(Doctrine of God)
Is there a God?
Over the millennia of human existence man has debated this question. Some conclude that there is none. Some conclude that there are many. I will not trudge through the miry muck of numerous philosophical logic or cognitive arguments. Instead, I will start where the Bible starts: there is a God and he is the one and only God. It is interesting to me that the Bible begins at the beginning with the simple yet profound statement: “In the beginning God…” There is no effort to prove God, He simply is. He testifies of himself in the heavens and all creation (Psalm 50:6, 97:6; Romans 1:20). He declares himself to Moses as “I AM” (Exodus 3:14). The Westminster Confession states it powerfully:“There is but one only living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him; and withall most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.” Is there a God? Yes! And what a God he is. As Martin Luther wrote, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.”
What does the Bible tell us about Him?
I believe we can learn about God in the ways He reveals himself to us. He reveals that He is One (Deuteronomy 6:4): “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” He reveals that even though He is One, he is in three persons: As Father (John 6:27), Son (John 1:1, 14), and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19, 20; John 14:16). God reveals himself through a number of names that allude to His personality, His essence:
Names of God
Meaning/Significance
Scripture Reference
Yahweh/Jehovah
The self-existent One.The great "I AM"
Exodus 3:14-15
Yahweh Yireh
Yahweh will provide
Genesis 22:8-14
Yahweh Shalom
Yahweh is peace
Judges 6:24
Yahweh Maccaddeshem
Yahweh your sanctifier
Exodus 31:13
Yahweh Raah
Yahweh is my shepherd
Psalm 23:1
Yahweh Tsidkneu
Yahweh our righteousness
Jeremiah 23:6, 33:16
Yahweh Shammah
Yahweh who is present
Ezekiel 48:35
Yahweh Rapha
Yahweh who heals
Exodus 15:26
Yahweh Elohim
Yahweh, the Mighty One
Judges 5:3; Isaiah 17:6
Adonai
Lord, Master
Exodus 4:10-12; Joshua 7:8-11
Elohim
Mighty One; a plural term for God
Genesis 1:1, 26-27, 3:5
El Roi
The Mighty One who sees
Genesis 16:13
El Shaddai
All-sufficient God
Genesis 17:1-20
El Olam
Everlasting God or God of Eternity
Genesis 21:33; Isaiah 40:28
El Elohe
Israel God, the God of Israel
Genesis 33:20
The Bible tells us much about God. His names are a revelation of who he is. But it is interesting to me to read how the Bible describes God. There are three major characteristics that demonstrate God is God and we are not. He is omnipotent (has all power). He is omniscient (has all knowledge). And He is omnipresent (he is present everywhere).
God’s omnipotence (power) is demonstrated in the fact that He is eternal, without beginning or end (Psalm 9:7; Revelation 1:8; 22:13). He is unchanging, he is constant and unwavering (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 6:17). He created all things; the universe, all living creatures of the world, and all things seen and not seen (Genesis 1 and 2; Exodus 20:11; Hebrews 11:3). Not only did he create all things, He sustains all things so that they continue in existence (Genesis 8:22; Psalm 65:9 – 13; Matthew 6:26-33). And God demonstrates his power most in the fact that He is the redeemer of all things (Exodus 15:2; Isaiah 12:2; 43:11; John 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:9).
God’s omniscience (having all knowledge) is built on the foundational understanding that he is truth (Numbers 23:19; Psalm 33:4; John 8:26; Revelation 6:10). He has all knowledge because He is Holy; divine and set apart from the rest of all creation (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Samuel 2:2; Isaiah 6:3; 57:15). Because God has all knowledge He is just – accurate and precise (Deuteronomy 10:17; 32:4; Psalm 19:9). With his omniscience He rules all things; past, present, and future (Exodus 15:18; Romans 14:11; Ephesians 1:22).
A truly God-like characteristic of His is the amazing fact that He is omnipresent, being everywhere at once. He does this without being seen because He is an invisible God (Exodus 33:20; John 1:18; 1 Timothy 1:17). But God does show himself in a physical way through His creation (Romans 1:19, 20); through holy men’s speech and writings (2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 3:16); and through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-4; John 6:46; 14:9).
Perhaps the best thing to know about God is that God is love (1 John 4:8), and because of that love he “sent His only begotten son, and whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
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2 comments:
What do you think, please, of Obadiah Shoher's interpretation of the story? (here: samsonblinded.org/blog/genesis-37.htm ) He takes the text literally to prove that the brothers played a practical joke on Yosef rather than intended to murder him or sell him into slavery. His argument seems fairly strong to me, but I'd like to hear other opinions.
The brotheres appeard to have moved before spotting joseph coming, so it is not logical that they "pulled away from him" as Shoher suggests as a way to avaoid fulfilling their idle talk of killing. It seems to me that it is not until verse 20 that they suggest killing Joseph and verse 28 clearly states that Joseph's brothers pulled him out of the pit and sold him. This was no practical joke. It was God's divine plan to deliver Israel through Egypt. This is testified in Genesis 45 when Jospeh tells his brother's about God's plan was deliverence the whole time.
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