God Is One And Only! Series

The First Commandment is God as the object of worship. It logically flows from understanding who God is and what He has done for us and we have the obligation to obey Him. Nothing can come before God and He is the only God whom we worship and serve.

“I” is an absolute word belongs to God Alone! “I am that I am”. Jehovah is self-existent, independent, eternal, and the fountain of all being and power. He created the stars, moon, and sun. He created the milky way’s. Man never even came to understand the Highness of God. God always revealed himself to prophets, disciples, yet we cannot comprehend HIM.

God said of Himself in Isaiah 45: "There is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength. All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult (vv 21-25)."

One man writes, “In the past half century God has been “trivialized, packaged for entertainment, presented as a sort of psychological panacea, as heavenly glue to keep happy families together, a celestial slot machine to respond to our whims, a formula for success, a fund raiser for pseudo-religious enterprises, a slick phrase for bumper stickers, and a sort of holy pie and ice cream.” (Daniel Jackson)

The God of the Ten Commandments cannot be trivialized. Nor is He to be viewed as a cheerless, crabby, celestial cynic Who is only interested in establishing rules and regulations. The Ten Commandments are not just a list of divine demands. Their intention is to bring us into a liberating relationship with God. God is not insecure. It is an invitation from the one, unique God of the universe to enter into relationship with Him.

Many gods were worshiped in the land the Israelites left. In Canaan they would be confronted by the false worship of new pagan gods. Their God was unique from all false gods of the heathen cultures. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).

David recognized God’s uniqueness and cried, “How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you” (2 Samuel 7:22). This is what the LORD says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God (Isaiah 44:6).

CONCLUSION:

God is not capricious, but caring. He reveals Himself and is not remote. He is an inviting God, welcoming relationships between Himself and His people. The first commandment is a divine invitation to relationship.

God’s uniqueness is displayed through His glory and through His Lordship. HE IS THE ONE AND ONLY GOD!

Amen.