Q 1 ~ Who is the first and best of beings?
I know the first thing that pops in my mind when asked who is the first and best of beings, is God. He is the first. I can’t say that I have ever thought or asked myself who is the best of beings. It just goes without saying that because of who God is, He is the best!
Author’s Answer: God is the first and best of beings.
Verses offered to answer the question
Isaiah 44:6 ~ “…I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.”
I couldn’t agree more!
Psalm 8:1 ~ O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, who has displayed Thy spender above the heavens.
Psalm 96:4…For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
Psalm 97:9…For Thou are the Lord Most High over all the earth; Thou are exalted far above all gods.
1 Samuel 2:2 ~ There is no one holy like the Lord, indeed, there is no one besides Thee, nor is there any rock like our God.
FIRST BEING
I'll give the author this one
Regarding the first verse given, Isaiah 44:6, like I commented before, I wholeheartedly agree. This verse definitely answers the first part of the question, who is the first of beings. God is telling us point blank the He is the first and the last and there is no god besides Him. So, kudos on that verse as a reference to answering the question.
BEST BEING
I disagree.
The other four verses the author gives to answer his question, I don’t agree that they fit with answering who the first and best being is. At least they don’t answer who is the first being. They could be an answer to the second part of the question, who is the best being, but in all honesty that just goes without saying. Yes, the Lord’s name is majestic, He is great and greatly to be praised, there is no one besides Him.
Although I already know in my heart that God is the best of beings, I struggle with those verses clearly answering that question. I mean if I were to get into a discussion with a searching soul about God being the best being out there, I can’t say any of these four verses would come to mind. And for that matter, I can think of a multitude of other, better verses to answer who is the first being!
WHAT WORKS FOR ME
First Being
Countless times throughout the Old Testament God is quoted as saying and acknowledging Himself as being the first, and the last.
Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you”.
I AM! That right there tells us that God has always been!
Genesis 1:1 ~ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Job 38:4 ~ God asks Job, “where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?”
Ephesians 1:4 ~ ..just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…
These three verses show us that God was there before it all began because He is the One that began it all.
Ephesians 4:4-6 ~ There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Best Being
Again, it goes without saying that God is the best of the best of all beings. He is the whole package. We humans are fickle, we have best friends and we are a best friend to spmeone, and then we don’t or we aren’t anymore. But God always is!
To be a best friend to someone, you are there when they need you, you go everywhere together, you share everything with each other, even your most intimate thoughts and desires. You are bosom buddies, inseparable. Until you’re not. Best friends come and go, especially in our younger years. As adults, they do tend to stick around much longer because most adults aren’t as fickle as they were when they were younger. I know I’m not. I cherish my dear adult friends.
God can be, should be and is our best friend. There is only one difference, HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU! We may leave or more accurately, turn our backs on Him from time to time, but He remains by our side.
My verses
Psalms 46:1 ~ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ Be strong and courageous do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, He will not fail you or forsake you.
Proverbs 18:10 ~ The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.
Psalms 3:3 ~ But Thou, oh Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the One who lifts my head.
Naham 1:7 ~ The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.
Psalms 91:11 ~ For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.
Romans 8:31 ~ …if God is for us, who is against us?”
(I could go on and on)
God even provides us with armor to protect us from the evil one. Because in all honesty, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, it is against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12)
Ephesians 6:14-17 ~ Belt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Boots of Peace, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God)
Do you have a BBF that would do all that for you?
So back to the original question of who is the first and best of beings, I would say the author provided verses that do answer the second part of the question (who is the best of beings) by showing us ways that only God can be there for us. Not only is He a best friend to us, but He is also the best at providing all we need to live. Psalms 23:1 says it all, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (or I shall never be in want).
In Conclusion
It is my opinion that the question should focus on just one point, who is the first being. To include and ask who is the best being, in my opinion, it takes away from examining and searching the scriptures for how and when God existed. It is by faith that we believe God just always was. Our minds and thought process are so limited, we won’t ever be able to grasp the concept of just always existing, while here on earth, so I will leave you with this answer that God gives to Isaiah;
“You are my witnesses”, declares the Lord. “And my servant whom I have chosen, In order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.” Isaiah 43:10
I am still searching for the verse that clearly expresses God as the best being. As soon as I find it, I’ll let you know. However, in the meantime, if you happen to know of a verse demostrating God being the best of beings, please share below.