The Uniqueness of God

The Book of Deuteronomy recounts Moses "farewell" at the end of his life. He is preparing the people of Israel to move into the Promised Land under the leadership of his successor Joshua. Moses himself would not go in with them.

The name "Deuteronomy" comes from two words: "deuteros" meaning "two" or "second", and "nomos" meaning "law" - so it is "the second giving of the law". Moses is repeating all of God's requirements to a new generation of Israelites. Their parents had been delivered from slavery in Egypt, but faltered at the opportunity to enter the Promised Land through fear, and so they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until this new generation came up to once again be given the opportunity to obey God.

That's the context.

I've been musing on Deuteronomy chapter 4 this week, where we read about a number of aspects of God's uniqueness.

He alone is God, and there is none like Him. Of course, in reality there are no other "gods" to even pretend to compare with Him, but even the so-called gods that exist as fantasies in the imagination of men cannot compare with His glory.

Usually, when men get outside the realm of reality and create fictional places and people, they are better, stronger, richer, greater. This is how we entertain ourselves with Utopian bliss. What if a man was indestructible and could fly? Ah yes, Superman! Better than a man with our mundane limitations. Or a James Bond, or a Sherlock Holmes, etc, etc.

But when it comes to God, all of man's wildest imaginations about how powerful such a being might be pale into insignificance beside the reality! The only true and living God is actually greater by far than all that men could dream up. God Himself points this out to us in Isaiah 55:9, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts."

This truth is all over the Bible, of course, but in this one passage in Deuteronomy chapter 4, just look at the ways that God is shown to be unique:

1. No other "god" is near to His people whenever they call (v7).


2. No other "god" has such righteous law (v8).


3. No other "god" is a merciful covenant-keeping God (v31).


4. No other "god" is a speaking God (v33).


5. No other "god" powerfully delivered a chosen people for Himself (v34).

Check the other religions of the world for yourself! None have a god like the True and Living God, Jehovah.

In all man's idolatrous and imaginitive scheming over 6000 years of history, not ONE of their "gods" is worthy to compare with the glory and beauty of their real Creator.

Phil