SO, WHAT IS GOD LIKE ?

Ecclesiastes 11:5   In the same way that we do not know the ways of the Spirit; or how the fetus is formed in the womb of the mother; we comprehend so little of the works of our Creator …

It’s true, we understand so little of the mysteries of God.  But … but we do know what He has revealed  about Himself – and it’s quite substantial!

God reveals Himself primarily thru His written Word.  As we read and study the Scriptures, God’s Spirit is able to speak to us, and teach us … if we’re willing to listen to His voice and to receive His guidance. 

God is further revealed in nature, which is referred to as His “Second Book”.   By beholding the handiwork of an artisan, we can learn much about that person. All of Creation is the evidence of God’s love and His goodness.

And God is revealed to us personally by the promptings of His Holy Spirit, Who was sent, after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, to guide our footsteps.

Let’s examine what He has revealed  about Himself, as it is substantial!

Thru the prophet Isaiah, God speaks:  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”  declares the LORD.   “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:8, 9  NIV     What is He like?  There is NONE like Him!

Isaiah 45:5, 6  “I am the LORD, and there is no other; Apart from me there is no God.”  He is sovereign and supreme – “There is none like Me!”  NIV

God’s Power –  He is omnipotent!

Psalm 62:11, 12  “… power belongs to God;  Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy.”  NKJV   All power is His, and all mercy, as well – a perfect balance!  The history of this world has seen a procession of ruthless tyrants and dictators, drunken with terrifying power, while showing no mercy.  But our Heavenly Father’s supreme omnipotence is tempered, is perfectly balanced, with His mercy and His wonderful grace. 

As to His power?  Addressing the New Testament Church, Hebrews 12:28-29  states that we should “…serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.  For our God is a consuming fire.”  NKJV

Jude 24  “He is able to keep you from falling,  and to present you before his glorious presence without fault    and with great joy;”  He’s able,  so…

… so that we may be able to stand against the adversary.  “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  Ephesians 6:12, 13  NIV

He is able to make us stand firm in the face of evil. Isaiah 40:28-31  “Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary, and increases the power of the weak … but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.”  NIV

God’s Unfathomable Love – He cares supremely for us:   Jeremiah 31:3

“Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.”   KJV …  and in Isaiah 49:16  “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;”  KJV

In English, we have one word for “love”: I love baseball; I love bean soup; I love my family; I love My Lord.  The same word is used in all those instances.  But in Greek, one of the primary languages of Scripture, “love” can be: “phileo”, as in the affection of a friend.  Philadelphia is reputed to be the City of Brotherly Love, although Philly’s murder rate is a standing denial of that rumor!  Then, there’s “eros”, or physical, sensual, erotic love.  And finally, there’s “agape”, which describes the selfless, others-seeking, love of God, which Christ demonstrated throughout His life in our flesh.  Agape is the calibre of love that God has for us.

John 3:16, 17   Witness the depth of His love, and the extent of His purpose: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world thru Him might be saved.”  KJV

The apostle Peter counsels us to: “Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you”. I Peter 5:7  KJV

Luke 15:11-24  “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.  Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.  So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.  But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!  I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”‘ So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.  And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;  and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.  NASU

O, dear reader!  Behold the depth of the love of the Father!  Your Heavenly Father!!

God’s Ever-Presence : His Omnipresence Thru His Holy Spirit

Jeremiah 23:23, 24  “Am I a God who is near, and not a God far off?” declares the LORD. ” Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?”  … and, “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?”  NASU

Psalm 139:7-12  King David says: Where can I go from Your presence?  Diamond Rio’s song: “Imagine a place He would never be – God Is there”

God’s Omniscience – His knowledge and wisdom : He is our counselor, our Divine Psychiatrist, our Heavenly Comforter.

Romans 11:33-36  “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counselor?”  KJV  Who among us qualifies as God’s advisor?

Colossians 2:3  speaks of Jesus, “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”  KJV

Daniel 2:20  “Blessed be the name of the Lord forever and ever, to Whom belong wisdom and might.”  RSV  Wisdom and might are His possessions!

Psalm 111:10  “Reverence for the Lord   (the fear of the Lord)  is the beginning  of  wisdom and understanding.”

James 1:5 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” NAS  We must go directly to the Source of all knowledge and wisdom.

God’s Ways – Psalm 18:30  “As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: He is a buckler  (a reinforcement)  to all those that trust in Him.”  KJV   God’s ways are flawless, His Word is sound and true.

In Exodus, chapter 33, we see God’s way of accommodating the faithful Moses:  God has commanded  Moses to prepare two tables of stone and bring them, by himself, up to the top of Mt. Sinai.

Exodus 33:18-23  “Then Moses said, ‘Show me Your glory.’  And the LORD replied, ‘I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.  But,’ He said, ’you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live.’ “  … because, to sin and the sinner, He is a consuming fire.

“Then the LORD said, ‘There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.  When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.  Then I will remove My hand and you will see My back;  but My face must not be seen.’ ” NIV

OK, here we go, now!  Watch this:

Exodus 34:5-7  “Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him (with Moses) and proclaimed His name, the LORD.  And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming”  –   listen:  ” ‘The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,  maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.’ ”  NIV   The power and the glory of the Almighty!

Are we sinners? The prophet  Isaiah 53:6  testifies “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;”   Indeed we are guilty as charged!   But the Good News is Jesus is standing in our place.

Continuing: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed … and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”  KJV  His ways are beyond comprehension!  Praise His holy name!

What is the Almighty God like?  He’s like this:  Israel had been taken into exile for the umpteenth time; but once more, God is announcing His plan to restore them to their land, and to His grace  – yet again!  Now, listen as God speaks thru the prophet Ezekiel: “… say to the house of Israel, ‘… It is not for your sake … that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations … v.23  I will show the holiness of My great name … Then the nations will know that I am the LORD… when I show Myself holy, through you, before their eyes.  Ezekiel 36:22-23  NIV    Now, that’s how He is, because   that’s   Who   He is!!

What is God like?  We need only look to Jesus, Who was sent to reveal the true character and nature of the Heavenly Father, and Whom the Scriptures refer to as “The Word Made Flesh”.   He is the flesh-and-bone image of the Father .  Like Father, like Son!

Hebrews   1:3   “He (Jesus) reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of His nature, upholding the universe by His word of power.”  RSV

John 14:9  Philip says to Jesus, “Show us the Father” to which Jesus replies, “Philip, have I been with you all this time   and still you don’t  know … if you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.”

I believe we’ve all, at some time or another, experienced the heartache of a broken relationship; perhaps with a family member, a dear friend, a loved one. Hopefully, there have also been wonderful reconciliations in some  instances.  Can you recall, for a moment, the joy, the peace, the lifting of the burden when reconciliation takes place?  That’s the joy He brings us!

Isaiah 59:1-2  “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear:  2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you,”  KJV   There’s the broken relationship.  Now, here’s the good news …  here it is …

II Corinthians 5:19 “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.” 

… because that’s Who He is!  He has provided full reconciliation in and thru Jesus Christ.  And it’s free and it’s open  to all who desire to be restored to fellowship,  and to one-ness with our Father, with His Son, with His Spirit! 

Finally, The Lord is unchangeable.  He remains constant, and will be “from age to age the same”.  You can rely on His Word, His promise is sure.

Thru the prophet Malachi, God says, “For I am the LORD, I change not” Malachi 3:6  KJV  Take that to the bank!   And then we discover in …

Hebrews 13:8  “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”  KJV  You can depend on Him, the Rock on which to build your foundation.

Jude 25  “…to the only God our Savior  be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!  Amen.”  NIV

Father in Heaven: As we read Your Word and open our hearts to You in prayer, please reveal Yourself to us in terms that we can understand, so that, in all circumstances, we might know you and be willing to trust You; to seek the reconciliation you’ve given us in Christ.  May we seek Your  companionship and Your counsel in the Scriptures; and be willing to walk in Your ways.  In the worthy, holy name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ we ask these things  –  Amen!