The Old Testament has many references to the gods. However, these are of two distinct types.
On the one hand, there are plenty of references to the gods of the nations – household gods – that have “eyes but see not”, “mouths that speak not” – idols in other words (1 Chronicles 16:26). The scriptures make it clear that these ‘gods’ cannot help us, they do not hold the keys to salvation. Time and again the Israelites go seeking after other gods, gods of the nations around them, (Baal etc, all in fact demonic beings), which of course incurs the wrath of God, and the Israelites are punished for this.
On the other hand, there are several references in the Psalms to the gods, as divine beings. The most well-known of these is Psalm 82 – (one of) the Psalms of Asaph:
God standeth in the congregation of God; he judgeth among the gods.
Psalm 82 verse 1
God does not judge among a collection of idols, but among those who have been raised to heaven to be with him.
I said, Ye are gods, and all of you sons of the most high.
Psalm 82 verse 6
In this case it is God Himself speaking, he couldn’t be clearer – this is who we are.
Christ Himself quotes this Psalm when in John 10: 34-36 he says “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, Ye are gods’? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken), say ye of him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘Thou blasphemest’; because I said, I am the Son of God?”
In Psalm 86, David’s prayer states “There is none like unto thee among the gods” and in Psalm 95 the same meaning is repeated “For the Lord is a great God, and a great king above all gods.” Psalm 135 has the same. David also says (Psalm 138) “I will give thee thanks with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praises unto thee.” David wouldn’t be singing praises in front of demonic beings, or in front of idols of wood or stone, but – we are to understand – before the company of heaven, the true gods, in other words.
Who is like unto Thee among the gods?
Exodus chapter 15 verse 11
In the Bible we find repeated mentions of one of the titles of God:
For the Lord your God he is God of gods, and Lord of lords.
Deuteronomy chapter 10 verse 17
This title is repeated in Joshua 22:22 and in Psalm 136 and in several other places. The title is significant, as it cannot refer to the household gods or demons mentioned earlier, but can only refer, like the Psalm of Asaph, to beings who are permitted to stand in the presence of God Almighty – i.e. the gods.
There is also reference to the experience of Theosis. In the Old Testament the most striking example is that of Moses after he had communed with God on Mount Sinai. Such was the light emanating from his face that he had to wear a veil for some time afterwards. For it is in experiencing Theosis that we become bearers, vessels of that light.
The visions experienced by Ezekiel, Daniel and Jacob record encounters with divine beings, and the prophets recount visions of God dwelling in light. The New Testament has numerous references to the divine light, and Paul’s vision of God on the road to Damascus was so bright that he was temporarily blinded. Christ, whose transfiguration was witnessed by His disciples, says that He is the light of the world, and in Revelations, we learn that in heaven “his servants . . need no light of lamp, neither light of sun; for the Lord God shall give them light”.
There are numerous references in the Bible to our being children of God or sons of God, or becoming so through grace – as distinct from the only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ. In Genesis Ch. 6 we read that “the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful . . .”. This implies a distinction, at that early time (“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days”) between men and the sons of God,
Who else could these sons of God be but the gods?
