I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. Isaiah 43:11

Much like us, Israel’s history is one of struggle with theological forgetfulness and spiritual
unfaithfulness. Time and time again, the people turned away from the Lord to worship foreign
gods. We hear God’s instruction in the Ten commandments: “I am the Lord your God, who
brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me”
(Exodus 20:2-3). Their failings resulted in God’s punishment. In the context of today’s
Watchword, the people are in Babylonian captivity. Yet here, God’s offers a word of comfort to
the Israelites by reminding them that despite their situation, their covenant God is still in control
and is their only true rescuer, invalidating pagan idols.

Idolatry is the ultimate manifestation of disloyalty, and it invokes jealousy and severe judgment
from the Lord. Yet, God’s jealousy and judgment are based on His love for the people He
redeemed at such a high cost. When God set Israel free from slavery in Egypt and instituted His
covenant with them, His whole desire was to live in constant, intimate fellowship with His
people. No other god has ever offered such a loving, close, one-on-one relationship.

Israel’s national life and the personal life of every citizen depended on God, because He alone
was their Saviour. Without God, Israel would not exist. The people only needed to look at their
own history to know this was true. If it had not been for the Lord delivering the nation over and
over again, they would have no history at all. But still, they continued to abandon their God and
Saviour to serve foreign gods. We are ever reminded that nothing escapes God’s eyes. He sees
our wayward hearts and actions. The people of Israel thought they could live however they
pleased and escape the consequences. But God saw their unfaithfulness, just as He sees our
disloyalty today.

Anything we desire more than God or value more than our relationship with God is an idol. God
must be first in our lives. God longs, even insists, that He be the only one we seek to meet the
deep needs in our heart. God still says to us today, “… besides me there is no saviour.” When we
pursue love, identity, significance, worth, and security in something or someone other than God
Himself, we are turning our backs on His love for us and forgetting, like Israel, that God is the
only one who truly saves.

Today, God reminds us, “I, I am the Lord…” Another version says, “I, even I, am the Lord…”
The doubled “I” emphasizes that Jehovah is the only true God and Saviour. It serves as a stark
reminder that no other power, person, or idol can deliver in times of trouble. It highlights God’s
absolute exclusivity, sovereignty, and sole capability to deliver His people, highlighting that
salvation—both temporal and eternal—comes only from Him, not idols or false gods. The verse
summons us to rely only on God. Indeed, with our whole hearts, we must be devoted to Him and
nothing and no one else. Amen.
Jermaine Gibson