The Battle of the Gods

What is this battle of the gods? Is there really more than one way to heaven? Does it matter who or what I worship? Or who or what I claim as my god?

I grew up in a Christian home where we heard the term God related to the Creator of the universe. The Old Testament Scriptures were accepted as important, but the New Testament was a major focus. It told of God’s love so great He came to earth in human form as the Son of God, Jesus Christ, willing to sacrifice Himself so His created humans could have a relationship with their Creator restored.

What I didn’t understand then was how grand this story of all time and eternity truly is.

Truth Versus Deception

From before time began, one Being existed. And He chose to create. But one of His created beings, satan, rebelled and was cast out of the Presence of the Almighty and thrown out of heaven.

This fallen created being tempted other created beings. And humankind, following the wrong god, fell from the joy of walking in fellowship with their Creator.

Deception after deception, the enemy of truth continues to woo people away from life with the one true God, their Creator. The battle of the gods continues to wage powerfully all around us. More often than not, we don’t see it as it truly is.

Is There One True God?

If it’s true that there is one and only one God, Who is He? What is He like? How do we know Him?

Does He even want to be known?

When I taught Mathematics, we learned there are some precepts that must be accepted as fact before you can build any other provable theorems. So it is in life. Everyone accepts some beliefs as fact in order to build their world view. Everyone.

Some people choose to believe there is no Creator. They say they don’t believe God exists. Often they live their lives following their heart, letting money, power, or pleasure direct their life. They have a god in their life. It’s just not the Being who created them.

Others choose to believe the devil and his minions are worth following so they can have the worldly pleasures they desire. Worship of these gods takes all kinds of directions around the globe. Many people worship hand-made idols or theoretical gods in fear the people will be hurt if they don’t sacrifice themselves or their time or goods or children to these gods. The battle of the gods is powerfully at work in these settings.

But there are others who look at the created world around us and choose to believe there is a Creator. They accept without other proof this Being, this Creator, must be God.

It Takes Faith

Believing there is a Creator and He is God is one thing. After that questions remain. Is He knowable? Is He good? Does He want us to know Him?

How can we know this Being Who is so great He made everything our eyes can see and our ears can hear, even everything our senses cannot discern?

Accepting some things as true and building our lives on those truths takes faith. Everyone does this. Some believe the Bible is a book of myths. And they build their lives on their own view of how the world came into being. They follow their thoughts about the meaning of life.

Others choose to believe the Bible is one way the Creator has spoken to humans. If it is true we humans were separated from our Creator by our own choice to rebel and ignore Him, it makes sense we have no way of relating to Him unless He wants to bridge that gap for us.

Thankfully, the Bible tells us of a Creator Who is loving and kind, forgiving and gracious. This Being is also holy and righteous, perfect in all His ways, and will judge all the world righteously. But the fact He is loving and wants us to know Him is jaw-dropping.

Who is this God Who loves people Who reject Him? What is His name?

Who is This God?

When the Holy Scriptures were translated from the original language into English centuries ago, the translators used the term LORD in place of the name God gave Himself. Many people grow up learning about the LORD, not knowing that term hides the name of our Creator.

Translators weren’t deliberately trying to hide God from us. They knew God had admonished people not to take His name in vain and chose not to write it or say it for fear they would take the Name in vain. But to know His name matters. How else do we distinguish one god from another?

The first two chapters of the first book of the Bible tell the story of God creating the earth and everything in it. The first place in Scripture the name of God is mentioned is Genesis 2:4.

This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens (Genesis 2:4).

In Hebrew, the word used as LORD is יהוה. Those letters are written in English as YHWH. Because the original Hebrew only had the consonants, we don’t know if it was pronounced as Yahweh or Jehovah which was later introduced. What we do know is, our God has a name. He calls Himself by this name. And He is God.

How to Know the True God

Thankfully the story of the ages is told throughout the Bible. The enemy of God continues to deceive, wishing to steal and kill all whom God loves. But for those willing to listen, YHWH reveals Himself to us in the words He has placed in our hands.

Jesus told us in Luke 6:45:

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

If this is true for people, how much more is it true for the God Who made us?

When we read Scripture, God’s words to us, we hear the heart of YHWH.

Psalm 23, a well-known and beloved psalm, doesn’t say, “The LORD is my shepherd.” It actually says, “YHWH is my shepherd.” King David knew the name of the one true Creator God.

In Deuteronomy 6, YHWH told Moses to tell the Israelites Who He was, and He gave them guidelines for following Him. He tells us we are to love YHWH with all our being.

And in Matthew 22:37, Jesus repeats this command.

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37).

In Psalm 107, David describes YHWH as good. He uses the word hesed multiple times, saying the lovingkindness of YHWH is everlasting.

In Isaiah 54:5, we read that YHWH is the God of the whole earth. So what we read about the character of God is for everyone.

In Zechariah 12:1, we’re told YHWH is the One Who forms the spirit of man in him.

YHWH is the Being Who created the whole earth and breathes the breath of life into each and every person. Doesn’t that make Him the Almighty God of all?

YHWH Knows Those Who Choose Him

In Psalm 14:1-2, David tells us which side of the battle of the gods is the winning side.

The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.

The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

Do you see the word, LORD? In the original language that is יהוה, or YHWH.

He is the One Who looks down from heaven to see who seeks after Him.

Psalm 147:11 says,

The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy.

And Joel 2:13 tells us,

So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.

There is a battle raging for the souls of men. When life on this earth ends, we are not done. God our Creator made us as eternal beings. We will exist after this life is over. Will we spend that existence in the presence of the loving YHWH Who made us and is eager for us to be at peace with Him, living in the joy and love He wants for us? Or will we exist forever following the deception of gods who have nothing to offer except death and destruction, shadows, darkness, and pain?

The choice is ours. My hope is for everyone to choose wisely. Love truth and righteousness. Get to know YHWH our Creator God well by spending time with Him here and now. He left us His words to tell us Who He is. And He sent His Son Jesus to come show us the Father and rescue us for eternity.

Be on the Winning Side

Today is October 31. Some celebrate a holiday called Halloween, a celebration whose roots are in pagan practices honoring death rather than life. Others celebrate today as the anniversary of Reformation Day, the day Martin Luther boldly proclaimed the truth of salvation by grace through faith, nailing his theses to a door for all to see.

The question for each of us is, Whom do we worship? Whom will we worship? The battle of the gods is on. Just as in Elijah’s day when he battled the prophets of Baal. His statement to the people surrounding him is a clarion call for us today.

In 1 Kings 18:21 we read,

How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him. 

At the crossing of the Jordan River, Joshua asked a similar question of the people God was leading into the Promised Land.

And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15).

In each of these cases, Elijah and Joshua are not speaking of some unknown God. They refer specifically to YHWH. It is our choice as well as theirs. Will we choose to follow the LORD, YHWH, as God. Or will we not.

May we all choose the winning side. In the battle of the gods, truth will win. And the truth is, YHWH is God.

Final Note

This morning as I thought about writing my post, the song Always by Chris Tomlin came to mind. In my normal, muddled way of mixing up words in a song, this is how I sang it:

I will tell of His goodness, sing of His grace. The God of Creation knows me by name. The LORD is faithful, yesterday, today and always.

The actual words are slightly different. Tune in via the link above, and enjoy praising the One Who is faithful and good. The One Whose name is YHWH. The One Who knows us by name and wants us to know Him as well!

The photo above is from Tel Dan in Israel. The location is where pagan worship took place in the days of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is the place Jesus took His disciples to get away. A strange place to go, considering pagan rituals took place there. But in that place known for worship of gods other than YHWH, Jesus asked His disciples who they thought Jesus was. This is the place Peter clearly proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah. The battle of the gods began before time. It continued in Peter's day. And still continues today. It is up to each of us individually to choose today whom we will serve. Like Joshua said, as for me and my house, we will serve YHWH (Joshua 24:15).

NOTE: You might also enjoy reading God's Ways or God's Call. 

(Scripture: New King James Version; Photos: Taken by Carolyn Thigpen, Mount Carmel and Tel Dan, Israel, 2016)