"I (God) will not yield my glory to another." --Isaiah 48:11b
Why does God so emphatically assert that He will not yield His glory to another? I submit that there are several reasons.
First, God alone is the Supreme and Sovereign One. He is the LORD Almighty. If God yielded His glory to another, it would imply that somehow the "other" has status above Him. It would be to deny the reality of who God is.
Second, God will not encourage idolatry. If God yielded the praise that is due Him to another, then God would be encouraging idolatry, at least indirectly. Our worship should go to the highest and greatest being that exists. God will never allow us to live in the fantasy that another is higher or greater than He and somehow more deserving of praise than He.
Third, God loves us and wants what is best for us. Our best is found in a relationship with Him. God will never play second fiddle to anyone, for He wants us always to realize that our highest and best in life is found in Him and Him alone.
Fourth, God's emphatic refusal to yield His glory to another is a warning to us. We must never elevate ourselves above God in our own minds or hearts. We must never seek the praise of others that rightly belongs to God. We must always recognize that whatever skills, strengths or gifts we have are the result of God's grace and mercy toward us. We should constantly remind ourselves of this reality and verbalize it as we minister in the name of Christ.
Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.
David<><