Throughout history, many cultures have accepted systems of many gods; even today, the world culture offers many different paths of life (each with its own focus). These are symptoms of the battle for our attention and (more importantly) our worship. Whatever you choose to be the focus of your life (activities/beliefs/practices), whether you acknowledge it or not, that becomes your “god.” In the Torah, GOD called the people of Israel to follow Him alone; Jesus calls us as His disciples to do the very same thing.
The meaning of this (and how it is lived out) has been much debated over the generations. A true understanding is this: everything in your life should be in submission to GOD, and anything that cannot (or will not) submit should no longer be part of your life (Jesus uses this imagery in the Beatitudes, using the eyes/hands/feet as visual examples). If we count GOD as the most important thing in our lives, then nothing else should stand in the way of our serving Him or be counted as more important than Him.
In the course of this post, we will explore three examples in Scripture in which GOD combats false belief and proves Himself both true and supreme.
Moses – the divine battle(s) in Egypt
“‘You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land….But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.’” Exodus 7:2, 4-5
The imagery of the ten plagues may seem odd to those who are reading it for the first time, but a closer look tells us much about what transpired over the course of time. The Egyptians were a supreme empire in their part of the world, while Israel was considered a backwater nation of slaves from the desert. It is by this standard of thinking that Pharaoh judges both Israel and Yahweh; if Pharaoh is to be convinced to let Israel go (and relinquish all possibility of bringing them back to Egypt), then Yahweh must prove Himself superior to Pharaoh and all the gods of Egypt – which He then does. Beginning at the bottom of the pantheon and proceeding to the top, Yahweh thwarts every deity of the Egyptians, proving His power over nature, humanity, life, and death. When all the gods of Egypt have fallen before Him, then Israel is allowed – and even urged – by Pharaoh to leave Egypt and serve Yahweh.
Elijah – the divine battle on Mt. Carmel
“And Elijah came to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.’ But the people answered him not a word.” 1st Kings 18:21
Generations after Moses, Israel has allowed themselves to be drawn into the pagan practices of their Canaanite neighbors (their chief deity = Baal, a god of war/power/the sun). Elijah emerges as the only prophet willing to (openly) take a stand for Yahweh.
After three years in exile (and drought within Israel), Yahweh sends Elijah to call for a showdown on Mount Carmel in northwestern Israel. He confronts the people with their lukewarm acceptance of two opposing beliefs, and then opens a challenge to prove the truth for all to see. He and the prophets of Baal each build an altar with a sacrifice, but ONLY the LORD or Baal can light their respective altar.
The prophets of Baal make their plea, doing everything they can think of to draw the attention of their false deity, but all their efforts are for of no use. Elijah practically drowns his sacrifice in water, but when he prays in faith to the LORD, He sends enough fire to not only light the sacrifice, but also incinerate it and all its surroundings. After seeing this, the people of Israel immediately proclaim that the LORD is the true God.
Jesus – the divine battle(s) in the Wilderness
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written: “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’’” Matthew 3:10
The above statement is the conclusion to the three tempations by Satan in the days following Jesus’ baptism. He has tempted the Savior with food (after 40 days of starvation), glory (from the top of Jerusalem’s temple), and finally power over the enitre world. At every turn, Satan is offering Jesus satisfaction for worldly desires – 1) physical hunger (lust of the flesh), 2) physical possessions (lust of the eyes), and 3) physical position/power (pride of life).
In return, Jesus thwarts the Deceiver with His own Word; in this case, He reminds Satan (and us) that, while Satan may have power over the world for now, GOD has power over everything and everyone in it. Jesus came to free the world from Satan, not submit to the Devil for the world’s sake; if He had compromised His nature as God the Son, a) He could never serve as Lord and Savior of the world, and b) we could never follow GOD wholeheartedly if Jesus had failed even once as our example of being a faithful servant to GOD.