Isaiah 44:6-8. No other God??? 20/7/08
{6) "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. {7}Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come. {8}Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."
Sit back and take careful note. God in these three verses has a great deal to say to our present day world. This generation that is so smug in its thinking that it can be accepting and tolerant of many different gods and religions, believing that they all have the truth and the spirit, even if more or less. Or which thinks it can say there is some sort of god out there, but we don’t need to take him all that seriously. ‘Surely if he is god, and a loving one at that; then he will accept us all no matter what; after all we are good-living folk.’
At the same time there is also an important message in this for those who are struggling and searching for hope and genuine answers. In the face of hopelessness and a bleak future, we have here a turning point; a bright light which gives a real hope and a certainty to everything that lies before us. In the face of a myriad of points of view and appeals for openness and tolerance and all kinds of liberalism we have a clear word that silences them all to meaningless chatter.
This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty. Here we have the Lord Almighty himself speaking: not some pompous, self-righteous person full of his own self-importance. Not some philosophy that has been pandered about by those wanting to erase any thinking of God from the face of the earth. No here we have the one and only God who is Lord over all things: both, ruler and King of all, as well as Saviour and Redeemer: The Almighty one who is over all and through all and in all: The one and only true God.
That being the case; listen carefully! This Almighty Lord says:
I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."
Here remember that these words were spoken to an Israelite nation that had become so slack as God’s people that he allowed them to be taken over by a foreign nation and taken into exile as slaves.
In many ways they had become the same in their thinking as we in this nation have become. Though God had richly blessed them over the years, they became complacent in their attitude toward him; and justice and mercy was no longer a part of their thinking. Yes they still acknowledged the Lord, but they tolerated and even took part in the other religions that they had allowed to creep into their nation. Their worship had become far removed from that which the Lord had set before them and they refused to listen and change their ways when it was called for.
From the very beginning God had set down before them the way that they should live and act in their relationship to him and the people around about them. He also told them very clearly over and over again, that if they failed to heed these commands, then he would bring them down. They however became so arrogant and apathetic in this regard; even when God sent his prophets to warn them, they ignore them and persecuted them. They believed that they had it all under control and that they would be OK.
So the Lord, true to his word, sent in the Babylonian to destroy them as a people. Now here the remnant of them that survived, sit as slaves in a foreign land. Again God comes to them and tells them that he is the Lord Almighty, and all that has happened to them, happened because of their disobedience. But he also reminds them that as the Lord Almighty he has promised that if they once again return to him and take him seriously, then he will again restore them as his people and as a nation.
The Lord said to them: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."
Now to us here, let us hear these words as his words to us also. And don’t be as arrogant as the people of Israel and think that God will act any different toward us. If you do then I would suggest that you tremble and be afraid, for his foretelling of what is before us is just as clearly written for us to know that we cannot play games with God and think that we will come out OK. His proclamation is quite clear that there will be a falling away in the last times, by many; and we can see that happening all around us; as well, we are told that there will be many who will follow after that which their itching ears long to hear. In other words they will follow after what makes them feel good, rather than on the clear word of God.
Here, let us be quite clear that there are no other gods beside our Lord. All others are nothing but thieves and robbers. They are not, as many proclaim today, as different roads leading to the same end. Any other proclamation that does not centre on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, is not of the Lord Almighty. There on the cross we find our King and our Redeemer. The Lord Almighty himself says: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
If that is the case, how can we dare to think that we can dabble here and dabble there, with all kinds of ideologies and odd worships that focus us on things other than Jesus Christ and him alone. How dare we think that we do not need to heed what he has to say with regard to all kinds of things: but instead to twist and change it all to suit our own way of thinking. God has very clearly stated what is going to happen to those people. So beware. He is the Lord Almighty and he is true to his word.
That of course also means that he promises grace and blessing to all who do turn to him and look to him as their Lord and Redeemer. Because he has always been true to his word throughout history, we can therefore trust that as we look to him and what he has done for us through Jesus Christ, we can take him seriously and know that salvation and eternal life is there in him for us.
It also means that we can continue to trust his word alone, even as the world around us; changes and ignores it to suit themselves. We can hold firmly to what he says in the Bible, knowing full well that this is the Word of the Lord Almighty himself, in its entirety. We don’t have to scratch our heads wondering what we must listen to and what we can discard: it is all God’s Word to us all, even today.
That also means that we can hold him up as our Lord and boss as we live out our lives every day. In the midst of a world that ignores and mostly has discarded him, we can know that he is for real, and he is important for our daily lives as well. That of course means that we will regularly come into his house here, in order that he can strengthen and encourage us through Word and Sacrament so that we can remain strong in the midst of the wayward pressures of the world around us.
So let us always remember these words from the LORD: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."
To him then, be glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.
Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba
{6) "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. {7}Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come. {8}Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."
Sit back and take careful note. God in these three verses has a great deal to say to our present day world. This generation that is so smug in its thinking that it can be accepting and tolerant of many different gods and religions, believing that they all have the truth and the spirit, even if more or less. Or which thinks it can say there is some sort of god out there, but we don’t need to take him all that seriously. ‘Surely if he is god, and a loving one at that; then he will accept us all no matter what; after all we are good-living folk.’
At the same time there is also an important message in this for those who are struggling and searching for hope and genuine answers. In the face of hopelessness and a bleak future, we have here a turning point; a bright light which gives a real hope and a certainty to everything that lies before us. In the face of a myriad of points of view and appeals for openness and tolerance and all kinds of liberalism we have a clear word that silences them all to meaningless chatter.
This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty. Here we have the Lord Almighty himself speaking: not some pompous, self-righteous person full of his own self-importance. Not some philosophy that has been pandered about by those wanting to erase any thinking of God from the face of the earth. No here we have the one and only God who is Lord over all things: both, ruler and King of all, as well as Saviour and Redeemer: The Almighty one who is over all and through all and in all: The one and only true God.
That being the case; listen carefully! This Almighty Lord says:
I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."
Here remember that these words were spoken to an Israelite nation that had become so slack as God’s people that he allowed them to be taken over by a foreign nation and taken into exile as slaves.
In many ways they had become the same in their thinking as we in this nation have become. Though God had richly blessed them over the years, they became complacent in their attitude toward him; and justice and mercy was no longer a part of their thinking. Yes they still acknowledged the Lord, but they tolerated and even took part in the other religions that they had allowed to creep into their nation. Their worship had become far removed from that which the Lord had set before them and they refused to listen and change their ways when it was called for.
From the very beginning God had set down before them the way that they should live and act in their relationship to him and the people around about them. He also told them very clearly over and over again, that if they failed to heed these commands, then he would bring them down. They however became so arrogant and apathetic in this regard; even when God sent his prophets to warn them, they ignore them and persecuted them. They believed that they had it all under control and that they would be OK.
So the Lord, true to his word, sent in the Babylonian to destroy them as a people. Now here the remnant of them that survived, sit as slaves in a foreign land. Again God comes to them and tells them that he is the Lord Almighty, and all that has happened to them, happened because of their disobedience. But he also reminds them that as the Lord Almighty he has promised that if they once again return to him and take him seriously, then he will again restore them as his people and as a nation.
The Lord said to them: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."
Now to us here, let us hear these words as his words to us also. And don’t be as arrogant as the people of Israel and think that God will act any different toward us. If you do then I would suggest that you tremble and be afraid, for his foretelling of what is before us is just as clearly written for us to know that we cannot play games with God and think that we will come out OK. His proclamation is quite clear that there will be a falling away in the last times, by many; and we can see that happening all around us; as well, we are told that there will be many who will follow after that which their itching ears long to hear. In other words they will follow after what makes them feel good, rather than on the clear word of God.
Here, let us be quite clear that there are no other gods beside our Lord. All others are nothing but thieves and robbers. They are not, as many proclaim today, as different roads leading to the same end. Any other proclamation that does not centre on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, is not of the Lord Almighty. There on the cross we find our King and our Redeemer. The Lord Almighty himself says: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
If that is the case, how can we dare to think that we can dabble here and dabble there, with all kinds of ideologies and odd worships that focus us on things other than Jesus Christ and him alone. How dare we think that we do not need to heed what he has to say with regard to all kinds of things: but instead to twist and change it all to suit our own way of thinking. God has very clearly stated what is going to happen to those people. So beware. He is the Lord Almighty and he is true to his word.
That of course also means that he promises grace and blessing to all who do turn to him and look to him as their Lord and Redeemer. Because he has always been true to his word throughout history, we can therefore trust that as we look to him and what he has done for us through Jesus Christ, we can take him seriously and know that salvation and eternal life is there in him for us.
It also means that we can continue to trust his word alone, even as the world around us; changes and ignores it to suit themselves. We can hold firmly to what he says in the Bible, knowing full well that this is the Word of the Lord Almighty himself, in its entirety. We don’t have to scratch our heads wondering what we must listen to and what we can discard: it is all God’s Word to us all, even today.
That also means that we can hold him up as our Lord and boss as we live out our lives every day. In the midst of a world that ignores and mostly has discarded him, we can know that he is for real, and he is important for our daily lives as well. That of course means that we will regularly come into his house here, in order that he can strengthen and encourage us through Word and Sacrament so that we can remain strong in the midst of the wayward pressures of the world around us.
So let us always remember these words from the LORD: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."
To him then, be glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.
Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba
posted by Roger at
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