He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)
I both love and hate this verse. I love it because it’s my goal, my dream, to sit, stand, or otherwise be still and know…to experientially know God…to exalt Him among the nations, in the earth, or wherever. I hate it because I’m me. Be still? Yeah, right, excuse me while I spend a few minutes laughing. I need to work on it. But… if one is working on being still, then one is not being still, one is working.
Other folks may have a different problem with this verse. For them, it speaks of God’s arrogance. Who does God think He is? There are other gods out there who also claim to be gods. How dare He puff out His chest and tell us that He’s the one who is to be exalted?
For me, this statement from God isn’t arrogance, it’s actuality. It’s true. It’s a fact, and there’s really no use in disputing it with Him. I can just as easily say, I am the owner of my house, and the land immediately around it I have every right to tell you what you may and may not do on my property and to my property and if you are wise, you will acknowledge that legal fact. Am I being arrogant? No, I am, in fact, the owner. I do, in fact, have all the rights due to an owner of something. In the same way, God is the Creator and Lord (owner) of the universe.
There have been and are those who dispute His ownership. If someone walked up to my door and informed me that I had an hour to vacate the premises because the house was theirs, when I got done laughing at them, I would call the police or invite them to come to argue the point before an officer of the court, then I would collect an armload of files including the deed to the property. Ultimately, I would be acknowledged and therefore exalted as the owner.
Am I arrogant to say that I am the owner of my house? Would I be being arrogant to want someone to acknowledge that fact? Would it be arrogant on my part to object if someone simply walked in and started moving furniture around or taking my TV out the door? Now, I’ll grant you that I would be being arrogant if, because I am the owner of my house, I came into your house and started rearranging furniture or taking your TV. I would be being arrogant if I maintained that other human beings who are therefore my equals were lesser beings because they didn’t own my house. I would also be being illogical.
So, the question isn’t “are there others who claim to be gods?” And the claim should not be “since ______ claims to be a god, ______ should be exalted as much as anyone or anything that claims to be a god.” The question is, who actually is the creator and owner of the universe. If it be Baal, or Thor, or science, or the flying spaghetti monster, then let that god produce proof, and follow him. But if it be Yahweh (AKA Jehovah, Jesus Christ, El Shaddai…) then follow Him. I have yet to see a shred of evidence proving that any other god is the creator or owner of the universe, including the universe itself because of the Second Law of Thermodynamics and abiogenesis.
So, yes, be as still as you can, learn to be stiller than you knew how to be yesterday, and exalt Him among the nations and in the earth – or legally contest His claim.
Other folks may have a different problem with this verse. For them, it speaks of God’s arrogance. Who does God think He is? There are other gods out there who also claim to be gods. How dare He puff out His chest and tell us that He’s the one who is to be exalted?
For me, this statement from God isn’t arrogance, it’s actuality. It’s true. It’s a fact, and there’s really no use in disputing it with Him. I can just as easily say, I am the owner of my house, and the land immediately around it I have every right to tell you what you may and may not do on my property and to my property and if you are wise, you will acknowledge that legal fact. Am I being arrogant? No, I am, in fact, the owner. I do, in fact, have all the rights due to an owner of something. In the same way, God is the Creator and Lord (owner) of the universe.
There have been and are those who dispute His ownership. If someone walked up to my door and informed me that I had an hour to vacate the premises because the house was theirs, when I got done laughing at them, I would call the police or invite them to come to argue the point before an officer of the court, then I would collect an armload of files including the deed to the property. Ultimately, I would be acknowledged and therefore exalted as the owner.
Am I arrogant to say that I am the owner of my house? Would I be being arrogant to want someone to acknowledge that fact? Would it be arrogant on my part to object if someone simply walked in and started moving furniture around or taking my TV out the door? Now, I’ll grant you that I would be being arrogant if, because I am the owner of my house, I came into your house and started rearranging furniture or taking your TV. I would be being arrogant if I maintained that other human beings who are therefore my equals were lesser beings because they didn’t own my house. I would also be being illogical.
So, the question isn’t “are there others who claim to be gods?” And the claim should not be “since ______ claims to be a god, ______ should be exalted as much as anyone or anything that claims to be a god.” The question is, who actually is the creator and owner of the universe. If it be Baal, or Thor, or science, or the flying spaghetti monster, then let that god produce proof, and follow him. But if it be Yahweh (AKA Jehovah, Jesus Christ, El Shaddai…) then follow Him. I have yet to see a shred of evidence proving that any other god is the creator or owner of the universe, including the universe itself because of the Second Law of Thermodynamics and abiogenesis.
So, yes, be as still as you can, learn to be stiller than you knew how to be yesterday, and exalt Him among the nations and in the earth – or legally contest His claim.
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