I alone to be Worshiped
Exodus 20:3-5 You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of ANYTHING that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God . . .
Exodus 34:14 for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God
Deuteronomy 4:35 To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides Him.
Deuteronomy 32:39 Now see that I, even I, am He and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.
2 Samuel 7:22 Therefore You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
Isaiah 44:6 “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; and besides Me, there is no God.’
Isaiah 45:5-7 I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, that they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other;
Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
1 Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever
James 2:19 You believe there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble.
I think this first commandment is pretty important to God…not only is it number one listed of all the commandments, but it is repeated throughout centuries of different authors who received God’s given Word to repeat, teach to us, and direct us. Yes, important! THERE IS NONE, NO OTHER GOD, BUT HIM.
As the Israelites first were led out of Egypt, they were relieved, excited, apprehensive, and had to be expectant. Yet, they soon realized the Egyptians had changed their minds and were now pursuing them. Of course, they were fearful, mistrustful, and wished for the certainty of what they had known even though the conditions they had lived under were not wonderful. They knew what those were, and out in the open desert were now getting frightened for what they could not see, the travel and the fear of the unknown.
While in Egypt, the Israelites witnessed the miracles of the plagues God sent on Pharaoh and the Egyptians. They saw this. They saw how they were protected from the loss of their firstborns, animals as well as children. They were told to sprinkle blood over their doorpost with hyssop, and then heard the crying, wailing, and utter bereavement of the Egyptians who had lost their firstborns, children and animals. They had witnessed miracles.
God gave a bunch of commands and rules and laws—what they could and could not eat, when they were considered clean and unclean, what was considered good, and what was considered not worthwhile. He also gave them the Ten Commandments—and while writing them, the Israelites decided they wanted to have a “god” they could see and worship, something visible to worship. It had only taken a few days for them to mistrust God, and obviously Moses, and they were quick to leave God behind, even after He had delivered water from a rock, parted the Red Sea and ensured their safety while crossing and then ensuring the Egyptians all died as the waters flowed over them. They had experienced all sorts of miracles; yet they chose to run to something THEY constructed, nothing that was a miracle, nothing that would help and feed or supply them with anything.
Although they saw how God ensured they were released from the Egyptians, brought forth water from rocks to feed their multitude as well as the huge herds of sheep, goats, and cattle, led them with fire by night and a cloud by day, and were promised a land of milk and honey, yet they could so easily be swayed away from God.
I do know that sometimes there are worldly allures which pull us, urge us, entice us away from God, and temptations which reach out to us. But I do find it hard to think these Israelites could so easily beg Aaron for a visible “god” and then they formed one, threw gold into a pot and formed a molten calf. Aaron had been beside Moses throughout all of this—ten plagues, parting of the Red Sea, seeing water delivered from a rock and so forth. How was it so easy for Aaron to turn aside from his brother and all he had seen? How could he be so easily led away from God and the miracles he had experienced? He was the priest, the religious leader of these people, and yet, he walked away from the true God, within days as his brother was gone for a total of forty days; at the pressure and complaints of the people, he was easily swayed.
And if the people made it, carved, formed it however, how can they then say it is a god? Human created or formed? Certainly not the God given water out of rock, the manna arriving each morning of their travels, not the birds that came every day….
How often do we give up waiting, losing patience with God’s promises, and reverting to something to assuage our feelings of loss, frustration, impatience, and try to take matters into our own hands? Certainly, I have railed against waiting, and waiting, and. . . . Oh, the number of times, I took matters into my hands and was utterly disappointed. But it was the MY desire, outcome, wish that became what I was worshiping and too impatient to see what, and when God would deliver. And I won’t know until I am sitting with Him and He imparts then, and maybe He won’t. But certainly, my hands have made some mistakes in my life, since I couldn’t wait for the “busy God.” so I’d help Him out.
Yet, Abraham waited for forty years to have his own son with his wife. He believed and held onto God’s promises. And when God told him to sacrifice Isaac, he willingly packed up the supplies, and carried the youngster to the mountain where he’d been told to sacrifice the boy. He trusted God would provide the sacrifice. He waited, expectantly, all the while doing exactly as God commanded
Before the child was born, Sara became impatient and encouraged her husband to have a child with her slave. And again, serious issues developed because she had taken matters into her hands; what does it take for us to believe and wait on Him with trust?
There’s an entire book written that encourages us to wait on His promises, that tells us He alone is the ONLY GOD; He alone is with us always; He alone tells us to not fear, not grow weary of trusting in Him. Yet, often, we drift as though on an air mattress tossed into the ocean and without anchor, we doze off, then waking find ourselves much further away from shore than is safe and healthy.
Story after story tells of the need to wait. A savior would be provided; a star would shine in the town to announce the birth; He would be borne of a virgin…. The Israelites waited hundreds of years for a savior. There is always waiting throughout the bible; because that is life. We wait for His promises.
I pray I don’t give in to further impatience about anything I am waiting for in my life. In truth, it has become easier to wait. I believe His timing is perfect. It may still not be my timing preference, but still, I have seen time and again, that He comes and answers. So I’ve learned to hand over my impatience; sometimes, annoyingly it pops back into my head. So, while thinking of it, I pretend it is in my hands, then raise it to God to take away, so I can no longer actually think of it. It’s in His hands; no longer mine to keep. This “god” of worry is no God, and therefore, should not be worshiped.
He alone is God, and the One to be feared and revered. Thank You for helping me grow through Your Words, Your promises to me fulfilled. You have been wonderfully with me as I travel and learn through this blessing of life You have given me. Thank You for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
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