Isaiah44:6-23
Friday, 02 February 2024
“-----‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.” – Isaiah 44:6
What a powerful proclamation by God at the beginning of our reading today: “I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.” (V.6). In this declaration God makes, He stands unchallenged in comparison to the images/idols the people were lured to worship. Knowing who God is, is basic to our understanding of the One we worship and give our allegiance to.
The times we live in are in no way different from the Old Testament times where worship of several gods and deities were quite the norm. Man fills the need for a “being” greater than himself, through several substitutes that suit his thinking or understanding- the so-called ”gods”—which are a far outcry from the one true God. Isaiah 44:8-20 outlines the folly of worshipping an idol man makes for himself. “Who but a fool would make his own god— an idol that cannot help him one bit?” (Vs.10).
The attributes God speaks of Himself (Vs.6-8) are:
· The First and the Last- He is from the beginning; self-existent
· The Redeemer of His People- He saved them from their enemies and established them as a nation
· The One who has declared of things to come- He makes known to them their future
· The Rock- One who stands firm; immovable
The idols in comparison are:
· Man-made- made of wood or other materials by craftsman or blacksmith. Part of the wood he cooks with and the other half he makes his gods!! What an irony!
· Carved according to man’s imagination- making it like a handsome human figure that can be fit into a shrine
· Lifeless figurines that don’t respond- they can neither speak nor know anything! Yet man bows to worship them
How useless it is to bow down to idols! Besides these idols, man also finds his worship in the idols of power, money, beauty, fame, etc.— these he has exalted in his life far above the True God. Man has dethroned God from His rightful position- the seat of his heart and instead he tries to find satisfaction in the temporal things of pleasure, power and prosperity.
Paul reiterates in Acts 17:24,25: “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth …. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” And it is in HIM, we live and move and have our being! (Acts 17:28). He is the One God, Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 146:6) and Maker of us all (Psalm 95:6), the One we need to seek and worship. All other things of this world fade away – there are here for a time and if you put our trust in them, they will soon take wings, leaving you empty. Only God can fill that vacuum in your life.
To know/connect with the One true living God, He has chosen only one Man who can bring us to Him-Jesus Christ. Being God, He took the form of man, came down to this earth, lived among us and showed us what God is like. The Gospels record the true testimonies of the disciples who walked with Him and witnessed Him as the Son of God. Philip asked Jesus to reveal God to them and Jesus said: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9). When we believe and put our trust in Him, we come to know the One True Living God!
Dear friend, the One true God longs to make His dwelling in you so that you can know Him in a very personal way. Give Him your allegiance today by inviting Him into your heart! From everlasting to everlasting, HE is GOD!
PRAYER: Almighty GOD, I acknowledge that You are the Only One True God! I come to You through Jesus Christ- accept me today as Your child and make Your dwelling in me. Amen.
Listen: 'From Everlasting to Everlasting'