Israel's God reveals Himself as the only God of all people

Israel's God reveals Himself as the only God of all people

By learning the history of ancient nations, we learn about their belief in various deities. Egyptians, The Greeks and Romans worshiped many gods. Our ancestors, before accepting the faith in one God, worshiped Światowid, Swarożyca…

Is the God of Israel also the God of these nations? ?
"Our God, Pan, he is one God "
When the Israelites met the Gentiles, they were influenced by them.
God was resembled by the prophets :
“God was formed before me, and will not be after me.
And, God, only I exist and there is no savior apart from me.
It was I who announced it, I have delivered and announced, and not a stranger among you.
You are my witnesses, says God,
that I am God, yes, from
of eternity I am " (From 43, 10-13a).

God reveals himself as the only God. He sends the chosen people for this, that all people
they knew him as the only God, Creator and Savior.

Israel's God and other nations

Conviction spread among the chosen people, that God, who appeared to him, he only did it for Israel. Words, which God directed to Moses : “I am your father's God, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob ”- the Israelites translated this way, that God is only their God. However, God reveals himself as the God of all people. God caused, that the Israelites were taken captive to Babylon for their unfaithfulness, and many of them were deported from their homeland. God used other nations to punish the chosen people. After many years, the Persian King Cyrus (559-529) after conquering Babylon, he allowed the Israelites to return to the Promised Land. This event was explained by God in the words of Isaiah the prophet :

“That's what God says about his anointed Cyrus :
I took him firmly on the right, to subdue the nations before him…
I will go ahead of you and smooth out the unevenness… so you know, that I am God, who am calling you by your name, God of Israel.
Because of my servant, James,
Israel, my chosen one, I called you after your name, full of honor, even though you didn't know me. I am God and there is no other.
There is no god besides me.
They will bring you weapons, although you did not know me, that it would be known from sunrise to sunset, that without me there is nothing "
(From 45, 1.2a.3b-6).

So Cyrus' victory was God's work. God chose him, ,,called by name ", even distinguished him by the name of "anointed". Only kings received this name in Israel, servants of God. God made the pagan ruler Cyrus his instrument, to save a people chosen from slavery. By it he reveals, that Cyrus is also God, God of all nations - even pagan ones.

"God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ”- this is also our God, whom we have been worshiping in Poland for a thousand years. For God, when calling the chosen people as his instrument, also thought about us. We were also among these nations, which, thanks to the chosen people, were to believe in one God.

Christ leads all people to one God

All nations go to God. People are looking for Him consciously or unconsciously. Although not everyone knows him, they are called to participate in salvation. God has revealed himself, to unite all people together. Christ the Lord died for this, to gather the scattered children of God into one and give them eternal life. In the priestly prayer he asked the Father for human unity and for getting to know the true God : ,,This is eternal life : that they know you, the only one, true god, and This, whom you sent, Jesus Christ " (J 17, 3). Today Christ, through the Church, unites people to God and to one another. St.. Paul points to the source of this unity : "There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, There is one God and Father of all " (Ef 4, 5).

After the Second Vatican Council, the Church wants to be a clearer sign in a special way, which leads everyone to one God. The Church wants to serve everyone. At the same time, he treats people with great respect, who have different religious beliefs. He sees and recognizes them as members of one human family. He appreciates them too, when they do much good and sincerely seek the truth.

How will I answer God ?

I am Christian. I belong to the Church - a new chosen people. When on the twenty-ninth Sunday in ordinary time (year A) we read the prophecy about the calling of the pagan king Cyrus, God is addressing us, to remind us, that he is the God of all nations, even these, who believe in God differently than we do. Then it also reminds us of our task as the new People of God. He's calling us, that we respect the religious beliefs of every human being and help him to know with love one God - the God of all people. What can I do, that all people would know one God and create one family of God's children ? How I relate to people, who have different religious beliefs, and to unbelievers ? Can I appreciate the good, they create ?
After reading the prophecy about the calling of Cyrus, we sing a psalm during the mass liturgy, inviting all people to praise God. You can also use this prayer outside the liturgy.
“Sing a new song to the Lord, Sing to the Lord, all the lands, Sing for the Lord, bless his name,
Proclaim His salvation day by day. Proclaim his glory to the Gentiles, His miracles - among all nations. For God is great and worthy of all glory " (Ps 95, 1-4a).

■ Think :

1. What the chosen people prophets warned about, who lived among the Gentiles ?
2. What teaches us the story of the calling of the pagan ruler Cyrus ?
3. Thanks to whom all people can unite with one God ?
4. In what kind of community does Christ unite people today with the one God? ?
5. Why a Christian should show respect for people, who profess a different religion or are non-believers ?

■ Remember :

57. What faith in one God demands ?
Faith in one God demands, that all people may know and love him, and thus formed one family of God's children.

■ Task :

1. Give an event from the Scriptures, from which it follows, that God revealed himself to the Israelites also as the God of all people.

2. find out, which of the great religions profess faith in one God.

3. find out, what is an ecumenical movement and what is it going towards.

■ Compare:

Word of god : "That's what God says, King of Israel and His Redeemer, Lord of hosts : «I am the first and I am the last, and there is no god but me ! Who is like me? ? - Let him call, let him announce it and let him prove it to me ! Who has foretold the future for ages and this, what is to come, let him inform us ! »” (From 44, 6-7).

,,I create light and create darkness, I make for good and I make misery. And, God, I do it all " (From 45, 7).

The teaching of the Church : ,,In every… He is pleasing to God in time and in every nation, whoever is afraid of him and acts righteously " (KK 9). Paul VI expressed the Church's faith in one God in the famous profession of faith of the day 30 June 1968 r. in this way :
,.We believe in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit… We believe, that this one God is absolutely one, yes, in its most holy essence, as in all perfections : in its omnipotence, in his infinite wisdom, in his providence, in his will and love…”