Deuteronomy. Day 22, The Lord Is God; There Is No Other

For the past two days Moses has been warning the congregation against anything that might lead them into idolatry. In our passage today he reminds them that there is only one God. Other nations may worship various so-called gods but they are deceiving themselves. By contrast, Israel knows the God who created all things, the God who performed signs and wonders in Egypt, the God who rescued Israel from slavery, the God who did miracles in the wilderness, the God who is taking Israel to the great inheritance He promised long ago. No other people on earth have experienced the Lord the way Israel has experienced Him. Due to these experiences, Moses tells the people they must never allow themselves to be drawn into the worship of anyone or anything else. 

"Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?" (Deuteronomy 4:32-34) Israel has been awesomely blessed and, as we've said before, to whom much is given much is required. It's a far worse sin for someone who has experienced the Lord in these ways to fall into idolatry than it is for someone who has never heard anything but His name or who has never heard of Him at all. 

The Lord has proven His existence to Israel. No other god has spoken to Israel. No other god has done a anything for Israel. No other god ever will, for the Lord God of Israel is the only God. Moses tells the people they already have all the proof they need to believe in Him and trust in Him. "You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides Him there is no other. From heaven He made you hear His voice to discipline you. On earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words from out of the fire. Because He loved your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, He brought you out of Egypt by His presence and His great strength, to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today." (Deuteronomy 4:35-38)

How has the Lord proven His existence to you? How many times has He come through for you in a mighty way? How many prayers has He answered? How many situations has He resolved? How many times has He healed you? How many times has He protected you from danger? Just yesterday I was awestruck and humbled by the goodness and power of my God when I learned how He had protected my household from a situation we couldn't have seen coming. Earlier this year I learned of another instance in which He protected us from something we couldn't have known about. In both these cases we were presented with potential opportunities that looked very good, but in both cases the Lord blocked our path forward. Now I know why. I had to take time yesterday to bow on my knees when I realized what a close call we'd had and how the Lord in His wisdom kept us safe. He sees so much farther down the road than we do! When He says no it's to protect us, just like when we were kids and our parents said no to things they knew weren't good for us. With our limited knowledge, a thing may look pretty good. It may appear to be a great opportunity. But the Lord knows how these things are going to turn out down the road and we must trust Him and thank Him when He says no.

The Lord has proven Himself time and time again to Israel and Moses stresses the importance of taking all this proof to heart. The people must settle the matter once and for all in their hearts that the Lord is God---that He is their God---and that there is no hope or help to be found in any other. "Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep His decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the Lord your God gives you for all time." (Deuteronomy 4:39-40)

The Lord exists. He created human beings, loves them, interacts with them, and acts on behalf of them. Considering all this, don't we owe Him our obedience? Don't we owe Him our gratitude and love? He is our only source of hope and help.