Day 16 - The First And The Last
- Pastor b.Side
- Jan 16
- 3 min read
“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I [am] the First and I [am] the Last; besides Me [there is] no God.’” - Isaiah 44:6
By definition, God is uniquely eternal, self-existing, and self-sustaining, making Him “the First and the Last.” God has no creator; nothing existed before Him. God isn’t dependent on anything to exist or to be satisfied within Himself. He is the First and the cause of all things in our physical universe and the eternal realm. He is the Last; nothing will outlast Him, and nothing will exist beyond Him. He has no end! Since He is self-sustaining, He doesn’t change.
“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel…”
God teaches us these truths by revealing Himself as King, Redeemer, and the LORD of hosts. The Great I AM is the King of the nation of Israel. God decided to make His glory known through the conduit of Israel and the eternally unconditional covenants He made with them. God explains that He will manifest Himself as Israel’s king, referring to Israel’s Messiah (Christ in New Testament terms). The Father will express His eternally self-existing and self-sustaining nature through His work as the LORD of armies in heaven and on earth, leveraging Israel as His primary instrument. The “First and the Last” manifests the glory of His authority, power, and sovereignty through His covenants with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; there is no other. God said so Himself…
“And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts…”
Also, note that God is the Redeemer of Israel and the world. God redeemed Israel from the bondage of Egypt with great signs and miracles. The Bible promises that God will continue this work of redemption to make Israel a great nation, dwelling safely in the land inheritance He provides for them, to bless all the families of the earth while ruling in this world as Israel’s King.
Redemption from what? Redemption from the controlling influence of Israel’s enemies—both physical and spiritual. Redemption from the controlling influence of sin. Redemption from the eternal consequences of death and hell. The prophecy of Isaiah promises that God will reveal His eternally unchanging power and glory by purchasing His people to take as His possession, where they can serve His eternally glorious purposes, submitting to Him as King. This is who God is. This is what He will do. There is no other God, so there is no greater purpose.
Prayer for today
Our heavenly Father, we’re grateful to know You as the First and the Last. Thank You for revealing Your purposes to us. Thank You for being our King; no one will rule as rightly as You do. Thank You for being our Redeemer and for purchasing our souls as Your possession to save us from the eternal consequences of sin, death, and hell. We love and praise You for who You are. Use us as servants of Your kingdom to reflect the light of Your glory so that others may be freed from the bondage of this world. Please help us in our interactions with others today, remembering that You are God, and there is no other. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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