As Creator, God is separate from what he has made. God is not part of nature. He created nature and governs it. He has always existed as the living God. God planned how everything in the universe would work according to his rules. He gave life to every living thing. Because he is God, he is everywhere at all times and knows everything. He is the living God who shows perfect love, holiness, justice, and power.
The people who lived in lands near Israel worshiped many different gods. They often made these gods to look like things in nature, such as the sun, moon, or storms. But these gods were not real. They were just lifeless statues that could not move or do anything (see Jeremiah 10:1—5). These false gods could not communicate with people or have any relationship with them. They had no power at all, not even enough to move themselves.
Sadly, the people of Israel often copied their neighbors and started worshiping these false gods too. When this happened, God sent prophets (people who spoke God's messages) to remind the Israelites that the true God was completely different from these lifeless statues. The prophets taught that there was only one real God who had true power.
Unlike lifeless idols, the one, true, living God connects personally with humans, even though he is different. He involves himself in people's lives and shows his will so each person can understand his desires and respond to him. The Lord, who created everything, surprisingly seeks a personal relationship with his people.
Passages for Further Study
Genesis 1:1–2:4; Exodus 15:11; 20:2–6; Deuteronomy 4:32–39; 33:26; Job 38:1–41:34; Psalms 86:8; 115:4–7; 139:1–18; Isaiah 42:8; 44:9–20; Jeremiah 10:1–16; 14:22; Amos 4:13; 5:8–9; Revelation 15:3–4