The Supremacy of God

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Supremacy means lordship, dominion and sovereignty. Thus, the supremacy of God refers to His absolute rule and control over the world. He created the world and therefore controls everything in it. He decreed that Israel should worship Him alone and that there should be no rival god(s).

The supremacy of God with regard to worship was threatened when king Ahab supported the worship of foreign gods in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. God then sent the prophet Elijah to reassert His supremacy. This he successfully did through drought and famine as punishment in the people, and by showing His powers in the contest on Mount Carmel.

The supremacy of God is highlighted here in order to draw our attention to the areas in private and public life where God's supremacy is threatened today by traditional beliefs and practices, greed and it's vices, materialism and rebellion against His will. We are to do everything possible to reassert the supremacy of God in our lives through faith in the Lord Jesus. If we fail to do this, there could be conflict of loyalty to God leading to tension in the society.

RELIGIOUS TENSION

Tension is a state of conflicting or opposing beliefs or views. Thus, religious tension exists when people are influenced or forced to abandon their own religion for another religion. Religious tension was introduced in Israel, when king Ahab actively supported the worship of a foreign god (Baal Melkart) and forced the Israelites to give up the worship of the Lord to worship the foreign god. God reacted to this threat to His supremacy through the prophet Elijah. When threatened by Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, Elijah went to Mount Horeb, where he had an experience of God's presence.

AHAB'S APOSTASY AND GOD'S REACTION

Ahab married Jezebel, a Phoenician princess, and allows her to bring into Israel the Phoenician god. Ahab built an altar for the worship of her god and used state funds to pay priests and prophets of Baal Melkart. He further partook in the worship of the foreign god thereby making Baalism the official religion in Israel. Some of the prophets and worshippers of the Lord who protested against this wholesale apostasy were persecuted by Jezebel. Those prophets who survived the purge of Jezebel went into hiding in caves. These prophets were secretly fed by one of the King's servants, Obadiah, at the risk of his own life.

Ahab had turned away from the Lord by patronising Baalism. To show how far he had turned his back on Yahweh, Ahab allows one Hiel to ignore Joshua's curse against. Hiel rebuilt Jericho at the cost of his first and last sons.

It was in the midst of this unprecedented apostasy, which threatened the entire worship of Yahweh with extinction, that Elijah came to the scene to defend the cause of Yahweh.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AHAB'S APOSTASY AND GOD'S REACTION

Ahab's apostasy threatened the supremacy of God in Israelite life and thought. God reacted by reasserting His sovereignty. This He did by imposing drought as punishment for sin. Though the people, including the king suffered, the supremacy of God was at work in protecting all those who were faithful to him in this period of national apostasy. Thus, though Israel lacked water and food, God provided for Elijah, his prophet.

Again, through the instrumentality of Obadiah, God supported His loyal prophets in the land of Israel during this period of famine and drought. Thus, we learn that in times of great distress, Gods supremacy is always at work in protecting all those who are faithful to Him. Hence, we must do our best to remain faithful to God, so that in times of national crisis, He would protect us.

Thanks.. see you in my next article