“The most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart perceives God to be like.” A.W. Tozer
Nature declares much about God so that “His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so [men] are without excuse.” Rom. 1:20
Now, we look to His word, the final authority on who He is. His Word is filled with what He says about Himself as well as actions on behalf of mankind that declare His character and His heart.
He is holy.
Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Ex. 15:11, NKJV
But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. Ps. 22:3, NKJV
Repeatedly, the Old Testament refers to Him as the Holy One of Israel. Holy means set apart, sacred, consecrated. To say He is holy is to say He is set apart, distinct from us. Because of this, it is impossible for us to fathom all of who He is. Revelation 4 describes an awesome scene that is occurring right now and has been for all of time past, night and day, without rest:
Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. and in the m idst of the throne, and around the thron, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was alike a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!(Rev. 4:6-8, NKJV)
In the Hebrew culture, to say something 3 times is to demonstrate its perfection. The angels calling God “Holy, holy, holy” is to say He is perfectly set apart….no one or nothing comes anywhere close to Him…..nothing in all of creation compares to Him.
Every time the 4 living creatures declare He is perfectly holy, 24 elders clothed in white and wearing gold crowns, fall down before the throne, cast their crowns before Him and cry out in response,
“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” (Rev. 4:11, NKJV)
Imagine this scene, imagine yourself being a part of it, allow your mind and heart to fill with awe as you gaze upon it…4 living creatures crying out His perfect holiness and in response, 24 elders crying out that He is worthy and that all exists because of Him. Back and forth, alternating choruses of praise to the only One worthy of worship. Night and day….day and night…without rest…..forever. Just imagine.
He is eternal.
But you, O Lord, shall endure forever….Your years have no end. (Ps. 102:12a, 27b, NKJV)
Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? (Hab. 1:12a, NKJV)
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. (Ps. 90:2, NKJV
It is difficult for us to comprehend that God has no beginning. Everything we know has a starting place…..a place of origin. But, God has always been.
He is omniscient…..all-knowing.
Great is our Lord….His understanding is infinite.(Ps. 147:5, NKJV)
Job 37 talks of Him as “One perfect in knowledge. Isaiah 40 tells us His knowledge is unserachable. 1 John 3 tells us He knows everything. In every human relationship we enjoy, we know that no one-not even those closest to us-knows everything about us. In these relationships, it is possible to keep a part of ourselves unknown to all others. But, we can’t with God. He knows even the thoughts and intents of our hearts.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. (Heb. 4:13)
He is all-powerful.
Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? (Jer. 32:27)
Great is the Lord, and abundant in power. (Ps. 147:5a, NKJV)
He is often referred to as God Almighty, or The Almighty.
There are many more attributes of God that can be known from His Word. Think on what the following passages say about Him:
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
Measured heaven with a span
And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure?
Weighed the mountains in scales,
And the hills in a balance
Who has directed the spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor, has taught Him?
With whom did He take counsel and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of justice?
Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations are as a drop in the bucket
And are counted as the small dust on the scales;
Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.
All nations before Him are as nothing,
They are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.
To whom then, will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare to Him?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
He brings the princes to nothing;
He makes the judges of the earth useless.
“To whom then will you like me,
Or, to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.
Life up your eyes on high,
And see who has created these things
Who brings out their host by number;
He calls them all by name,
By the greatness of His might
And the strength of His power;
Not one is missing.
Isaiah 40:12-15, 17-18, 22-23, 25-26, NKJV
Daniel answered and said, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things:
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him. Dan. 2:20-22, NKJV
In the final chapters of Job, we hear God questioning Job, but also declaring who He is. It is awe-inspiring, causing any who read to sit back down and shut up, except to cry as Isaiah did, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” He is a mighty, fearsome God before whom we stand in awe, recognizing our own puny selves in comparison to His greatness.
This is just a small sampling of what His word says of Him. There is so much more that could be quoted….so much more that could be told. He created the universe by simply speaking. He is sovereign above all nations and kingdoms, circumstances and events, tragedies and triumphs. Before Him, every knee will bow in heaven and on earth.
He is not just another option….another god among the many. He is the only God. There is none like Him!
He is not just one more thing in life to try. There is nothing else worthy of our effort or devotion.
He is not just another entity for us to turn to when we need help. He is worthy of all of us….all the time. There is no other who deserves our worship, our love, our lives.
His words are not just wise sayings generally applicable to most…they are truth, absolutely applicable for all. Nor are they up for debate. What He says….is.
We MUST have our view of God correct and in line with His truth before we answer the next question: Who am I?