Unrivaled

Recently I read something that referred to God as unrivaled. The description stuck in my head. We know that there is no one who can begin to come close to equaling or surpassing God, but as I thought of unrivaled, I wondered how often we live in that truth. Practically, day-to-day, I place trust and value in other things as if they could rival God. Today, I would like to look at two accounts in Scripture that depict God as being unrivaled. Then I will list several verses for you to meditate on and steep your mind and heart in the truth of our unrivaled God.

You may be familiar with the account of God sending Moses to Pharoah to ask that Pharoah let the Israelites go (Exodus 7:14-11:10). Moses and Aaron went to Pharoah as God had commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharoah and it turned into a serpent. Pharoah’s magicians did the same, but Aaron’s serpent swallowed them (Exodus 7:9-12). Pharoah’s heart was hardened, so the ten plagues followed.

Each of the plagues took aim at one of the Egyptian gods. With each plague God displayed that He was unrivaled. Pharoah’s magicians replicated the first two plagues to a degree (water to blood and a frog infestation), but that was it. God was unrivaled.

Scripture is filled with so many amazing things that God has done, but one jaw-dropping story for me is the battle between Elijah and the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40). The prophet Elijah told King Ahab that Ahab and his family had abandoned the commandments of God and followed the Baals. Elijah instructed King Ahab to gather all Israel to meet him at Mount Carmel along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah (1 Kings 18:18-19).

As everyone gathered, Elijah spoke, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lordis God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.” Elijah was setting the stage to prove that God was unrivaled. Both Elijah and the prophets of Baal prepared an altar with wood and laid a bull on it. Elijah instructed the prophets of Baal, “you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God” (vs 24).

It's almost comical but in reality sad as the prophets of Baal cried out, limped around and even cut themselves all day long pleading with Baal to respond. He never did. Finally, Elijah prepared his altar. He even made a trench around the altar and poured water over the bull and wood three times until the trench was filled with water.

Next, Elijah prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back” (vs 36-37).

God did answer. Fire fell and consumed the bull offering, the wood, the stones, the dust, and all the water. God is unrivaled.

We often stop with this account after the prophets of Baal are killed and God sends rain after the long drought, but it is good for us to continue. King Ahab tells his wicked wife Jezebel what has happened. She responded with a death threat against Elijah. Elijah was afraid and ran for his life into the wilderness (1 Kings 19:3). He said to God, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers” (1 Kings 19:4).

Elijah had just experienced an amazing spiritual high. God showed Himself to be unrivaled in a fantastic way. Elijah was His instrument in that display, but now a day or two later, Elijah has fled in fear and asked God to let him die. Elijah went from complete confidence in His unrivaled God to a fear of man so great that he wanted to die. We are no different. In one circumstance, we may respond with trust in our unrivaled God. But other times, even in the next moment, our faith falters. We fear other people and things more than we fear our unrivaled God.

When we speak of God as being unrivaled, we are really describing His holiness. “That which is holy is that which is other—that which is different from something else. When the Bible speaks about God’s holiness, the primary thrust of those statements is to refer to God’s transcendence, to His magnificence, to that sense in which God is higher and superior to anything there is in the creaturely realm.”[1]

Probably the most well-known passages depicting the holiness of God is Isaiah 6:1-4. “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!’

And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of Him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.”

God is transcendent, so completely other, that the angels in heaven repeat holy three times. Jewish people emphasized the importance of something by repeating it. This is the only time a word in Scripture is repeated three times. God is unrivaled.

When Jesus teaches the disciples to pray, He begins by “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” [emphasis added]. Jesus is instructing the disciples to treat God’s name as sacred and holy. Before we pray, we should remember who we are praying to – unrivaled God. This echoes the first two commandments (Exodus 20:2-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21).

Let’s reflect on just a few verses that speak of God’s holiness. Please don’t rush through them. Let the holiness of God sink into your heart and mind. Let His holiness leave you in awe.

Exodus 15:11 – “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”

Psalm 29:2 – “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.”

Psalm 96:9 – “Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth!”

Psalm 77:13 – “Your way, O God is holy. What is great like our God?”

Psalm 99:3 – “Let them praise Your great and awesome name! Holy is He!”

Psalm 99:5 – “Exalt the Lord our God; worship at His footstool! Holy is He!”

Psalm 99:0 – Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!”

Psalm 103:1 – “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!”

Psalm 105:3 – “Glory in His holy name: let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!”

Psalm 111:9 – “He sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever. Holy and awesome is His name.”

Isaiah 5:16 – “But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows Himself holy in righteousness.”

Ezekiel 38:23 – “So I will show My greatness and My holiness and make Myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Reflection:

1. Describe a time when you experienced God’s presence and holiness (“unrivaledness”) in a greater way.

2. Our Holy God touches our lives and makes us holy. We can never be holy on our own. If we are to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:16), we must be different than the world around us – be that which is other. In what ways can you reflect God’s holy character this week at work, school, with your family, at church, with unbelievers, or with your friends?

3. Scripture tells us to rejoice in the Lord, and to give thanks to His holy name (Psalm 97:12; 106:47; 145:21). Take time to give thanks to God’s holy name and to rejoice over the times you experienced God’s presence in a greater way (Reflection #1).

4. Like Elijah, we can quickly forget God’s holiness, that He is unrivaled. Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” What “God is…” truths can encourage and reorient you to trust our Holy, unrivaled God?

5. Continue meditating in God’s holiness by listening to and singing songs about God’s holiness. Below are a few suggestions.

· “Holy, Holy, Holy” (many artists to choose from)

· “Holy is Our God” – Austin Stone Worship

· “Holy” – Matt Redman

· “Holy” – Esterlyn

· “Holy” – Nichole Nordeman

· “Holy is the Lord” – Chris Tomlin

· “Holy is Your Name” – Bebo Norman & Caedmon’s Call

· “Holy One” – Sonicflood

· “Holy Are You God” – Satellites & Sirens

· “Counsel of the Holy” – Petra

· “After All (Holy)” – David Crowder Band

· “Holy & Anointed One” – John Barnett or Randy Butler

· “Holy Emmanuel” – Terry Scott Taylor

· “Holy is Our God” – Starfield or Robin Mark

· “Only a Holy God” – CityAlight

· “Kadosh (Holy One) – Beckah Shae

· “There’s Only One (Holy One)” – Caedmon’s Call

· “When I Look Into Your Holiness” – Kent Henry

· “God of Wonders” – Mac Powell & Caedmon’s Call

· “It Is You” – Newsboys

[1] R.C. Sproul, “The Meaning of Holiness.” https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/holiness-of-god/the-meaning-of-holiness