The Uniqueness of the OT Israel's Religion

Why would a religion based on revelation have so much in common with other religions?

1. Paganism is a corruption of earlier, pure religion. Sin corrupted the worship of the true God (Rom. 1.18-23).
2. God's common grace means other religions did not develop independently of the Lord's supervision (Deut. 2.5,9,19; Amos 1.3-2.16; 9.7). Everything is within God's limits (Gen. 12.1-3).
3. Though there are similar forms having meaning to them, the substance of Yahweh worship diverges drastically.

The substance of the Old Testament faith has five main distinctives:

1. Monotheistic and exclusive (Deut. 6.4,5)-non-fragmented without battling and conflictory judgment among gods.
2. God is transcendent, personal and self-sufficient. Whatever God is, he is not the world around us so you can't invoke him by magic (tricks of nature), nor make him impersonally deistic.
3. He does not keep His will hidden. No divination is required (1 Kings 18.26-29). Read His word (Deut. 4.6-8).
4. His divine election establishes a covenant with His people. Does away with feudal gods. God guards jealously, shepherds faithfully forever and values all human beings.
5. Abhors rituals aimed at divine manipulation. Faith must arise from the heart (Hos. 6.4-6), true joy in the Lord (Deut. 12.12,18), and give glory to God day after day (1 Chron. 16.23).