How does the Bible describe God? part 6

Welcome again, my dear reader. This is part 6 of a series of seven articles that address the question, How does the Bible describe God? So let us continue from where we stopped in the previous article.

36. God is the Ancient of Days

The Bible describes God as the Ancient of Days. This means one who has been present before time began. In other words, God was there in the beginning, when nothing else existed.

We come across this description of God in the book of Daniel 7:9. It says

“I watched till thrones were put in place and the Ancient OF Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame; its wheels were a burning fire.”

Another verse in the Bible that describes God as the Ancient of Days is Daniel 7:13. It says

“I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the ANCIENT OF DAYS, and they brought Him near before Him.”

So here we see Jesus Christ (the Son of Man) being brought before God (the Ancient of Days), the Almighty, who then gives Christ the everlasting kingdom.

The third place in the Bible where the phrase Ancient of Days is used to describe God is in Daniel 7:22. It says

“Until the Ancient OF Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.”

Lesson for us: Before time began, before everything else came into existence, God was. This shows that God is the beginning of everything. Consequently, the best thing we can do is offer worship to Him alone.

37. God does not forget our good works

The Bible describes God as one who remembers every good deed done by His people. The best scripture we can use to elaborate on this point is Hebrews 6:10. It says

“For God IS NOT UNJUST TO FORGET YOUR WORK AND LABOR OF love, which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister.”

In Malachi 3:16, the scriptures mention a book of remembrance that was written for those who feared God and meditated on His name. The scripture says:

“Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; So A BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE was written before Him FOR THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD AND WHO MEDITATE ON HIS NAME.”

The Bible tells us that after the flood destroyed everything that had the breath of life, God REMEMBERED Noah. Noah, together with his family, had been locked up in the Ark throughout the 40 days and 40 nights of the great flood. So God caused the rains to stop, including the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven. Ten months later, the waters dried up from the earth. Consequently, Noah and all that were with him in the ark, including the animals, came out (Genesis 8:1–19).

Lesson for us: God never forgets His people, even though they go through a lot of difficulties. At His appointed time, He usually visits them to do them good. The book of Ecclesiastes 3:11 captures this very well when it says:

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from the beginning to the end.”

This passage tells you that it is impossible to figure out what God is doing in your life, no matter how hard you try. Therefore, the best thing to do is to continue doing good as you wait for His visitation. At His APPOINTED TIME ALL WILL BE WELL!

38. God is a giver

The Bible describes God as a giver. The Scriptures show us that it is God who gives children, increase, joy, knowledge, land, riches, rest, revelation, skill, understanding, wealth, wisdom, the Holy Spirit, eternal life, and so much more. These scriptures include the following:

Genesis 48:9

“Joseph said to his father, ‘THEY ARE MY SONS, whom GOD HAS GIVEN ME in this place.’ And he said, ‘Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.’”

Genesis 30:22

“Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and OPENED HER WOMB. And SHE CONCEIVED AND BORE A SON, and said, ‘God gas taken away my reproach.’”

Deuteronomy 3:18

“Then I commanded you at that time, saying: ‘The LORD YOUR GOD HAS GIVEN YOU THIS LAND TO POSSESS.’ All you men of valor shall crossover armed before your brethren, the children of Israel. ”

Ecclesiastes 2:26

“For GOD GIVES WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE AND JOY to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner HE GIVES THE WORK OF GATHERING AND COLLECTING, that he may give to him who is good before God. This is also vanity and grasping for the wind.”

Ecclesiastes 6:2

“A man to whom God HAS GIVEN riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a foreigner consumes it. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.”

1 Kings 4:29

“And GOD GAVE SOLOMON WISDOM AND EXCEEDINGLY GREAT UNDERSTANDING, AND LARGENESS OF HEART LIKE THE SAND ON THE SEASHORE.”

Joshua 22:4

“And now the LORD YOUR God HAS GIVEN REST TO YOUR brothers, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan.”

2 Chronicles 20:30

“Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God GAVE HIM REST ALL AROUND.”

Daniel 1:17

“As for these four young men, God GAVE THEM KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL IN ALL LITERATURE AND WISDOM; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that He GAVE His ONLY BEGOTTEN Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

1 Corinthians 3:6

“I planted, Apollos watered, BUT GOD GAVE THE INCREASE.”

Luke 11:13

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your HEAVENLY FATHER GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT to those who ask Him?”

1 John 5:11

“And this is the testimony: that GOD HAS GIVEN US ETERNAL LIFE, and this life is in His Son.”

Lesson for us: All the scriptures mentioned in this section point to a God who is a giver of all that we have. In order to be given anything by God, we need to ask. If we do not ask, we will not receive anything from Him. This is what Jesus instructed His disciples to do whenever they were in need. In John 16:23–24, the scriptures say:

“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, HE WILL GIVE YOU. Until now, you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

And when we do ask, the Bible instructs us to do so in faith. This is because doubt and unbelief are enemies of God (James 1:6).

39. God is a God of vengeance

The Bible describes God as one who executes vengeance upon His enemies and upon those who afflict His people. The lead scripture in this regard is Deuteronomy 32:35, which says

“Vengeance IS MINE, and RECOMPENSE; their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them.”

In this passage, God speaks of the punishment that shall befall all those who hate Him as well as those who oppress His people.

Deuteronomy 32:39 further expounds on what God actually does to a rebellious and unrepentant people. It says

“Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there anyone who can deliver from My hand.”

This passage shows that when God begins to punish an individual for his sins, nobody can deliver the said person from the hand of God.

Since it is God who avenges His people, believers are urged not to take revenge when others offend them. Instead, they are encouraged to surrender all matters to God, who is capable of executing justice on their behalf. This is well captured in Romans 12:19, that says

“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ SAYS THE LORD.”

This is the Bible’s prescription for how to overcome evil with good.

In 2 Samuel 22:48 and Psalms 18:47, King David puts it this way:

“It is God who avenges me and subdues the people under me.”

Lesson for us: God’s version of vengeance is much more effective compared to ours. That is why, as believers, we should leave it to God to repay those who offend us. In so doing, we develop self-control, which is important in molding a Godly character.

Christ left us a perfect example during His persecution and ultimate crucifixion. The Bible tells us that when he was verbally abused, he did not abuse in return. When He was hit, He never hit back. When they spat on Him, He did not spit back. We find this in 1 Peter 2:23. It says

“Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

This is the highest level of maturity that God expects from believers whenever they are wronged. It is difficult to follow this example, but not impossible. So let’s strive to attain this level of maturity.

40. God hates a proud look

The Bible describes God as one who hates pride. It is, in fact, an abomination to Him. This is according to Proverbs 6:16–17 and Proverbs 16:5.

Proverbs 6:16–17 says

“These six things the LORD hates—yes, seven—are an abomination to Him: A PROUD LOOK, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans. Feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.”

Proverbs 16:5 says

“EVERYONE PROUD IN HEART IS AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD; though they join forces, none will go unpunished.”

Scriptures tell us that proud people are mostly responsible for the many strifes we witness in our daily transactions. This is recorded in Proverbs 28:25, which says

“He WHO IS OF A PROUD HEART STIRS UP STRIFE, but he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered.”

Consequently, the Bible teaches that God resists the proud. This means that if you are a proud person, you automatically set yourself on a collision course with God. The book of James 4:6 puts it this way:

“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, but gives grace to the humble.’”

The punishment for the proud in heart is clearly spelled out in Job 40:11–12. It says

“Disperse the rage of your wrath; LOOK ON EVERYONE WHO IS PROUD, AND HUMBLE HIM. LOOK ON EVERYONE WHO IS PROUD, AND BRING HIM LOW.”

According to this scripture, the punishment for those who are proud is that, when the right time comes, THEY SHALL BE BROUGHT LOW or HUMILIATED.

The Bible also teaches that God does not endure the proud in heart. This is recorded in Psalm 101:5, that says:

“Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, HIM I WILL DESTROY; the one who has a haughty look and A PROUD HEART, HIM I WILL NOT ENDURE.”

Thus, when it reaches a point where God can no longer endure you because of pride, He will certainly destroy you.

These sentiments are also echoed in Proverbs 15:25, that says

“The LORD WILL DESTROY THE HOUSE OF THE PROUD, but He will establish the boundary of the widow.”

In Malachi 4:1, the prophet also speaks of the destruction that awaits the proud in heart in the Great Day of God. It says

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, AND ALL THE PROUD, YES, ALL WHO DO WICKEDLY WILL BE STUBBLE. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, ‘says the LORD of hosts, and that will leave them neither root nor branch.”

According to this passage, the proud in heart are usually destroyed together with their descendants.

Lesson for us: Every believer should always remember that pride is a sure way of earning God’s wrath. We have seen the punishment that awaits all those who are proud, and I am sure you don’t want to be found in that space.

Jesus teaches us to be humble if we are to be His true ambassadors in a world choked with pride. We get this instruction in Matthew 11:29, which says

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, FOR I AM GENTLE AND LOWLY IN HEART, and you will find rest for your souls.”

41. God hates a lying tongue

The Bible describes God as one who hates a tongue that tells lies (Proverbs 6:17).

A lying tongue is an abomination to God. This is according to Proverbs 12:22, which says

“LYING LIPS ARE AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.”

The Bible teaches that lies are short-lived. We read this in Proverbs 6:17, which says

“The truthful lip shall be established forever, but A LYING TONGUE IS BUT FOR A MOMENT.”

The Bible also teaches that it is wrong to get riches through a lying tongue. This is because wealth acquired through lies never lasts. In fact, those who acquire wealth by lying are actually signing their own death warrant. This is according to Proverbs 21:6, which says

“GETTING TREASURES BY A LYING TONGUE is the fleeting fantasy of THOSE WHO SEEK DEATH.”

Lying to God may prove disastrous, as was the case with Ananias and Saphira, his wife. The book of Acts 5:1–11 gives an account of how the two believers met their deaths because they lied to the Apostles and, by extension, to the Holy Spirit. This is what a portion of this scripture says:

“But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has SATAN FILLED YOUR HEART TO LIE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’ Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.” (Acts 5:3-5)

The Bible teaches that all those who speak lies shall not escape but shall be punished promptly. This is according to Proverbs 19:5, which says

“A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape.”

In addition, Proverbs 19:9 indicates to us that those who speak lies shall perish altogether. It says

“A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies SHALL PERISH.”

Lesson for us: Given the negative consequences associated with speaking lies, we as believers should always speak the truth at all times. This is regardless of whether we shall be praised or land into problems. But it is better to speak the truth and land in trouble than to lie and be at loggerheads with our Maker.

The Apostle Paul urges believers not to lie to one another, for such is the conduct of the unbelievers and our former man. This is recorded in Ephesians 4:25 and Colossians 3:9.

Ephesians 4:25 says

“Therefore, PUTTING AWAY LYING, ‘let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.’”

Colossians 3:9 says

“DO NOT LIE TO ONE ANOTHER, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.”

42. God hates hands that shed innocent blood

The Bible also describes God as one who hates hands that shed innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17).

The main reason why no one is allowed to shed innocent blood is simply because ‘MAN WAS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.’ This is according to Genesis 9:6, which says

“Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; FOR IN THE IMAGE OF God HE MADE MAN.”

This is why Cain was punished for killing his brother Abel (Genesis 4:11–12).

When innocent blood is shed on the ground, it cries out to God, asking for revenge. We read this story in Genesis 4:8–10. It says

“Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ He said, ‘I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?’ and He said, ‘What have you done? THE VOICE OF YOUR BROTHER’S BLOOD CRIES OUT TO ME FROM THE GROUND.’”

When King David killed Uriah and took his wife Bathsheba, God sent His prophet Nathan to inform the King of his error and subsequent consequences. We read this in the book of 2 Samuel 12:9–12. The scripture says:

“Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? YOU HAVE KILLED URIAH THE HITTITE WITH THE SWORD; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and you have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. Now therefore, THE SWORD SHALL NEVER DEPART FROM YOUR HOUSE, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I WILL RAISE UP ADVERSITY AGAINST YOU FROM YOUR OWN HOUSE; AND I WILL TAKE YOUR WIVES BEFORE YOUR EYES AND GIVE THEM TO YOUR NEIGHBOR, AND HE SHALL LIE WITH YOUR WIVES IN THE SIGHT OF THIS SUN. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’”

In fact, one major reason why God did not allow King David to build Him a house was because he had shed much blood while at war. We read this in 1 Chronicles 28:3, which says

“But God said to me, ‘YOU SHALL NOT BUILD A HOUSE FOR MY NAME, because you have been a man of war and HAVE SHED BLOOD.’”

According to the book of 2 Kings 21:6, King Manasseh shed much innocent blood during his reign and was later punished by God for this evil. This is according to 2 Kings 24:3–4, which says

“Surely at the commandment of the LORD this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also BECAUSE OF THE INNOCENT BLOOD THAT HE HAD SHED; FOR HE HAD FILLED Jerusalem WITH INNOCENT BLOOD, which the LORD WOULD NOT PARDON.”

Shedding innocent blood greatly pollutes the land, and the only remedy for this crime is to kill the offender. We read this in Numbers 35:33. This is what it says:

“So you shall pollute the land where you are; FOR BLOOD DEFILES THE LAND and NO ATONEMENT CAN BE MADE FOR THE LAND, FOR THE BLOOD THAT IS SHED ON IT, EXCEPT BY THE BLOOD OF HIM WHO SHED IT.”

Shedding innocent blood is one of the reasons for unanswered prayers. We find this in Isaiah 1:15. It says

“When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; EVEN THOUGH YOU MAKE MANY PRAYERS, I WILL NOT LISTEN; YOUR HANDS ARE FULL OF BLOOD.”

Lesson for us: Shedding innocent blood still remains an abomination to God. We have seen scriptural evidence regarding the consequences of committing this sin. Therefore, as believers, we should never shed innocent blood, no matter the justification. Instead, we should leave the matter to the relevant authorities and allow the law to take its course.

One final scripture we can quote before winding up this sub-section is Jeremiah 22:3. It says

“Thus says the LORD: ‘Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor SHED INNOCENT BLOOD in this place.’”

Conclusion

This article is the sixth in a series of seven that discuss how the Bible describes God. To read Part 5 of the article, kindly click the link provided below. Through these articles, we seek to examine what the Bible says about the attributes, character, nature, and traits of God. The main goal of this article is to deepen the reader’s understanding of the topic under discussion. It also seeks to add to the already-existing body of knowledge about the attributes and nature of God. It is my sincere hope that you will find it helpful. Thank you, and God bless you.

Related Post: How does the Bible describe God? part 5

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Prayer to become a born-again Christian

“Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and hereby ask for your forgiveness;

I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that you are the only begotten Son of the living God.

I believe that you were sent by your Father to the earth to save sinners like me.

I now accept you as my personal Lord and Savior.

Come into my heart and baptize me with The Holy Spirit.

Thank you for saving me.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen!”

Congratulations friend! You are now a born-again Christian!

Welcome to the Family of God!

Benediction

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.”

(Numbers 6:24-26)

Shalom.

Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/