When reading through the Bible , especially the Old Testament , you will see many references to "other gods".  These references compare the God of Israel to other gods or otherwise acknowledges that there are "other gods".  (See Exodus 18:10-12, Exodus 23:12-14, Deuteronomy 11:15-17 , Joshua 23:15-16 , and passages in Judges, 1 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Psalms, Jeremiah, and Hosea.) This is really confusing.  Isn't God, the God of Israel, the Living God, the ONLY God?  Well, here is my opinion.  I think that anything that is worshiped is a god to the person doing the worshiping.  But I don't think those "gods" are gods that can "do" anything, or feel anything, or fix anything, or provide hope.  I think they are just people or things that are worshiped.  They are gods because someone has made them gods.  it takes an act of worship by a person to make it a god.   Now, the God of Israel is not that way at all.  ...