what I called “The Tender Commandments”. The title of that particular sermon was “Preparing To Fly” in which we talked about how God had called Israel to Himself, loved His chosen people, guided them, fought for them, carried them on “Eagles Wings” and provided for them throughout their history and especially in Egypt and the wilderness, in hopes that they would honor and obey Him. We ended by realizing that the Law that God was about to give them, the Ten Commandments at Sina, was not to chastise or punish them, but was for their own good! So they would have a great life and good success! (Joshua 1:9), a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). We saw how GOOD the Law of the Lord was and read Psalm 19:7-11 “7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8  The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9  The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. 10  They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11  Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward”. That is LOVE!.

So today, we’re going to look at Moses climbing the mountain once more to hear God speak (Ex. 20:1), and reminding His chosen people (vs 2) “I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery”. He is saying, I have done all this good to you and for you and because of all this, in Verse 3 God gives them the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me”. (I have a short video clip to introduce this theme this morning…).

Play Video: “The Ten Commandments” by The Skit Guys 0:00 - 3:18… Like Tommy said in the video the point here is that there are no other REAL Gods!! Notice in the first commandment the G in gods is not capitalized! That’s because God is telling them “I am the Lord your God”… I have done all this good to you! He is making it plain that He is the one and only! He is not the one superior God among many Gods like many cultures believed at that time and still do today, He is it! All other creations of the heart and mind are false, fake, and made up! ILL. In todays world it’s like who’s new car is the best, mine or yours? Well it really doesn’t matter, mine suits me and yours suits you, take your pick out of any one of them! But God is not like that! The Lord is a jealous God, He’s the only REAL God, period! Jeremiah 16:20 says “Can man make gods for himself? (yes), Yet they are not gods”! ILL. My pet peeve is the Universe… (Personalize it, or Mother earth…). When is the last time you had a tree or lake or forest give you counsel? Anything you think you may have derived from creation, God put there for you, to reveal HIS glory!

Isaiah 45:5 "I am the LORD, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God”. What mankind has done is “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen”. (Romans 1:25).

The first commandment serves also as a “first principle” (Capetz, “First Commandment,” 174), anchoring the remaining commandments to the unique relationship between Yahweh and His chosen people. Without this first and greatest Commandment (committed monogamous “one God” relationship) there would be no basis or reason to honor the rest! Because He would be only one of multiple Gods you should listen to and they may differ! This is why we have so much diversity and confusion today, people don’t take the authority of the Bible as the absolute truth from the one true God even though it has proved itself true over and over again. Following one God takes away all confusion. When you mix it up with other so called “authorities” or you believe everybody can have their own “authorities”, you no longer have a sovereign God but an ineffective, loveless, powerless chaos. Anything goes!

ILL. Try having two wives or maybe you’ve experienced the awkwardness of dating two people at once. It’s why we usually date one person at a time otherwise it threatens all the relationships! (ILL. NABC Sadie Hawkins…). I thought there was enough of me to go around but LeAnn didn’t think so. God feels the same way, He doesn’t want to share you with anyone / anything else!

I. Who are these gods that vie for our attention?

The Hebrew word for “gods” in our Bible and here in Ex.20:3 and Deut.5:7, is “Elohim”. An Elohim is defined as “any being… (as opposed to an idol...) with great authority, power, and status. It is always used in it’s singular form for God, and it’s plural form for everything else. Thus angels by creation are Elohim, the rich and wealthy are Elohim, even celebrities and musicians can be considered Elohim (gods) because some people worship them, some take what they say as authoritative, others put their hope and trust in them, so, we see that giving adherence to false “gods” becomes a much broader group than we realize. So quite simply, God does not want us to put anything above our allegiance to Him... for our own good! because everything else will eventually fail and make us miserable. Easier said than done, right? I mean we need to see flesh and blood! Well, we’re going to have to take the word of our authoritative scriptures and believe in God’s direct involvement with the people who experienced it as we review God’s dealings with Israel; that’s called FAITH. Galatians 3:11 11 (NASB77)  Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, " THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." So, how do we move on with this?

II. We Consider what God Has Done

In Deuteronomy chapter 4, One chapter earlier than Moses reviewing the Law for the second time, He urges Israel once again to obey God’s commandments for their own good, for they have seen all the workings of the Lord. As have we if we count our blessings both as individuals and as a nation.

Deuteronomy 4:7-8 7 (NASB77)  "For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD our God whenever we call on Him? 8  "Or what great nation is there that has statutes and judgments as righteous as this whole law which I am setting before you today? Remember, remember, remember!

As he calls them to obedience, Moses goes on to list four things God has done in vs.32-40… Deuteronomy 4:32-40 32 (NASB77)  "Indeed, ask now concerning the former days which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and inquire from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it? 33  " Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived? 34  " Or has a god tried to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terrors, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 35  "To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him. 36  " Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire. 37  " Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power, 38  driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in and to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today. 39  "Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other. 40  " So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time." Man, that’s a list! Let’s take them one by one with only a few short comments.

1. No Other Elohim (god) has Demonstrated it’s glory and might like the Lord.

Deuteronomy 4:32 32 (NASB77)  "Indeed, ask now concerning the former days which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and inquire from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it?

You know what this says to me? Out of all the contrived and man-made gods that are out there, our God is a God of action and proved it by having a loving, personal, relationship with Man. He is UNIQUE in the universe. No others gods have ever done such a thing from the time the world began! From an amazing creation made for us... to talking and walking with man in the garden and throughout the Old Testament. And the pinnacle of God’s work with man John 1:14 14 (NASB77) “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth”. In this, and heaven awaiting when it’s all over, God has proved His love relationship with us and shown us His glory! Search the Universe the scripture says, There has been nothing done as great as this, ever!!

2. No Other Elohim Has Revealed a Word like the Lord Has.

Other gods, of the man - made variety, have never spoken to reveal anything of their benefits or help for mankind. Twice in this passage (vss.33, 36), people heard God’s voice speaking to them from out of the fire on Mt Sinai. Deuteronomy 4:33,36 33 " Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived? 36 " Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire.

From speaking directly to Moses, Abraham, and the prophets, to people hearing God directly through the second person of the Trinity; Jesus, God revealed Himself to mankind and gave us His Word of instruction. Hebrews 1:1-2 1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2   in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. The point is, all other gods are SILENT! They are made of rock, wood, metal, No other gods have ever spoken to us! Psalm 96:5-6 5 “For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, But the LORD made the heavens. 6   Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary”. ILL. I’ve always said, If there is a God at all who loves us… He would want to communicate with us, and this communication would be the truth above all else. We have it here! We call it the Bible. Literally, what else is there? Verifiable history, fulfilled Prophecy’s, archeology! Even science supports the Bible (New tract at Resource Center). It all makes sense, if you want to know the truth. During a time when many disciples turned away from Jesus over some hard sayings of His, John 6:67-68 67 “Jesus said therefore to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" 68   Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”. No other gods have spoken and given a clear, loving, relational pathway to God, because they can’t! They are not living! At a time in my life when I doubted the truth of all this, that’s how I reasoned it out!

3. No Other Elohim has Chosen a People for Itself as the Lord Has!

Deuteronomy 4:34 34 (NASB77)  " Or has a god tried to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terrors, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? Deuteronomy 4:37 37 (NASB77)  " Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power.

Israel did not choose God, not even remotely so! They were always rebelling, wanting to go their own way. God revealed Himself to them. He spent generations loving Israel, pursuing them, giving them opportunity to return to Him, yet they, for the most part, remained rebellious, but the fact still remains, for His own purpose He made them His people to play a particular role in the world. Does that sound familiar? He does the same with us! God has chosen you to be to be born at this particular time and place for a reason. Even though, I think all of us can say, we have been rebellious, He has loved you, provided for you, and pursued you to get you to this point in your life! Otherwise you wouldn’t be here! Therefore He has chosen you for a purpose as well! John 1:12-13 12 12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”. John rules out ALL human merit and effort like He did in saving Israel, it was by faith! He wants you to know that nobody else is going to do that for you.

One of the differences between true religion and false religion is who chooses whom! In a false religion, we make a god of our own choosing, it fits our own criteria. For example, in social media if you want status it makes a difference how many followers you have. You may not know it but by our definition of Elohim your striving for status by followers could become a god taken to an excessive degree. God is not like that! He has all the power to make Himself a people of His choosing. No other god has or will ever do that because they are not alive. We serve a Living God not wood, metal or stone! He is the God who created the Universe.

4. No Other Elohim has Delivered it’s People like the Lord Has!

Not only did God deliver His people from Egypt with trials, signs and wonders, war, a mighty hand and with great deeds of terror, Verse 38 says He drove out nations that were greater than they were so His purpose would be accomplished to give them their land for an inheritance, to do them good! Deuteronomy 6:10-14 10  "Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, 11  and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you shall eat and be satisfied, 12  then watch yourself, lest you forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13  " You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him, and swear by His name. 14  " You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you.

All other gods have failed to do anything! Not only has the one true God delivered His people from their enemies and provided for them, but for us and since the time of the New Testament a more glorious deliverance has been from sin through Jesus Christ. John the Baptist said in John 1:29 “…Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” Jesus just doesn’t cover up our sin like the blood of bulls and goats in the Old Testament (Heb. 10:4), He gets rid of it! As far as the East is from the West (Ps. 103:12), Buries it in the deepest part of the ocean (Micah 7:19). We very rarely read John 3:17 along with John 3:16, so I’m going to do it here John 3:16-17 16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.

All works have failed for deliverance, all human merit, all intelligence and reason. The point is, don’t put your trust in the flesh, trust in the one true God.

Conclusion

Having reminded Israel of these 4 great truths, Moses concludes by saying; Deuteronomy 4:39 39 "Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other”. In all the Universe there is no other REAL God (big G). They are wood, metal, and stone. They are creations of our own making and will fail to serve you, even if you believe you are your own god because we all know our own limitations. The Lord alone is the living and powerful God, so take it to your heart! Has any god (1) Demonstrated it’s own glory and might like the Lord? (2) Has any god revealed a Word of instruction and eternal life like the Lord has? (3) Has any god chosen a people for itself as the Lord has? (4) Has any god delivered it’s people like the Lord has? The answer is NO, not if you want the truth! Deuteronomy 4:32 32 "Indeed, ask now concerning the former days which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and inquire from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it”? God through Moses throws out this challenge. So confident is he that there is only one God, that to any thinking person he says “go ahead check it out, there is none like our God”. If your going to believe something, at least believe something with proof of truth! This means you have 2 responsibilities: Hebrews 11:6 6 “And without faith it is impossible to please Him (God), for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him”. To be a Christian, you must believe in the One true God, and that He rewards those who seek Him. How do we know Who He is and what He wants from us? Believe in the one true God and obey His love letter, the Bible by reading it. Don’t be caught at the end of life wishing you had looked into it and responded. Do it today and live under the blessings of God instead of the curse. Amen.