For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward. . .Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen. - Deuteronomy 10:17, 20-21
I can think of no better way to end the study of the name "El" than with the name "El Elohim", God of gods. Throughout the ages, man has created, served and worshiped a multitude of gods. From idols made of stone to famous sports figures, man has always held someone in high esteem and given that individual priority above all else. But no matter how hard man may protest, there is none above God. He is the God of all gods, King of all kings, and Lord of all lords. No matter how important or impressive another might be, there is none more important or impressive than God, and He has the resume to back it up.
I think of Elijah as he challenged the prophets of Baal to a little contest. The rules were simple: (1) Call down fire from Heaven. (2) Witness the response of God (or false god, in the case of Baal). Elijah was even kind enough to allow the Baal worshipers to go first. They built their altar and cried to their god, but nothing happened. They begged, pleaded, jumped up and down on the altar and even cut themselves in an attempt to get Baal's attention. The result? Absolutely nothing. On his turn, Elijah ordered the altar wet down again and again. He turned his eyes to Heaven and humbly asked the God of all gods to prove His power. He did! Not only did the fire consume the offering, but it also consumed the wood, the water, the rocks and everything else. And the winner is. . . (drum roll please). . .El Elohim! No doubt about it.
Time and time again, God has proven Himself more powerful, more wise, more loving, more compassionate, more holy and more loyal than any other so-called god. Even death itself could not defeat Him. Everything and everyone is under His command whether they like it or not. And one day, everyone will answer to Him. At that time, there will be no doubt in anyone's mind who's the boss.
I know we shouldn't compare ourselves with others, and there's no place for bragging when it comes to worldly possessions or status. Let's face it, we live in a day and age that thrives on "My car is better than your car" and "My house is more expensive than your house". It's sickening and has led many to max out their credit cards in an effort to "keep up with the Joneses". And still, they're discontent with their lot in life. It seems everyone is trying to one-up someone else, when the fact of the matter is we're all just sinners, some of us saved by the grace of God, but sinners nonetheless. None of us are any better than anyone else.
When it comes to God, however, I'll gladly debate with non-believers. "My God is bigger than your god." Why? Because it's not just my opinion. It's a fact. Name another God who can create entire worlds with just the sound of His voice. Tell me of another God who can make the sun stand still or the seas to part. Show me another God who can rise from the dead. Anyone? I didn't think so. There is none other like Him. He is One of a kind. He's the God of all gods. He's El Elohim.
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the people are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. - I Chronicles 16:25-26
No comments:
Post a Comment