How does the Bible describe God? part 7

Welcome again, my dear reader. This is the last post 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.

43. God hates a heart that devises wickedness

The Bible describes God as one who hates a heart that devises wickedness (Proverbs 6:18).

Consequently, the punishment for wickedness is death, as stated in Proverbs 2:22. It says,

“But the WICKED WILL BE CUT OFF FROM THE EARTH, and the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.”

In the Bible, the phrase to BE CUT OFF, means ‘to be put to death’.

Wickedness is a problem deeply entrenched in the hearts of men. This problem arose the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the fruit from the forbidden tree. Ever since, the heart of man has been inclined towards evil.

Jeremiah 17:9 captures the evil state of the heart of man in the following manner:

“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”

From this passage, we learn that God is able to discern the motive behind every action we take. For example, if our outward deeds are ‘good’ but the intentions of our hearts are ill, God is able to discern that and deal with us accordingly. Remember, the scriptures teach that God cannot be mocked, and as a result, whatever we sow is what we reap (Galatians 6:7-8).

In the days of Noah, it was because of the wickedness of man that God sent the Great Flood, which destroyed everything that had the breath of life. We read this in Genesis 6:5. It says

“Then the LORD saw that THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN WAS GREAT on earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’”

The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God because of the wickedness committed by their inhabitants. This is recorded in Genesis 13:13 and 19:24–25. It says

“But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.”

“Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.”

In the book of 1 Chronicles 2:3, we are told of Er, the firstborn of Judah, whom the LORD killed because of his wickedness. This is what the scripture says

“The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by the daughter of Shua, the Canaanites. Er, THE FIRSTBORN OF JUDAH WAS WICKED IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD; SO HE KILLED HIM.”

Gideon was one of the judges appointed by God to judge His people. According to the scriptures, Gideon had seventy sons. It so happened that when Gideon died, one of his sons, Abimelech, killed all of his brothers except one called Jotham, who hid himself and thus escaped from his hand (Judges 9). This killing displeased God, who later got Abimelech punished for his sin. We read this in Judges 9:56, which says

“Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father, by killing his seventy brothers.”

According to the books of 1^st and 2^nd Kings, God punished the Kings of Israel who were wicked in their conduct. This included Jeroboam, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Ahab, and Manasseh, among others.

There are several forms of wickedness outlined in the Bible. They include

• Giving false testimony

Giving false testimony is considered wickedness in the Bible. This is according to Exodus 23:1, that says

“You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.”

• Killing the innocent and the righteous, as recorded in Exodus 23:7.

“Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.”

• Uncovering the nakedness of a woman and her daughter (Leviticus 18:17) This implies having sexual intercourse with a woman and her daughter.
• Marrying a woman and her mother (Leviticus 20:14)
• Uncovering the nakedness of your sister (Leviticus 20:17) This implies having sexual intercourse with your own sister.
• Mistreating those who are poor (Deuteronomy 15:9).

Lesson for us: From the reviewed scriptures, it is abundantly clear that one cannot be wicked and simply get away with it unpunished. God, being a just God, always sees to it that the wicked person is repaid to the fullest according to his sin.

Furthermore, the Bible tells us that the wicked will never have peace as long as they continue in their evil ways. We read this in Isaiah, which says

“’There is no peace,’ says the LORD, ‘For the wicked.’”

Thus, as believers, in order to remain at peace with God, we must shun all forms of wickedness outlined in the scriptures.

44. God hates feet that are swift in running to evil

The Bible tells us that God hates people who are quick to run into evil (Proverbs 6:18).

So how did evil come into being when the Bible teaches that God created everything good? It all began in the Garden of Eden.

God, in His wisdom, decided to place the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. As a test of obedience, He instructed Adam and Eve not to eat from it. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve, under the influence of the serpent, disobeyed God and ate from the tree. This marked the fall of man and the beginning of all evil on this planet.

Since then, the heart of man has continually been inclined towards evil. Genesis 6:5 puts it this way:

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that EVERY INTENT OF THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY.”

Let us examine several things that the Bible says about evil.

The Bible teaches that the Angel of the Lord redeems God’s people from evil. For example, in Genesis 48:16, Jacob tells us that whenever evil overtook him, the Angel of the LORD was ever present to deliver him.

When Pharaoh came close to attacking the children of Israel by the Red Sea, the Bible says the Angel of the LORD came and stood between the Egyptians and God’s people. In essence, this meant that the army of the Egyptians could not do any harm to the children of Israel. This is recorded in Exodus 14:19 as follows:

“And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.”

The Bible also warns us not to join others in the pursuit of evil. We read this in Exodus 23:2, which says

“YOU SHALL NOT FOLLOW A CROWD TO DO EVIL; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.”

The Bible also tells us that when we walk in the path of evil, God hides His face from us. In other words, God becomes inaccessible no matter how many prayers we make. We read this in Deuteronomy 31:18, which says

“And I will surely HIDE MY FACE IN THAT DAY BECAUSE OF ALL THE EVIL WHICH THEY HAVE DONE, in that they have turned to other gods.”

In the book of Proverbs 1:10–18, the Bible advises us not to join forces with those who pursue evil. Failure to heed this instruction simply leads to our own destruction, as pointed out in verse 18 of the same chapter.

Lesson for us: Having examined the consequences of partaking in evil, we should shun it by all means in order to remain faithful to our calling. In fact, God expects us to emulate Him in doing good to all, regardless of whether they are friends or foes (Luke 6:27–36).

45. God hates a false witness

The Bible teaches us that God hates a witness who lies (Proverbs 6:19). This is because false testimony subverts the cause of justice. This implies that someone may be denied justice because the truth has been suppressed. This may lead to loss of life, loss of property, loss of a job, breakdown of relationships, and so on.

God strongly warned the children of Israel against giving false testimony, for which offenders were punished accordingly (Deuteronomy 19:15–20).

The Bible warns us that the end of a false witness is destruction. This is recorded in Proverbs 21:28, that says

“A false witness SHALL PERISH, but the man who hears him will speak endlessly.”

Similar sentiments are echoed in Proverbs 19:9, which says

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

In fact, one of the 10 commandments given by Moses touched on the issue of giving false testimony. We read this in Exodus 20:16, which says

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

Lesson for us. God hates lies, and that is it. We should thus continue in truth at all times, even if it means losing a friend or some other thing we hold dear to us.

In the book of Ephesians 4:25, the Apostle Paul urges us to always speak the truth because we are of Christ. He says

“Therefore, putting away lying, ‘let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another.”

I come to think of individuals who get locked up for many years for a crime they never committed. When the truth finally comes out, as it always does, and they get released, no amount of compensation or apology can undo the damage already done to this person! That is how bad false accusations can get.

46. God hates one who sows discord among brethren

According to the Bible, God does not like people who cause divisions among brethren (Proverbs 6:19). This is because there are blessings that brethren only get when they dwell together in unity (Psalm 133:1-3).

God does not want us to play the role of the Devil, whom the Bible calls the accuser of brethren (Revelation 12:10).

In Genesis 13:8, Abraham understood very well that brethren must not strive, no matter the reason. This is what the scriptures say

“So Abram said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; FOR WE ARE BRETHREN.’”

The scriptures have identified for us several categories of people who are good at engineering discord or strife among brethren. Let’s see who they are.

Proverbs 15:18

“A WRATHFUL MAN STIRS UP STRIFE, but he who is slow to anger allays contention.”

The lesson we learn from this scripture is to keep off wrath, for its end result is strife or discord.

Proverbs 16:28

“A PERVERSE MAN sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends.”

So we should keep away from perverse individuals, as they are capable of ruining friendships.

Proverbs 28:25

“He WHO IS OF A PROUD HEART stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered.”

We should thus desist from being proud of or hanging around such characters.

Proverbs 29:22

“An ANGRY MAN stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression.”

We should thus learn to exercise self-control in order to keep strife at bay. 

Lesson for us: As children of God, we should desist from walking in anger, perversion, pride, or wrath, as they are the main causes of discord or strife among brethren.

47. God hates divorce

The Bible teaches that God hates divorce. The question is: why? Why does God hate divorce? The answer to this question is penned in the book of Malachi 2:16. It says

“’For the LORD God of Israel says that HE HATES DIVORCE, FOR IT COVERS ONE’S GARMENT WITH VIOLENCE,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.’” 

According to the prophet, the men of Israel had dealt treacherously with the wives of their youth, thus provoking God’s anger. In other words, they had betrayed the wives of their youth by being unfaithful to them. This tells you that God expects every married couple to be true to their marriage vows without faltering.

The scripture also says something very interesting about divorce. It tells us that whoever divorces his wife, gets his garment covered with violence!

This means that, your act of divorce is equated to the violence committed by a murderer (Joel 3:19), or the violence committed by an armed robber (Ezekiel 18:12). And so, if the penalty for committing murder and armed robbery is death, what do you think would be the penalty for divorcing your wife?

Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:8–9 that from the beginning, God intended that marriage vows should be binding till death. This is what the scripture says

“He said to them, ‘Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.’”

Similar sentiments are echoed by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:10–11, which says

“Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A WIFE IS NOT TO DEPART FROM HER HUSBAND. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. AND A HUSBAND IS NOT TO DIVORCE HIS WIFE.”

Lesson for us: To God, divorce is not an option. Rather, He prefers that all married couples remain committed to each other until death. Therefore, as Christians, we ought to pray that our marriages will not succumb to the pressures of this generation but will instead weather them until the end. With man, it may seem impossible, but with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

48. God hates a sacred pillar

God desires that all men worship Him, for He is the Supreme Deity in the whole universe (Isaiah 45:21). He expects this to happen without coercion, and that is why He created man with free will.

However, when we choose other gods in His stead, we suffer the consequences.

He commanded the children of Israel to worship Him alone and never to raise a sacred pillar and pay homage to it. This is recorded in Deuteronomy 16:22, that says

“You shall not set up a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.”

These were the words of Moses to the children of Israel, as he was instructing them in the ways of God.

Because of His hatred for sacred pillars, God instructed the children of Israel to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan and their sacred places in order to cleanse the land. This is recorded in Exodus 23:24 and Exodus 34:13 as follows:

Exodus 23:24

“You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars.”

Exodus 34:13

“But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images.”

In cultures the world over, people worship different kinds of gods and have set up shrines or sacred places for these deities. By so doing, such people set themselves up on a collision course with God time and again.

If God judged nations that engaged in idolatry in those days, He still does the same today. This is because God does not change (Malachi 3:6). Therefore, when we engage in idolatry in the present day, God punishes us accordingly, because He is a just God. He cannot punish the people of old for committing a particular sin and let us go scot free after committing a similar sin.

This explains the frequent occurrence of natural calamities or catastrophes in many places in the world we live in today. These calamities manifest in the form of droughts, earthquakes, famine, floods, hurricanes, storms (hurricanes and tornadoes), wildfires, outbreaks of deadly diseases, and the like.

Therefore, unless we change our ways and go back to God, no amount of disaster preparedness will save us from the calamities identified above. They will keep claiming people’s lives until the end.

Lesson for us: The Bible teaches that men should only worship the God of heaven, the creator of the whole universe. When we do this, we are assured of His blessings and protection. However, when we rebel by going after other gods to set up ‘sacred pillars’ for them, we will only be inviting trouble for ourselves.

49. The LORD of hosts

The Bible describes God as the LORD of hosts. This description is found in the book of Isaiah 1:24. This is what it says:

“Therefore the Lord says, The LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, ‘Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries, and take vengeance on My enemies.’”

In this regard, the word hosts refers to the angels of God, as captured in Psalm 103:20–21. This scripture says:

“Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of his word. Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure.”

These hosts are the heavenly army that engages in spiritual warfare against the forces of evil operating in the heavenly places. Therefore, when the Bible refers to God as the LORD of hosts, it means that God is the commander of this army.

It was this army led by Angel Michael that fought against the dragon and his angels and ejected them out of heaven. This is recorded in the book of Revelation 12:7, which says:

“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast out to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Here are some more scriptures that describe God as the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah 13:4

“The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts musters the army for battle.”

Isaiah 29:6

“You will be punished by the LORD of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with storm and tempest, and with the flame of devouring fire.”

Isaiah 31:4-5

“For thus the LORD has spoken to me: ‘as a lion roars, and a young lion over his prey (when a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, He will not be afraid of their voice nor be disturbed by their noise), so the LORD of hosts will come down to fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.’

Like birds flying about, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; passing over, He will preserve it.”

Isaiah 54:5

“For your maker is your husband; the LORD of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.”

Jeremiah 6:6

“For thus has the LORD of hosts said: Cut down trees, and build a mound against Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished. She is full of oppression in her midst.’”

Jeremiah 11:17

“For the LORD of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of the house of Israel and of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal.”

Lesson for us: A close scrutiny of the scriptures that describe God as the LORD of hosts teaches us two things. First, He defends His people from attacks by the enemy. Second, He executes judgment upon all who rebel against His commandment. Both assignments are accomplished by His angels.

Therefore, when we do what is right, the LORD of hosts dispatches His angels to fight against our enemies. However, when we walk in rebellion against His commandments, He dispatches them to execute judgment on us.

50. The Holy One of Israel

The prophet Isaiah describes God as the Holy One of Israel in Isaiah 41:14. This is what the scripture says:

“’Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you,’ says the LORD and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”

This tells us that the God of heaven, the creator of everything, is the God of Israel. He is the One who made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the founding fathers of the nation of Israel. God later renamed Jacob Israel. From Jacob, the twelve tribes of Israel were born (Genesis 49:28).

According to the scriptures, Christ Jesus was born of the tribe of Judah, one of the twelve tribes of Israel (Revelation 5:5).

It is from Christ that the Church was born. The Church is also called the body of Christ. Every believer belongs to this body (1 Corinthians 12:12–27).

Here are some more scriptures that refer to God as the Holy One of Israel:

Isaiah 10:20

“And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped from the house of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.”

Isaiah 12:6

“Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”

Isaiah 17:7

“In that day a man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will have respect for the Holy One of Israel.”

“For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.’ But you would not,”

Ezekiel 39:7

“So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.”

Lesson for us: As a born-again Christian, it is important to know that the God we serve is actually the Holy One of Israel. And as He promised to help the children of Israel, so will He help those who believe in His Son, Christ Jesus.

Conclusion

This article is the last one in a series of seven that discuss how the Bible describes God. To read Part 6 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 6

You can buy us coffee as a thank-you gesture by clicking on this link: Buy Me a Coffee

Are you a born-again Christian? If not, kindly say the following prayer from the bottom of your heart, and you will get saved.

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/