When we think of godhood, most of us look skyward, don't we? Why? The heavens are where we associate God, or gods as having their residence, right? Why? Well, I guess it is because we instinctively know that anyone greater than we are, is above us, and therefore at the very least, must reside as close to the heavens as possible. But as for the word "godhood" itself, what does it mean? Godhood, according to the British Dictionary, means: the state of being divine. Okay, now we must examine what divine means, right? Divine as an adjective means: of, relating to, or characterizing God, or a deity, godlike. Divine as a noun means God, or a lesser god. So what is the definition of God/god? |
- Can godhood be obtained, or be given?
- If so, then who's handing it out?
- Are there genuine and counterfeit gods?
Can godhood be obtained, or given?
- If godhood is available, then who's handing it out?
Their is a catch to any appointment of godhood, this entitlement has limits imposed upon it. God isn't about to share His glory and sole right to be worshiped, with anyone, or anything else. Anyone who tries to receive worship as a god will have to deal with the Almighty personally on that day after His final wrath has been unleashed upon the world. Yikes! That won't be a good day for counterfeit gods.
- Are there genuine and counterfeit gods?
Authorized "gods"
For instance, human rulers (kings, etc.) and judges are called "gods" in Scripture, because they were authorized by the Almighty to exercise the divine power of determining the fate (life or death) of a person, place, or thing through law, be it governmental or ecclesiastical. Psalm 82 is specifically addressed to the human judges whom God had appointed to rule Israel, he even calls them "gods." According to the LORD, they were not doing their job, and so the Supreme Judge was putting them on notice of their misuse of that power, and he reminded them of their limitations (they were humans) and the consequences for their failure to dispense righteous justice.
Another being that has been given an authorized measure of godhood are ministering spirits we know as angels. They have been given differing degrees of the divine powers of exceeding strength, and invisibility, powers we mere mortals can only dream of. Some have the gift of flight, and a measure of super human wisdom that doesn't exceed God's. However, God's righteous angels are not given over to desiring worship, while Satan's fallen angels crave this act that God reserves for Himself alone. And this is how we can identify the unauthorized, or counterfeit gods; they are those that try to pass themselves off as being legitimate bearers of divine power and wisdom, and are therefore, as they claim, worthy of our worship.
Unauthorized "gods" in the Bible are idolatrous kings, fallen angels, and inanimate objects that have been carved into the likeness of land animals, humans, sea creatures, celestial objects, or a mongrel mixture such as the fish god Dagon, or the bull god Baal. These self appointed unauthorized counterfeit gods desire and demand to be worshiped, something that the original Supreme God forbids. The worship that they crave can be coerced through subtle trickery, or be received openly, depending on the level, or depth of deception within the individuals whom the worship is sought from.
For instance, a member of the Church of Satan will have no problem with bowing their knee and giving their reverence to an altar full of idols, whereas a born again believer will not bow down before any carved image. However, a born again church goer isn't off Satan's menu, so to speak. If they don't have a good sense of spiritual discernment, then they are vulnerable to lying wonders and will give their ear and worship to a false, or counterfeit move of God. False moves of God are really brought about by evil spirits that are impersonating the Holy Spirit. We can't afford to be without spiritual discernment when our faith deals in the spiritual world as well as the natural world. We are commanded to "test" the spirits, to prove if they are really holy, or it they are unholy. Just because something is supernatural, that doesn't make it automatically from God, the Almighty. If this was not a very real danger, then Jesus wouldn't have put that warning in the Bible several times, it would be superfluous of him. Satan, we are told, can appear as an angel of light, and he is a subtle and cleaver foe, is this not reason enough to be on our guard? Dear reader, never entertain the folly that you can't be deceived, or that of under estimating your enemy, or it will be your last mistake!