Isaiah 44:6-8 (ESV)

Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel

and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:

“I am the first and I am the last;

besides me there is no god.

Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.

Let him declare and set it before me,

since I appointed an ancient people.

Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.

Fear not, nor be afraid;

have I not told you from of old and declared it?

And you are my witnesses!

Is there a God besides me?

There is no Rock; I know not any.”

God is God. That seems fairly obvious, but it is not. The world is filled with gods, every one manmade. Isaiah describes the process of creating a god. A man cuts down a tree. Part of it is used for heat and cooking. Part of it is used to fashion an idol to which he bows down in worship. It is a god fashioned by his own hand, but he is blind to this reality. Every philosophy, theology, or belief system that does not recognize God as God is manmade. Just because we may use the same words to refer to God does not mean that we recognize God as God.

God is the God of the Bible. He is the God who created all things. He is the God who promises to protect his people even in the dark times. The real test of which God is true come in verse 7. “Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen” (Is 44:7). God is the God who not only brought all things into existence, but he is the God who knows the future from the past. Nothing catches God by surprise. It is not just that God has the power to accomplish his purposes. That it true, but it is more. He not only can and will carry out his plans, he knows what will happen before it occurs.

No block of wood can do that. No philosophy of man can do that. No god, force, power, or spirit can do that. Only the God who is God knows the future. He sees all. Fortune Tellers have tried to imitate him. Spirits have tried to emulate him. Philosophers have tried to outdo him, undo him, or explain him away, but God hasn’t gone anywhere. He “frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners. (He) turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish,” (Is 44:25). Further, “He confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers” (Is 44:25). As evidence that God is God, he names Cyrus and the rebuilding of the Temple well before Cyrus is born or the Temple destroyed. He is the God who knows the future from the past. Let’s see a block of wood do that.

God is God, and God’s people are under his care. We tend to fear what we do not understand. We fear the gods of the world. We fear the philosophies that deny God. We fear the governments that reject his power and authority. We live as though God is just another god. That raises the question of the day: Do we really believe that God is God? If we truly believe that, then we have nothing to fear. It is time to stop playing religious, and ask ourselves what we truly believe. We give lip service to a living God and act like he is just another block of wood. God is God.