Chapter 3: Our God Is Many Things

The Lord our God is PERFECT!

As I opened the page to write and asked the Lord for guidance, the above statement came immediately. And, although I know it to be true, I was moved to check Merriam-Webster to see the current definition of the word as definitions are often more nuanced than the definition we’re most familiar with. Here are the relevant parts of the entry:

1a: being entirely without fault or defect
b: satisfying all requirements
2: expert, proficient
3a: pure, total b: lacking in no essential detail : complete
c: obsolete : sane
d: absolute, unequivocal

Amen! The Lord our God truly is perfect.

(1a) being entirely without fault or defect: He is flawless, which is why he required the passover lamb to be without spot or blemish and Jesus to be without sin.

(1b) satisfying all requirements: He is all we need as he fills us with peace, love and his holy spirit.

(2 ) expert, proficient: He does everything with expertise and proficiency beyond that of man, as his knowledge and understanding, his thoughts and his ways are higher than ours.

(3a) pure, total: He is pure because, as the God of truth, he cannot lie.

(3b) lacking in no essential detail : complete: He is whole, undivided, one, who is above all, and through all, and in us all.

(3c) obsolete : sane: His thoughts are considered and logical.

(3d) absolute, unequivocal: Breaking this down, let’s look first at “absolute”. This is an interesting word, especially given the shift in meaning from the definition found in Webster’s 1828 and that of today’s Merriam-Webster. Here are the first two definitions from Webster’s 1828, which are nowhere to be found in today’s edition:

(1): (a.) Capable of being thought or conceived by itself alone; unconditioned; non-relative.
(2): (a.) Loosed from, or unconnected by, dependence on any other being; self-existent; self-sufficing.
(3): (a.) Viewed apart from modifying influences or without comparison with other objects; actual; real; – opposed to relative and comparative;

Amen! The Lord our God is capable of conceiving himself, depends on no other being and is without comparison. He is SELF-EXISTENT! The great I AM. There is none beside him.

(3d) absolute, unequivocal: Now, let’s consider “unequivocal”. God is not ambiguous but states clearly what he will do, often with great specificity. The below two verses highlight this beautifully:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17 KJV)

so shall my word be, whatever shall proceed out of my mouth, it shall by no means turn back, until all the things which I willed shall have been accomplished; and I will make thy ways prosperous, and [will effect] my commands. (Isaiah 55:11 BES)

Besides the obvious of God being perfect, what are the many things that define our God? The attributes, qualities, and characteristics by which we can know who he is?

Foundational Attributes

The foundational attributes of God define his essence from which all other attributes flow.

He is ONE.

Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord. (Deuteronomy 6:4 BES)

Now a mediator is not a [mediator] of one, but God is one. (Galatians 3:20 KJV)

He is SPIRIT.

“God [is] Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24 NKJV)

He is LIGHT.

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5 KJV)

He is LOVE.

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:8 KJV)

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16 KJV)

He is TRUE.

He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. (John 3:33 KJV)

But [as] God [is] true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. (2 Corinthians 1:18 KJV)

He is ETERNAL.

And now, hast thou not known? hast thou not heard? the eternal God, the God that formed the ends of the earth, shall not hunger, nor be weary, and there is no searching of his understanding. (Isaiah 40:28 BES)

He IS.

But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent

Our God is all-powerful, all-knowing and everywhere present. All three attributes are inextricably linked. Because he is all-powerful, he knows all things and is everywhere present. Because he is all-knowing, he is all-powerful and everywhere present. And because he is everywhere present, he is all-powerful and all-knowing. There is nothing God cannot do, nothing that he cannot see and know, and nowhere that he is not. Praise God!

Omnipotence

God’s almighty nature is evident in the creation of the heaven and the earth, when he spoke all things into existence. At the sound of his voice all things came into being. He created all things for his pleasure (Revelation 4:11)¹ and nothing is impossible for him.

Shall anything be impossible with the Lord? At this time I will return to thee seasonably, and Sarrha shall have a son. (Genesis 18:14 BES)

But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26 KJV)

Thus saith the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, the moon and the stars for a light by night, and [makes] a roaring in the sea, so that the waves thereof roar; the Lord Almighty is his name: (Jeremiah 38:38 BES) [ Jeremiah 31:35 MT]

For, behold, I am he that strengthens the thunder, and creates the wind, and proclaims to men his Christ, forming the morning and the darkness, and mounting on the high places of the earth, The Lord God Almighty is his name. (Amos 4:13 BES)

And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:18 KJV)

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. (Revelation 1:8 KJV)

And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. (Revelation 19:6 KJV)

Omniscience

Nothing is hidden from God. Every thought, word, and deed is known by him, even before we think, speak, or act. Silence doesn’t cover the thoughts in our heart. Whispering in the wind doesn’t block our words from reaching God’s ears. The darkness of a cave doesn’t hide our deeds.

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. (1 John 3:20 KJV)

For he surveys the works of men, and nothing of what they do has escaped him. Neither shall there be a place for the workers of iniquity to hide themselves. (Job 34:21-22 BES)

If we have forgotten the name of our God, and if we have spread out our hands to a strange god; shall not God search these things out? for he knows the secrets of the heart. (Psalm 43:21-22 BES) [Psalm 44:20-21 MT]

I the Lord try the hearts, and prove the reins, to give to every one according to his ways, and according to the fruits of his devices. (Jeremiah 17:10 BES)

And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:23 KJV)

For there is no unrighteous word in my tongue: behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, (Psalm 138:4 BES) [Psalm 139:4 MT]

Shall any one hide himself in secret places, and I not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24 BES)

Boast not, and utter not high things; let not high-sounding words come out of your mouth, for the Lord [is] a God of knowledge, and God prepares his own designs. (1 Samuel 2:3 BES)

God knows us better than we know ourselves.

He saith unto him the third time, Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. (John 21:17 KJV)

The wonderful thing about God knowing all things, knowing us better than we know ourselves, is that he knows what we need before we ask, and even before we know we need it.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. … Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. (Matthew 6:6, 8 KJV)

And when we follow the Lord, obey his commandments, and abide in his word, he watches over us and hears our prayers.

The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears [are open] to their prayer: (Psalm 34:15 BES) [Psalm 35:15 MT]

For the eyes of the Lord [are] over the righteous, and his ears [are open] unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord [is] against them that do evil. (1 Peter 3:12 KJV)

Omnipresence

God’s presence fills the heaven and the earth. And while the wicked cannot hide from him, he dwells with the righteous (those covered by the blood of Jesus) to guide and strengthen them.

For he surveys the works of men, and nothing of what they do has escaped him. Neither shall there be a place for the workers of iniquity to hide themselves. (Job 34:21-22 BES)

Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? and whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I should go up to heaven, thou art there: if I should go down to hell, thou art present. (Psalm 138:7-8 BES) [ Psalm 139:7-8 MT]

The eyes of the Lord behold both the evil and the good in every place. (Proverbs 15:3 BES)

Shall any one hide himself in secret places, and I not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:24 BES)

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20 KJV)

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:20 KJV)

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23 KJV)

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9 KJV)

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6 KJV)

There are those today who believe that the gift of God’s spirit dwelling within is only from the time of Jesus onwards, however, Peter confirms that the spirit of Christ dwelt in the Old Testament prophets. David also wrote of having God’s holy spirit.

Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace [that should come] unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. (1 Peter 1:10-11 KJV)

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21 KJV)

Cast me not away from thy presence; and remove not thy Holy Spirit from me. (Psalm 50:13 BES) [Psalm 51:11 MT]

King of kings, Lord of lords, God of gods

These three attributes of God show that God is above all, that there is none higher than him.

And ye saw that Naas king of the children of Ammon came against you, and ye said, Nay, none but a king shall reign over us; whereas the Lord our God [is] our king. (1 Samuel 12:12 BES)

For God is king of all the earth: sing praises with understanding. (Psalm 46:8 BES) [Psalm 47:7 MT]

But God is our King of old; he has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth. (Psalm 73:12 BES) [Psalm 74:12 MT]

Men bless the people to whom this lot belongs, [but] blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. (Psalm 143:15 BES) [Psalm 144:15 MT]

And the king answered and said to Daniel, Of a truth your God is a God of gods, and Lord of kings, who reveals mysteries; for thou has been able to reveal this mystery. (Daniel 2:47 BES)

And all the people fell upon their faces, and said, Truly the Lord [is] God; he [is] God. (1 Kings 18:39 BES)

For the Lord your God, he [is] God of gods, and the Lord of lords, the great, and strong, and terrible God, who does not accept persons, nor will he by any means accept a bribe: (Deuteronomy 10:17 BES)

Which in his times he shall shew, [who is] the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; (1 Timothy 6:15 KJV)

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him [are] called, and chosen, and faithful. (Revelation 17:14 KJV)

And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:16 KJV)

A Consuming Fire

For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. (Deuteronomy 4:24 BES)

And thou shalt know to-day, that the Lord thy God he shall go before thy face: he is a consuming fire; he shall destroy them, and he shall turn them back before thee, and shall destroy them quickly, as the Lord said to thee. (Deuteronomy 9:3 BES)

For our God [is] a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29 KJV)

A Witness

Now then come, let me make a covenant, both I and thou, and it shall be for a witness between me and thee; and he said to him, Behold, there is no one with us; behold, God is witness between me and thee. (Genesis 31:44 BES)

And Samuel said to the people, The Lord [is] witness among you, and his anointed [is] witness this day, that ye have not found anything in my hand: and they said, [He is] witness. (1 Samuel 12:5 BES)

And as for the word which thou and I have spoken, behold, the Lord [is] witness between me and thee for ever. (1 Samuel 20:23 BES)

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; (Romans 1:9 KJV)

Compassionate, Merciful & Pitiful

Because the Lord thy God [is] a God of pity: he will not forsake thee, nor destroy thee; he will not forget the covenant of thy fathers, which the Lord sware to them. (Deuteronomy 4:31 BES)

For when ye turn to the Lord, your brethren and your children shall be pitied before all that have carried them captives, and he will restore [you] to this land: for the Lord our God is merciful and pitiful, and will not turn away his face from you, if we return to him. (2 Chronicles 30:9 BES)

The Lord is compassionate and pitiful, long-suffering, and full of mercy. (Psalm 102:8 BES) [Psalm 103:8 MT]

If so be ye have tasted that the Lord [is] gracious. (1 Peter 2:3)

Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. (James 5:11)

Faithful

Thou shalt know therefore, that the Lord thy God, he [is] God, a faithful God, who keeps covenant and mercy for them that love him, and for those that keep his commandments to a thousand generations, (Deuteronomy 7:9 BES)

[As for] God, his works [are] true, and all his ways [are] judgment: God [is] faithful, and there is no unrighteousness [in him]; just and holy [is] the Lord. (Deuteronomy 32:4 BES)

Thus saith the Lord that delivered thee, the God of Israel, Sanctify him that despises his life, him that is abhorred by the nations that are the servants of princes: kings shall behold him, and princes shall arise, and shall worship him, for the Lord’s sake: for the Holy One of Israel is faithful, and I have chosen thee. (Isaiah 49:7 BES)

But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep [you] from evil. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion [endures] through all generations. The Lord is faithful in his words, and holy in all his works. (Psalm 144:13 BES) [Psalm 145:13 MT]

Holy

And Joshua [Ἰησοῦς/Jesus, KM] said to the people, Indeed ye will not be able to serve the Lord, for God is holy; and he being jealous will not forgive your sins and your transgressions. (Joshua 24:19 BES)

Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy. (Psalm 98:9 BES) [Psalm 99:9 MT]

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion [endures] through all generations. The Lord is faithful in his words, and holy in all his works. (Psalm 144:13 BES) [Psalm 145:13 MT]

God of Israel, Lord God of Israel, Holy One of Israel, Lord of Hosts

And he set up there an altar, and called on the God of Israel. (Genesis 33:20 BES)

Three times in the year shall every male of thine appear before the Lord the God of Israel. (Exodus 34:23 BES)

And now take away the strange gods that are among you, and set your heart right toward the Lord God of Israel. (Joshua 24:23 BES)

Hear, ye kings, and hearken, rulers: I will sing, it is I [who will sing] to the Lord, it is I, I will sing a psalm to the Lord the God of Israel. (Judges 5:3 BES)

Thus saith the Lord that delivered thee, the God of Israel, Sanctify him that despises his life, him that is abhorred by the nations that are the servants of princes: kings shall behold him, and princes shall arise, and shall worship him, for the Lord’s sake: for the Holy One of Israel is faithful, and I have chosen thee. (Isaiah 49:7 BES)

I will also therefore give thanks to thee, O God, [because of] thy truth, on an instrument of psalmody: I will sing psalms to thee on the harp, O Holy One of Israel. (Psalm 70:22 BES) [Psalm 71:22 MT]

for [our] help is of the Lord; and of the Holy One of Israel, our king. (Psalm 88:19 BES) [Psalm 89:18 MT]

Ah sinful nation, a people full of sins, an evil seed, lawless children: ye have forsaken the Lord, and provoked the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 1:4 BES)

For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, that saves thee: I have made Egypt and Ethiopia thy ransom, and [given] Soene for thee. (Isaiah 43:3 BES)

Thy deliverer is the Lord of hosts, the Holy One of Israel is his name. (Isaiah 47:4 BES)

For [it is] the Lord that made thee; the Lord of hosts is his name: and he that delivered thee, he is the God of Israel, [and] shall be called [so] by the whole earth. (Isaiah 54:5 BES)

Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is this king of glory. (Psalm 23:10 BES) [Psalm 24:10 MT]

For the end, a Psalm for the sons of Core, concerning the wine-presses. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! (Psalm 83:1 BES) [Psalm 84:1 MT]

Yea, the sparrow has found himself a home, and the turtle-dove a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, [even] thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God. (Psalm 83:4 BES) [Psalm 84:3 MT]

O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in thee. (Psalm 83:13 BES) [(Psalm 84:12 MT]

For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and haughty, and upon every one that is high and towering, and they shall be brought down; (Isaiah 2:12 BES)

But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and the holy God shall be glorified in righteousness. (Isaiah 5:16 BES)

And I said, Woe is me, for I am pricked to the heart; for being a man, and having unclean lips, I dwell in the midst of a people having unclean lips; and I have seen with mine eyes the King, the Lord of hosts. (Isaiah 6:5 BES)

For the heaven shall be enraged, and the earth shall be shaken from her foundation, because of the fierce anger of the Lord of hosts, in the day in which his wrath shall come on. (Isaiah 13:13 BES)

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, As I have said, so it shall be: and as I have purposed, so [the matter] shall remain: (Isaiah 14:24 BES)

O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, who sittest upon the cherubs, thou alone art the God of every kingdom of the world: thou hast made heaven and earth. (Isaiah 37:16 BES)

And thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord Almighty; Turn to me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn to you, saith the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 1:3 BES)

The Judge of the Earth

God is a righteous judge, and strong, and patient, not inflicting vengeance every day. (Psalm 7:12 BES) [Psalm 7:11 MT]

And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge. Pause. (Psalm 49:6 BES) [Psalm 50:6 MT]

For my God is great: the Lord our judge shall not pass me by: the Lord is our prince, the Lord is our king; the Lord, he shall save us. (Isaiah 33:22 BES)

Refuge, Strength, Helper, Deliverer

The Lord is my firm support, and my refuge, and my deliverer; my God is my helper, I will hope in him; [he is] my defender, and the horn of my salvation, and my helper. (Psalm 17:3 BES) [Psalm 18:2 MT]

For the end, for the sons of Core; a Psalm concerning secret things. God is our refuge and strength, a help in the afflictions that have come heavily upon us. (Psalm 45:1 BES) [Psalm 46:1 MT]

For lo! God assists me; and the Lord is the helper of my soul. (Psalm 53:6 BES) [Psalm 54:4 MT]

My heart and my flesh have failed: [but] God [is the strength] of my heart, and God is my portion for ever. (Psalm 72:26 BES) [Psalm 73:26 MT]

Hope in him, all ye congregation of the people; pour out your hearts before him, for God is our helper. Pause. (Psalm 61:9 BES) [Psalm 62:8 MT]

Our Saviour

Our God is the God of salvation; and to the Lord belong the issues from death. (Psalm 67:21 BES) [Psalm 68:20 MT]

[A Psalm] of David, before he was anointed. The Lord is my light and my Saviour; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 26:1 BES) [Psalm 27:1 MT]

Truly the hills and the strength of the mountains were a lying refuge: but by the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. (Jeremiah 3:23 BES)

Behold, my God is my Saviour; I will trust in him, and not be afraid: for the Lord is my glory and my praise, and is become my salvation. (Isaiah 12:2)

Righteous and Good

that the Lord my God is righteous, and there is no iniquity in him. (Psalm 91:16 BES) [Psalm 92:15 MT]

And the elders of Israel and the king were ashamed, and said, The Lord [is] righteous. (2 Chronicles 12:6 BES)

Alleluia. Give thanks to the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy [endures] for ever. (Psalm 105:1 BES) [Psalm 106:1 MT]

For the Lord [is] righteous, and loves righteousness; his face beholds uprightness. (Psalm 10:7 BES) [Psalm 11:7 MT]

Taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man who hopes in him. (Psalm 33:9 BES) [Psalm 34:8 MT]

A Jealous, or Zealous, God of Vengeance

A Psalm of David for the fourth day of the week. The Lord is a God of vengeance; the God of vengeance has declared himself. (Psalm 93:1 BES) [Psalm 94:1 MT]

In the day of vengeance I will recompense, whensoever their foot shall be tripped up; for the day of their destruction [is] near to them, and the judgments at hand are close upon you. (Deuteronomy 32:35 BES)

A voice of men fleeing and escaping from the land of Babylon, to declare to Sion the vengeance [that comes] from the Lord our God. (Jeremiah 27:28 BES) [Jeremiah 50:28 MT]

God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges with wrath; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries, and he cuts off his enemies. (Nahum 1:2 BES)

All these scriptures show clearly that our God is many things and every thing!

For the Lord [is] great, and greatly to be praised: he [is] to be feared above all gods. (1 Chronicles 16:25 BES)