God the First and Only

Before the creation of all things, there was only God.

Without beginning, without interruption, for times without measure—there was only God. Existing as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bound together in love. Needing nothing and being everything: God was.

Then the One without beginning made a new beginning. For God spoke into the darkness, and there was light. With the word of his mouth, God made the entire universe come into existence out of nothing.

All created things still depend on him for their existence. Without the God who gave the universe its beginning, everything would collapse in less than a millisecond. But in his faithfulness, God upholds everything He made. 

If God is the foundation of all things, the very origin of the universe, where does that leave every other god?

What do God’s eternity and sovereignty say about every idol that we cherish, every obsession we chase? They’re not everlasting nor capable of anything. All other gods are formed by the hands of sinful men, who in themselves have life only from God.

In Isaiah 44, God brings a charge against Judah and her legion of idols: Baal, Ashtoreth, Molech, the Queen of Heaven—the list was lengthy. He challenges Judah to compare him with other gods: “Who is like me? Let him proclaim it?” (v. 7). Do any of these gods talk with their believers like the Lord does? Do any of these gods actually do anything?

If these gods are so great, let them prove their worth. But first, says God, think of who He is: “I am the First and I am the Last; besides me there is no God” (44:6). Here the Lord recalls when this world started, and there was only God. He is “the First,” the One before all creation and all human history. 

And if God is the beginning, then everything else is secondary; everyone else is derived and thereby inferior. If God is “the First” and original, then every other god is just a knock-off: recycled and repurposed from the good world that God made.

You worship the sun? Why would you? God made the sun.

You worship your ancestors? It was the Lord who gave them life.

You expect to find a refuge in wine, or fulfillment in sex, or happiness from gold—why would you, if God made all these good things in the first place?

They can only ever be imitation gods. Because all of them have been created, they have nothing to give that God the Creator cannot give us, and give in so much greater and truer ways. As “the First,” God is without rival or competition.

This is perhaps easy to accept if we’re talking about Baal and Ashtoreth, or about Buddha and Allah. We know they haven’t been around from the beginning, nor accomplished anything ever. They’re only the invention of sinful minds, products of the twisted human heart.

But let’s apply this to ourselves. Are there any gods we’ve set up, idols tucked away into the corners? The Triune God alone is true, yet we’re still ready to put our trust in things besides him. Secretly we still expect from other places the sort of blessings that only God can give, gifts like peace, joy, or fulfillment. When I have a decent job, a bit of talent, some friends, a loving family, money in the bank, almost at once I begin to feel comfortable with it all—like now the future is bright and I’ve found my refuge.

Yet it’s all from God: these good things spring only from the Lord God, the overflowing fountain. By now we should know that none of these things can save or redeem. To trust in the gift instead of the Giver means we’re being moved by the glory of another, a glory which belongs to the Lord alone.

But this great name of God doesn’t merely reveal the folly in trusting idols. It’s also a call to surrender our fears to the faithful God who is “the First.”

In Isaiah’s time, Judah was frightened because war and exile were in the forecast; there was a 100% chance of ruin and destruction. This is why Judah looked for idols like Baal and turned to allies like Egypt. They looked for any kind of security, any insurance against an unknown future.

It’s the lesson that idols are often found adjacent to fears. If you fear a loss of your creature comforts, you might let money become your idol. If you fear being underestimated, you might let success become your highest need. Fear of being alone means you might idolize family and friendship.

We have so many fears, so many idols.

But God says, “Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it?” (44:8). Judah was dreading their exile, so God tells them that He actually planned it long ago. Because He is from the beginning, He always knew it would go this way: “Have I not told you from of old and declared it?”

We may have many fears, but God is never surprised by the events in this world or our lives. Every headline this week, every headache and heartache—all originates in his perfect will. Before our lives began, God knew all about us. He knew our names, how we’d struggle and how we’d be blessed. Fear not, nor be afraid, for you are totally secure in him: He is “the First” and He is your Father.

It’s striking that this name for God is a name later claimed by Christ. In the book of Revelation, He declares, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Rev 22:13). Same name, now with the volume turned up. Christ is saying that in him we find absolutely everything we need. Christ is eternal and almighty, the perfect Saviour, the faithful Friend, the unchanging Lord.

The same person who brought us salvation now governs all things in heaven and on earth for his church. The same person who laid down his life for us now holds us in his hand, right to the end. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever—so we can put our trust completely in him.

Who is like the Lord our God? What thing, or person, or experience can ever take his place? We get to know God, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is the God who sees us, who hears us, who speaks to us, who saves and claims us forever.

“Is there a God besides God? There is no Rock; I know not any” (Isa 44:8).