Who is God?

Date written: July 23rd, 2005

Scripture ref: Exodus 3:13-15

SUBJECT: God

TITLE: Who is God?

PROPOSITION: To look at the identity of God as revealed in scripture. He is 1) The Eternal One, 2) The Creator, 3) The Redeemer.

Objectives: Each should understand who God is in relationship to the creation and our salvation.

Aim: To impress upon each one the sovereignty and divinity of God.

INTRODUCTION:

1. Read: Exodus 3:13-15

2. About the Text:

1) We’re all familiar with the text.

2) God is speaking to Moses about leading the children of Israel out of Egypt.

3) But Moses is seeking excuses.

4) One question that Moses asks God is, “What do I say your name is?”

5) God answers, “I AM that I AM.”

6) We know this as the four letter Hebrew word for God otherwise known as the tetragrammaton.

a. The ASV translates the word Jehovah.

b. Newer studies say it is pronounced Yahweh.

c. Some Bibles simply translate it LORD with capital letters.

7) The meaning, however, cannot be any more clear.

8) God’s name is also his description.

9) As we sing in one of our hymns, “Our God He is Alive,” He is the Great I AM.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

DISCUSSION: Who is God?

I. HE IS THE ETERNAL ONE

1. What does it mean to be eternal?

1) The concept of infinity.

2) No beginning; no end.

2. He is eternal in his existence.

1) Psalm 90:2 declares: “Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”

2) Isaiah 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

3. He is eternal in all of his attributes.

1) Love

a. Jeremiah 31:3 “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

b. 1 John 4:16 “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.”

2) Mercy – Psalm 103:17 “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children.”

3) Justice – Psalm 119:42 “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.”

4) Knowledge – Hebrews 4:13 “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

5) Power – Romans 1:20 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”

6) Patience – Exodus 34:6 “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth”

7) Wisdom – Psalm 147:5 “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.”

8) God’s ways are unfathomable – Romans 11:33 “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!”

4. He is The Eternal One.

II. HE IS THE CREATOR

1. He is the Creator of all things.

1) Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

2) Exodus 20:11 “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

3) Nehemiah 9:6 “Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.”

2. This means everything belongs to Him.

1) Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”

2) 1 Chronicles 29:11,12 “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.”

3. This means that all things were created for His glory and honor.

1) Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

2) Colossians 1:16 ” For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”

4. This means that God may do with His creation what He wishes.

1) Isaiah 29:16 “Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?”

2) Jeremiah 18:1-10 – God has the right to do with his creation as He deems appropriate.

3) Romans 9:15 “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

5. He is the potter and we are the clay.

III. HE IS THE REDEEMER

1. A redeemer is someone who buys something back.

1) Redeeming a coupon in a store buys back part of the product.

2) In Ancient times when a foreign power conquered a king, the king would be required to redeem his people or they would go into slavery.

2. What does man need to be bought back from?

1) Job needed to be bought back from his afflictions – Job 19:5 “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:”

2) The children of Israel, so often, needed to be bought back out of the grasp of his enemies – Psalm 78:35 “And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.”

3) Man needs to be bought back from the bondage of sin.

a. Psalm 130:8 “And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

b. Isaiah 44:22 “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”

3. God is indeed man’s Redeemer. It is part of God’s identity.

1) Isaiah 44:6 “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

2) Isaiah 44:24 “Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;”

3) Luke 1:68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people.”

4. God accomplishes this redemption from sin today through His Son, Jesus.

1) Titus 2:13,14 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

2) 1 Peter 1:18, 19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

3) Revelation 5:9,10 “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”