God the Son
/By Oscar M. Baker
Recently we considered the subject, God the Father. There has been little contradiction of the fact that the Father is God. But some have denied that Christ was really the Son, and therefore not deity. So let us go to Isa. 45 for some background.
Elohim is the word for God in Gen. 1:1. El is God in contrast to the gods of the heathen. See it in Gen. 14:18. Jehovah is the I AM that was revealed to Moses at the burning bush. Check these with the Companion Bible and read Appendix 4.
Isaiah 45:1. THUS SAITH JEHOVAH...
3. I, JEHOVAH ... AM THE ELOHIM OF ISRAEL.
5. I AM JEHOVAH ... THERE IS NO ELOHIM BESIDE ME.
6. I AM JEHOVAH, AND THERE IS NONE ELSE.
7. I, JEHOVAH DO ALL THESE THINGS.
8. I, JEHOVAH HAVE CREATED IT.
11. THUS SAITH JEHOVAH, THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL,
AND HIS MAKER.
13. SAITH THE JEHOVAH OF HOSTS.
14. THUS SAITH JEHOVAH. SURELY EL IS IN THEE;
AND THERE IS NONE ELSE, THERE IS NO ELOHIM.
15. VERILY THOU ARE AN EL THAT HIDEST
THYSELF, 0 ELOHIM OF ISRAEL, THE SAVIOUR.
17. BUT ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED IN JEHOVAH.
18. FOR THUS SAITH JEHOVAH THAT CREATED THE
HEAVENS; ELOHIM HIMSELF THAT FORMED THE
EARTH AND MADE IT... I AM JEHOVAH; AND
THERE IS NONE ELSE.
19. I, JEHOVAH SPEAK RIGHTEOUSNESS.
21. HAVE NOT I, JEHOVAH? AND THERE IS NO
ELOHIM BESIDE ME; A JUST EL AND A SAVIOUR;
THERE IS NONE BESIDE ME.
22. FOR I AM EL, AND THERE IS NONE ELSE.
24. SURELY IN JEHOVAH HAVE I RIGHTEOUSNESS
AND STRENGTH.
25. IN JEHOVAH SHALL ALL THE SEED OF ISRAEL BE
JUSTIFIED, AND SHALL GLORY.
Now read the chapter through and tell me, are Jehovah, El, and Elohim one and the same? Is there only one God? And is not that one God Creator, Saviour, and the only One to be worshipped? And did you note that in verse 23 El says something that is repeated in Ph'p 2:10? According to this, Christ is El. And El is both Elohim and Jehovah. Then who is Christ?
The Word made flesh is God. Not a god, as some would say, for that brings in other gods and that is contrary to the very first commandment and has to do with idolatry. As true Christians we have to recognize the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was God, or no god at all. Only God is to be worshiped, according to the law of Israel. That has not been changed. Worship is ordained for Christ in Ph'p. 2:10. "And let all the angels of God worship Him." So says Hebrews 1:6.
We purposely used Isaiah 45 here because some have even tried to make Jehovah a lesser god. The chapter speaks for itself. Jehovah is God and there is none else. Take away Jehovah and there is no God. Take away Jesus Christ and there is no God. The implications are plain. There is one God, but three persons.
