THE ONE TRUE GOD
Opening Prayer
Lord, You are worthy of all praise and recognition.
Read 1 CHRONICLES 16:7–36
7 That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise to the Lord in this manner:
8 Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
9 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
11 Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.
12 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
13 you his servants, the descendants of Israel,
his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
14 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
15 He remembers his covenant forever,
the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
18 “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit.”
19 When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
20 they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
21 He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:
22 “Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
25 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his dwelling place.
28 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
33 Let the trees of the forest sing,
let them sing for joy before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
35 Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;
gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
and glory in your praise.”
36 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
The first commandment says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” What rivals does God have in your life?
On the day David sets the Ark of the Covenant in its resting place in Jerusalem, Asaph and his Levite associates lead the gathered assembly in a hymn of praise. That hymn is a medley of verses drawn from Psalms 105, 96 and 106. It proclaims the theme of praise to the Lord. Part 1 (8–22) calls on God’s covenant people to ascribe greatness to the Lord. Part 2 (23–33) commands the Gentile nations to acknowledge the Lord’s supremacy. Part 3 is a great closing “Hosanna,” praising God for his salvation.
Part 2 invites the nations to compare their gods with Israel’s God. In verse 26, the “gods” of the nations are called “idols” (Hebrew: elilim).The root meaning of elilim conveys the idea of insufficiency or worthlessness. Most English Bibles translate this word as “idols.” This may give the modern reader the impression that the gods worshipped by the nations were not real, but merely wooden or stone effigies carved by human hand. The Bible asserts that fallen spiritual beings really do exist, have the power to lead their worshippers away from the one true God, and stand behind these idols made of wood and stone. Indeed, the apostle Paul calls Satan “the god of this world,” as true back then as now.
David’s song shows us that the Lord is truly worthy of the praise rendered to him in this great hymn, while the gods of the nations are completely worthless. They are unable to do for their followers all that God can do for his people. Therefore, the nations are called to abandon their false gods and turn to the one true God who will one day judge the whole earth (33). The Gospel of Jesus Christ demands no less!
Apply
Think about how to stand graciously but firmly for the truth that the God of the Bible is the One True God in today’s increasingly pluralistic world.
Closing prayer
Lord, I acknowledge Your preeminence and reject each and every idol in my life, all of which stand as competitors to You.
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