Isaiah 42:8-9
God does not tolerate any thought of pluralism. Time and again He reminds Israel in the Law and Prophets that He is a jealous God. That does not mean He holds a sinful jealousy like mankind knows. It means that He is holy, unique, and the only being worthy of worship in all of creation. And His holiness guards that uniqueness. He will not stand for humans to replace Him with idols.
This is sort of like the "Shema" from God's point of view. His very name is the LORD. He is THE Lord.
There is no other. He is the LORD and no one else rules above Him. His sole existence as God demands worship from all that He has made. Lordship is rulership. Rulership demands respect. Respect is worship.
The Lord also reminds us that all times (past, present, and future) are His seasons and He directs them. He has created our pasts and in the now He can declare what our futures will be. And with the gift of revelation to mankind (profoundly seen for us now in the Bible), He declares to us what will happen before it ever does. He is sovereign over everything that happens, has occurred, or ever will take place in the universe. From galaxy formation to the smallest subatomic particle vibration, everything that springs forth is by His intimate knowledge and design. This reality takes my breath away as I think about it.
Envisioning this great God is not a small mental exercise. God is bigger than a universe we cannot see across. He is stronger than a billion burning suns going supernova all at the same time. We may idolize these creations of His, but He is greater and must demand our praise far above all that exists.
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