Reflecting the One and Only God

A’ni YHWH w’ehn ohd

אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין עֹ֔וד

The Oneness of God is a core belief of  Judeo-Christian faiths:

Deuteronomy 6:4-7a

“Hear, O Israel! YHWH our God, YHWH is one! And you shall love YHWH your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. And you shall repeat them diligently…”

The problem was in the ancient world multi-god civilizations were commonplace. Many things were identified as gods, but YHWH was very clear that He was the One and Only: 

Isaiah 45:5-6

“I am YHWH, and there is no one else, there is no God except Me.

I will embrace you, though you have not known Me, so that people may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me.

I am YHWH, and there is no one else…”

The core message, which begins and ends in this passage, is “I am YHWH, and there is no one else [A’ni YHWH w’ehn ohd אֲנִ֤י יְהוָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין עֹ֔וד]” and it is repeatedly supported with similar verses:

Deuteronomy 32:39a

[YHWH:] “See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me [w-ehn elohim immadi וְאֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִ֖ים עִמָּדִ֑י].’”

Isaiah 43:11

[YHWH:] ”I, only I, am YHWH, and there is no saviour besides Me [w’ehn mi-bal’adai m-yoshia  וְאֵ֥ין מִבַּלְעָדַ֖י מֹושִֽׁיעַ].”

Isaiah 44:6b

[YHWH:] ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me [u-mi-bal’adai ehn elohim וּמִבַּלְעָדַ֖י אֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִֽים]. 

Isaiah 44:8b

[YHWH:]  Is there any God besides Me [ha-yesh elowah mi-bal’adai הֲיֵ֤שׁ אֱלֹ֙והַּ֙ מִבַּלְעָדַ֔י], or is there any other Rock? I know of none.’”

David wholeheartedly agreed with YHWH:

1 Chronicles 17:20 (see also 2 Samuel 7:21-22)

“YHWH, there is none like You [YHWH ehn kamoka יְהוָה֙ אֵ֣ין כָּמֹ֔וךָ], nor is there any god besides You, according to everything that we have heard with our ears.”

David’s son and heir, Solomon, also highlighted YHWH’s uniqueness:

1 Kings 8:23

And he said, “YHWH, God of Israel, there is no God like You [ehn kamoka elohim אֵין־כָּמֹ֣וךָ אֱלֹהִ֔ים] in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping the covenant and showing faithfulness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart.”

In the ancient days, people believed in other gods and YHWH, understandably, took offense. Today we’ve replaced those ancient idols with new idols of our own. All those little things we worship and revere are mini gods in our lives… money, possessions, beauty, power, accolades, notoriety… none of those things can compare to YHWH, our God and Creator of the universe.

Yeshua, as YHWH’s anointed Son, did not shy away in announcing His absolute connectivity with His Father, YHWH, claiming “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). He was the perfect Image Bearer:

John 14:7-10a

[Jesus:] “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?”

Paul understood that Yeshua was one with God and that God was the One God of all creation:

Ephesians 4:1-6

[Paul:] Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Our purpose is to mirror Yeshua and to reflect what our God looks like to the rest of the world! Let us do our very best to look exactly like Him by being humble, gentle, patient, loving, embracing unity and fostering peace. Let’s share with the world that there is no God like our merciful God! 

Next week: Sermon- The Trials of Yeshua