1. Exodus Chapters 1 to 3
Exodus 1-3, The angel of the Lord, Moses And The
Burning Bush, I AM's in John, Prosperity
Gospel, Kill The Boys, lying midwives, science and
the Bible.

2. Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch
• We left Genesis at;
• Genesis 50:23 Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim's
sons; also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were
born on Joseph's knees. 24 Joseph said to his brothers, "I am
about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring
you up from this land to the land which He promised on
oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob." 25 Then Joseph
made the sons of Israel swear, saying, "God will surely take
care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here."
• 26 So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years;
and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.
• “in a coffin in Egypt.”
• YLT Exodus 1:1 And these are the names of the sons of Israel
who are coming into Egypt with Jacob; a man and his
household have they come;

3. Getting Israel out of Egypt
• Exodus is about God getting Israel out of
Egypt.
• Leviticus is about getting Egypt out of Israel.
• Most of the NT epistles is about getting the
world out of us.

5. Exodus 1:1-22

6. Exodus 1:5, Seventy In Number
• Exodus 1:5 All the persons who came from the loins of
Jacob were seventy in number, but Joseph was already
in Egypt.
• Deuteronomy 10:22 "Your fathers went down to Egypt
seventy persons in all, and now the LORD your God has
made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.
• Genesis 46:27 and the sons of Joseph, who were born
to him in Egypt were two; all the persons of the house
of Jacob, who came to Egypt, were seventy.
• Acts 7:14 "Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his
father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five
persons in all.

7. Exodus 1:5, Seventy In Number
• Dr. Ryrie's note on Genesis 46:27 says “The total of 70
included the 66 mentioned in verse 26, plus
Jacob, Joseph, and Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and
Ephraim (see also Exodus 1:5; Deuteronomy 10:22).
See note on Acts 7:14. However, the total
number, including wives of Jacob’s sons and grandsons
and husbands of his daughters and granddaughters
(not listed), would have been greater than 70.“
• Dr. Ryrie's note on Acts 7:14; “This number follows the
LXX, which arrived at 75 by including the son and
grandson of Manasseh and two sons and a grandson of
Ephraim. See note on Genesis 46:27, which reflects a
different way of numbering Jacob’s family, totaling 70."

8. Exodus 1:7- 8, Spans 200 Years
• Exodus 1:7 But the sons of Israel were fruitful
and increased greatly, and multiplied, and
became exceedingly mighty, so that the land
was filled with them.
• 8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did
not know Joseph.
• Ron Merryman says there is about a 200 year
span between verses 7-8

9. Wilmington's Book Of Bible Lists has;
• 1804 BC, Exodus 1:1-7, Death of Joseph
• 1730 BC Egyptian oppression begins 1:8-12:42
• 1525 BC, Exodus 2:1-4, birth of Moses
• 1485 BC, Exodus 2:11-15, Moses flees Egypt
• 1445 BC, Exodus 4:20, Moses returns to Egypt
• 1445 BC, Exodus 12 -15, leaving Egypt
• June 15, 1445 BC arrival at Mount Sinai
Exodus 19:1

10. 430 Years In Two Chapters
• Ungers Commentary On The Old Testament on
page 101 says, “Although the second book of the
Pentateuch covers a long span of years (430 years
according to Exodus 12:40), the author treats this
extended interval with extreme brevity. The
entire period, except for the last year, is covered
in the first two chapters. That one year, in which
occurred that climatic events of Israel's
deliverance out of Egypt and the inauguration of
a new relationship with God, occupies the
remaining 38 chapters of the book."

11. 480 Years After The Exodus (1445 BC)
• 1 Kings 6:1 Now it came about in the four
hundred and eightieth year after the sons of
Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the
fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in
the month of Ziv which is the second
month, that he began to build the house of
the LORD.

12. Exodus 1:8, A New King
• Exodus 1:8 Now a new king arose over
Egypt, who did not know Joseph. *Lit. Heb.“Then
new king arose”+ but *Lit. Grkin LXX, “But king
another arose”+ and it’s “ἕτερος” heteros
Another, different
• heteros in Acts 7:18, not allelon as in Acts
7:26, or allos in Acts 19:32
• Probably Ahmose (18th Dynasty), who expelled
the Hyksos rulers of
Egypt, foreigners, predominantly Semitic

13. Exodus 1:11, How
To Win Friends
• Exodus 1:11 So they
appointed taskmasters
over them to afflict them
with hard labor. And they
built for Pharaoh storage
cities, Pithom and
Raamses.

14. Exodus 1:12, God Blesses The
Persecuted
• Exodus 1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more
they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they
were in dread of the sons of Israel.
• Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are those who have been
persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven… 12 "Rejoice, and be glad, for your
reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the
prophets who were before you.
• 1 Corinthians 4:11 To this present hour we are both hungry
and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly
treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our
own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are
persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try
to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the
world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

15. Exodus 1:12, Prosperity Gospel?
• John 15:20 "Remember the word that I said to
you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If
they persecuted Me, they will also persecute
you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours
also. 21 "But all these things they will do to you
for My name's sake, because they do not
know the One who sent Me.
• 2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live
godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

16. Exodus 1:12, Prosperity Gospel?
• 2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in
earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of
the power may be of God and not from
ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not
crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but
not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the
body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also
may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who
live are constantly being delivered over to death
for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be
manifested in our mortal flesh.

17. Exodus 1:16, Kill The Boys
• Exodus 1:16 … if it is a son, then you shall put him to
death…
• 2 Kings 11:1 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that
her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal
offspring. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King
Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and
stole him from among the king's sons who were being put
to death, and placed him and his nurse in the bedroom. So
they hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death.
• Matthew 2:16 Then …Herod …slew all the male children
who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years
old and under…

18. Exodus 1:19
God Was Good To The Midwives?
• Exodus 1:19 The midwives said to
Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are
not as the Egyptian women; for they are
vigorous and give birth before the midwife can
get to them.“
• Exodus 1:20 So God was good to the
midwives, and the people multiplied, and
became very mighty.

19. Sandy Hook Shooting: Teacher Lied To
Shooter and Hid Pupils In Cupboards
• Victoria Soto, a first-grade teacher at Sandy
Hook elementary school has been hailed a
hero after reportedly hiding her pupils in
cabinets, saving all of their lives. The 27-year-
old then faced the shooter, Adam Lanza, and
told him all of her pupils were in the gym.
Lanza turned the gun on the teacher and shot
her dead. www.guardian.co.uk
• Joshua 2:4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them, and
she said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were
from. Exodus 1:17-21 But the midwives feared God… Jeremiah 38:24-27 1
Samuel 19:17, 20:29, 21:2 Rev 21:8

20. Exodus 1:18, Why Did The Boys Live?
• Exodus 1:18 So the king of Egypt called for the
midwives and said to them, "Why have you done
this thing, and let the boys live?"
• Bless the boys, and in them let my name be
carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham
and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in
the midst of the earth. Genesis 48:16
• Zechariah 8:5 'And the streets of the city will be
filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.'

21. Exodus 1:18, Why Did The Boys Live?
• Zechariah 8:5 'And the streets of the city will be
filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.'

22. Moses And The
Burning Bush
The Story Of Moses
Begins In Exodus 2:1

23. Ex 2:1-25
• Moses is a basket case
• Moses is a prince of Egypt
• Moses becomes a murderer
• Moses becomes a fugitive
• Moses becomes a shepherd
• Moses gets hitched (pagan, the priest of Midian’s daughter)
• Moses becomes a dad

24. Exodus 2:5, The Daughter Of Pharaoh
• Exodus 2:5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down
to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking
alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket
among the reeds and sent her maid, and she
brought it to her.
• My granddaughter asked me what;
• Q. Who was the greatest female
businessperson in the Bible?
• A. Pharaoh’s daughter. She went down to the
bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.
(profit)

25. Ex 3:1-6
• Ex 3:2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in
flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that
though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So
Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange
sight — why the bush does not burn up."
• 4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to
look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses!
Moses!"
• And Moses said, "Here I am." 5 "Do not come any
closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place
where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he
said, "I am the God of your father, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At
this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look
at God.

26. The Angel Of The Lord
• Ge 16:7….The angel of the Lord found Hagar…
• Ge 16:11 The angel of the Lord also said to
her…
• Ge 16:13-14 She gave this name to the Lord
who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees
me," for she said, "I have now seen the One
who sees me."

27. The Angel Of The Lord
• Ge 22:15-18 The angel of the Lord called to
Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and
said, "I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that
because you have done this and have not
withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely
bless you and make your descendants as
numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand
on the seashore. Your descendants will take
possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and
through your offspring all nations on earth will be
blessed, because you have obeyed me."

28. The Angel Of The Lord
• Jdg 6:11-12 The angel of the Lord came and sat down
under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the
Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in
a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When
the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he
said, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior."
• Jdg 6:18 Please do not go away until I come back and
bring my offering and set it before you.“ And the Lord
said, "I will wait until you return."
• Jdg 6:23 But the Lord said to him, "Peace! Do not be
afraid. You are not going to die."

29. The Angel Of The Lord
• Jdg 13:18-23 He replied, "Why do you ask my name? It is
beyond understanding." 19 Then Manoah took a young
goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a
rock to the Lord. And the Lord did an amazing thing while
Manoah and his wife watched: 20 As the flame blazed up
from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord
ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell
with their faces to the ground. 21 When the angel of the
Lord did not show himself again to Manoah and his
wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the Lord. 22
"We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We have seen
God!" 23 But…
• Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those
who fear Him, And rescues them. [omnipresence?]

30. The Angel Of The Lord
• Ge 32:24-30 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled
with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could
not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so
that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26
Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak.“ But
Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
27 The man asked him, "What is your name?“ "Jacob," he
answered. 28 Then the man said, "Your name will no
longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled
with God and with men and have overcome." 29 Jacob
said, "Please tell me your name.“ But he replied, "Why do
you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there. 30 So
Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw
God face to face, and yet my life was spared.“

31. The Angel Of The Lord
• Ge 35:1 Then God
said to Jacob, "Go up
to Bethel and settle
there, and build an
altar there to God,
who appeared to you
when you were fleeing
from your brother
Esau."

32. The Angel of the Lord is God
• Hosea 12:3-5 In the womb he grasped his
brother's heel; as a man he struggled with
God.
• 4 He struggled with the angel and overcame
him;
• he wept and begged for his favor.
• He found him at Bethel
• and talked with him there—
• 5 the Lord God Almighty,
• the Lord is his name of renown!

33. Gen 48:15-16, Angel of the Lord
• Gen 48:15-16 "May the God before whom my
fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God
who has been my shepherd all my life to this
day, 16 the Angel who has delivered me from
all harm…
• Israel/Holy Spirit just equated God and The
Angel of the Lord

34. Ex 3:7-13

35. Ex 3:14, “I AM WHO I AM”
• Ex 3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is
what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me
to you.'“
• The LXX translates this into Greek as “BGT Exodus
3:14…ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν …” and we transliterate the Greek
“I AM” into English as “ego eimi.” The Gospel of John
uses “I am” 67 X’s, more than any other NT book, twice
as much as Acts (2nd most NT uses). Jesus clearly used
this Ex 3:14 name of Himself in John a lot..
• 1473 ἐγώ ego {eg-o'}
• <1510> εἰμί eimi

36. Ex 3:14
• Ex 3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM.
This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I
AM has sent me to you.'“
• Jn 6:35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread
of life. He who comes to me will never go
hungry, and he who believes in me will never
be thirsty.

37. Bible Knowledge Commentary
• In Moses' second objection he felt the Israelites would
challenge his assertion that God had sent him to
deliver them. God told Moses to tell them, I am who I
am …This One said He would be with His people in
their time of trouble and need. °Ehyeh is probably a
wordplay on Yahweh (LORD) in verse 15. Thus, the
name Yahweh, related to the verb "to be," probably
speaks of God's self-existence, but it means more than
that. It usually speaks of His relationship to His people.
For example, as Lord, He redeemed them (6:6), was
faithful to them (34:5-7), and made a covenant with
them (Ge 15:18).

38. I Am The Light Of The World
• Jn 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the
people, he said, "I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in
darkness, but will have the light of life."
• Jn 8:23-24 But he continued, "You are from
below; I am from above. You are of this world; I
am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would
die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am
[the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your
sins."

39. I Am The Gate
• Jn 8:58-59…"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before
Abraham was born, I am!" 59 At this, they picked up stones
to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the
temple grounds…
• Jn 9:5…I am the light of the world.“…
• Jn 10:7-8…"I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep…
• Jn 10:11+14 … "I am the good shepherd…
• Jn 10:36-37…I am God's Son'? …
• Jn 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and
the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he
dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never
die. Do you believe this?"
• Jn 13:19…"I am telling you now before it happens, so that
when it does happen you will believe that I am He.

40. I Am The Way And The Truth And The Life
• Jn 14:6-7 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you
would know my Father as well. From now on, you
do know him and have seen him."
• Jn 14:10 Don't you believe that I am in the
Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I
say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the
Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

41. I Am The True Vine
• Jn 14:20…On that day you will realize that I am
in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in
you…
• Jn 15:1…"I am the true vine, and my Father is
the gardener…
• Jn 15:5…"I am the vine…

42. I Am He
• Jn 18:5-9 "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "I am
he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was
standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, "I
am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. 7
Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?" And
they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." 8 "I told you that
I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for
me, then let these men go." 9 This happened so
that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled:
"I have not lost one of those you gave me."

43. I Am A King
• Jn 18:37…"You are right in saying I am a king…

45. The Name Of God In Exodus 3:13-15
• When Moses asked God what he should answer when
asked what is God's name? God replied, "I AM WHO I
AM." Paul Enns in The Moody Handbook Of
Theology, pages 188, under the title, Self-
Existence, says, "God's self existence means "He has
the ground of his existence in himself… God is
independent in His Being, but also… He is independent
in everything else; in His virtues, decrees, works, and…
causes everything to depend on him." Exodus 3:14
emphasizes His self-existence in His identification, "I
AM WHO I AM." The verb to be emphasizes He has
continual existence in Himself. John 5:26 further
stresses that the Father has life in Himself.

46. The Name Of God In Exodus 3:13-15
• An unborn child is dependent on its mother for life; animals
are dependent on their surroundings for life; trees and
plants are dependent on sun and rain for life; every living
thing is dependent on someone or something else but God
is independent and existent in Himself (Dan. 5:23; Acts
17:28)." And on page193 Paul Enns adds, "...God's eternity
extends backward to infinity and forward to infinity.
Moreover, God's eternity is also related to His eternal rule
in His universal kingdom (Ps. 102:12).… God's eternity is
also related to His name. In Exodus 3:14.... God's name
reflects His eternity in that He is the "continually existing
One."
• The Psalmist declares in Psalm 102:12 "But You, O
LORD, abide forever, And Your name to all generations."

47. Moses Was Educated In Egypt
• Ac 7:22 Moses was
educated in all the
wisdom of the
Egyptians and was
powerful in speech
and action.

48. Moses Was Trained In Egypt
• Ac 7:22 Moses was educated in all the
wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in
speech and action.
• Yet we see none of “the wisdom of the
Egyptians” in Moses’ 5 books.
• None of the erroneous medical “wisdom of
the Egyptians.”
• Wikipedia under “Ancient Egyptian medicine”;

49. Science

50. Science
• The Bible was written by forty different human authors, in 3
languages, on 3 continents, over about 1600 years, by men
with very different backgrounds, greatly different
educations, and vocations. Yet, there is perfect
harmony, integration, and agreement on hundreds of
stories, and difficult theological subjects, in 2,000 pages of
it’s 66 books.
• My challenge to you is to go ask 10 teachers, in your local
high school, or college, who have the same
language, background, vocation, education, to write only 10
pages, on only 1 or 2 topics, say, “God’s nature” or
“heaven, hell, angels, demons, creation” or any other
difficult theological subject. Then compare the 10 papers for
harmony, integration, and agreement .
• I think a rational conclusion would have to be that The Bible
is exactly what it claims to be, God’s Word.

51. Science
•www.livingwaters.com
•Science Confirms the Bible

52. THE BIBLE SCIENCE NOW SCIENCE THEN
The earth is a sphere
(Isaiah 40:22).
The earth is a sphere The earth was a flat disk.
Incalculable number of
stars
(Jeremiah 33:22).
Incalculable number of
stars
Only 1,100 stars.
Free float of earth in space
(Job 26:7).
Free float of earth in space. Earth sat on a large animal.
Creation made of invisible
elements (Hebrews 11:3).
Creation made of invisible
elements (atoms).
Science was ignorant on
the subject.
Each star is different
(1 Corinthians 15:41).
Each star is different. All stars were the same.
Light moves
(Job 38:19,20).
Light moves. Light was fixed in place.
Air has weight
(Job 28:25).
Air has weight. Air was weightless.

53. THE BIBLE SCIENCE NOW SCIENCE THEN
Winds blow in cyclones
(Ecclesiastes 1:6).
Winds blow in cyclones. Winds blew straight.
Blood is the source of life
and health
(Leviticus 17:11).
Blood is the source of life
and health.
Sick people must be bled.
Ocean floor contains deep
valleys and mountains
(2 Samuel 22:16;
Jonah 2:6).
Ocean floor contains deep
valleys and mountains.
The ocean floor was flat.
Ocean contains springs
(Job 38:16).
Ocean contains springs.
Ocean fed only by rivers
and rain.
When dealing with disease,
hands should be washed
under running water
(Leviticus 15:13).
When dealing with disease,
hands should be washed
under running water.
Hands washed in still
water.

54. Exodus
3:11, God
Can’t Use Me

55. THE END

56. The Name Of God In Exodus 3:13-15
• When Moses asked God what he should answer when asked what is God's name?
God replied, "I AM WHO I AM." Paul Enns in The Moody Handbook Of Theology,
pages 188, under the title, Self-Existence, says, "God's self existence means "He
has the ground of his existence in himself… God is independent in His Being, but
also… He is independent in everything else; in His virtues, decrees, works, and…
causes everything to depend on him." Exodus 3:14 emphasizes His self-existence in
His identification, "I AM WHO I AM." The verb to be emphasizes He has continual
existence in Himself. John 5:26 further stresses that the Father has life in Himself.
An unborn child is dependent on its mother for life; animals are dependent on
their surroundings for life; trees and plants are dependent on sun and rain for life;
every living thing is dependent on someone or something else but God is
independent and existent in Himself (Dan. 5:23; Acts 17:28)." And on page193 Paul
Enns adds, "...God's eternity extends backward to infinity and forward to infinity.
Moreover, God's eternity is also related to His eternal rule in His universal kingdom
(Ps. 102:12).… God's eternity is also related to His name. In Exodus 3:14.... God's
name reflects His eternity in that He is the "continually existing One."
• The Psalmist declares in Psalm 102:12 "But You, O LORD, abide forever, And Your
name to all generations."

57. Gen 32:24, What’s Wrong?
• Gen 32:24-26 So Jacob
was left alone, and a
man wrestled with him
till daybreak. 25 When
the man saw that he
could not overpower
him, he touched the
socket of Jacob's hip so
that his hip was
wrenched as he
wrestled with the man.

58. Gen 48:15-16, God My Shepherd
• Gen 48:15…God who has been my shepherd
• 1st. Mention of God as shepherd
• Did Israel/Holy Spirit just equated
God, Shepherd, and The Angel of the Lord? [Gen
48:15-16 ]

59. http://www.merrymanministries.org/S
eries.aspx?SeriesID=44
• Ron Merryman Exodus
• http://www.merrymanministries.org/Series.as
px?SeriesID=44

60. 7742 times in the Old Testament God refers to Himself with singular
personal pronouns, I, me, mine. In addition to this he is referred to
with singular personal pronouns,he, his.(Robert A. Sabin)
• James 2:19 You believe that God
is one You do well; the demons
also believe, and shudder.
• Isaiah 41:4 Who has
performed and
accomplished it,
• Calling forth the
generations from the
beginning?
• 'I, Yahweh, am the
first, and with the last I am
He.'"
Rev.1:8,17 -22:13

61. Exodus 3:13-14, Attributes of God
•
GotQuestions.org is excited to announce our new "Question of the Day" ; or follow us on
•
• Question: "What are the attributes of God?"
Answer: The Bible, God’s Word, tells us what God is like and what He is not like. Without the authority of the Bible, any attempt to explain God’s attributes would be no better than an
opinion, which by itself is often incorrect, especially in understanding God (Job 42:7). To say that it is important for us to try to understand what God is like is a huge understatement.
Failure to do so can cause us to set up, chase after, and worship false gods contrary to His will (Exodus 20:3-5).
Only what God has chosen to reveal of Himself can be known. One of God's attributes or qualities is “light,” meaning that He is self-revealing in information of Himself (Isaiah 60:19;
James 1:17). The fact that God has revealed knowledge of Himself should not be neglected (Hebrews 4:1). Creation, the Bible, and the Word made flesh (Jesus Christ) will help us to know
what God is like.
Let's start by understanding that God is our Creator and that we are a part of His creation (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1) and are created in His image. Man is above the rest of creation and
was given dominion over it (Genesis 1:26-28). Creation is marred by the fall but still offers a glimpse of God’s works (Genesis 3:17-18; Romans 1:19-20). By considering creation's
vastness, complexity, beauty, and order, we can have a sense of the awesomeness of God.
Reading through some of the names of God can be helpful in our search of what God is like. They are as follows:
Elohim - strong One, divine (Genesis 1:1)
Adonai - Lord, indicating a Master-to-servant relationship (Exodus 4:10, 13)
El Elyon - Most High, the strongest One (Genesis 14:20)
El Roi - the strong One who sees (Genesis 16:13)
El Shaddai - Almighty God (Genesis 17:1)
El Olam - Everlasting God (Isaiah 40:28)
Yahweh - LORD “I Am,” meaning the eternal self-existent God (Exodus3:13, 14).
God is eternal, meaning He had no beginning and His existence will never end. He is immortal and infinite (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2; 1 Timothy 1:17). God is immutable, meaning
He is unchanging; this in turn means that God is absolutely reliable and trustworthy (Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 102:26, 27). God is incomparable; there is no one like Him in
works or being. He is unequaled and perfect (2 Samuel 7:22; Psalm 86:8; Isaiah 40:25; Matthew 5:48). God is inscrutable, unfathomable, unsearchable, and past finding out as far as
understanding Him completely (Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 145:3; Romans 11:33, 34).
God is just; He is no respecter of persons in the sense of showing favoritism (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 18:30). God is omnipotent; He is all-powerful and can do anything that pleases
Him, but His actions will always be in accord with the rest of His character (Revelation 19:6; Jeremiah 32:17, 27). God is omnipresent, meaning He is present everywhere, but this does not
mean that God is everything (Psalm 139:7-13; Jeremiah 23:23). God is omniscient, meaning He knows the past, present, and future, including what we are thinking at any given moment.
Since He knows everything, His justice will always be administered fairly (Psalm 139:1-5; Proverbs 5:21).
God is one; not only is there no other, but He is alone in being able to meet the deepest needs and longings of our hearts. God alone is worthy of our worship and devotion (Deuteronomy
6:4). God is righteous, meaning that God cannot and will not pass over wrongdoing. It is because of God’s righteousness and justice that, in order for our sins to be forgiven, Jesus had to
experience God's wrath when our sins were placed upon Him (Exodus 9:27; Matthew 27:45-46; Romans 3:21-26).
God is sovereign, meaning He is supreme. All of His creation put together cannot thwart His purposes (Psalm 93:1; 95:3; Jeremiah 23:20). God is spirit, meaning He is invisible
(John 1:18; 4:24). God is a Trinity. He is three in one, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. God is truth, He will remain incorruptible and cannot lie (Psalm 117:2; 1
Samuel15:29).
God is holy, separated from all moral defilement and hostile toward it. God sees all evil and it angers Him. God is referred to as a consuming fire (Isaiah 6:3; Habakkuk 1:13; Exodus 3:2, 4-
5; Hebrews 12:29). God is gracious, and His grace includes His goodness, kindness, mercy, and love. If it were not for God's grace, His holiness would exclude us from His presence.
Thankfully, this is not the case, for He desires to know each of us personally (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 31:19; 1 Peter 1:3; John 3:16, 17:3).
Since God is an infinite Being, no human can fully answer this God-sized question, but through God’s Word, we can understand much about who God is and what He is like. May we all
wholeheartedly continue to seek after Him (Jeremiah 29:13).
RecommendedResources: Logos Bible Software and Knowing God by J.I. Packer.

62. Yahweh the Creator God of Israel
by Lita Cosner
• Yahweh the Creator God of Israel
• by Lita Cosner
• Published: 27 August 2013 (GMT+10)
• morgueFile.com/mbielik
• Most people think that the topic of creation is limited to the first couple of chapters of Genesis and perhaps a few isolated texts in the rest of Scripture. A previous article established the
importance of the doctrine of Creation in the New Testament, but creation is also important throughout the Old Testament. No less than 52 passages in the Old Testament give us
important insights into God’s character and attributes based on His creation.
• Some Christians may feel that studying the Old Testament isn’t relevant to us as Christians, because the Old Testament was written to Jews. But while Jews were the primary audience for
the Old Testament, all of Scripture isfor Christians to use. God is the same now as He was during the time the Old Testament was written, so these passages establish a theology of
Yahweh, as well as His relationship with His creation and humanity in particular.
• Let’s take a look at how these attributes of God’s character are reflected through His creation. This is only a brief overview of the various ways the Old Testament uses creation, but it has
profound implications. Not only did the Old Testament writers believe in the Genesis account of creation, but they used it to clearly teach us many important aspects about God’s nature.
• Furthermore, recognizing these uses brings out some of the continuity between the Old Testament and the New Testament, because both use Genesis in the same way. Jesus in the New
Testament refers to the Bible as the totally authoritative Word of God—e.g. His repeated use of “it is written” and “have you not read?”.
• Yahweh: the Creator
• The Genesis account of Creation calls God Elohim, a more generic name, but Genesis 2:4 introduces the covenant name, Yahweh.1 Here, this is combined with Elohim—YHWH-Elohim—to
show that the covenant God of Israel is none other than the creator of the universe. Other places in the Old Testament use God’s covenant name, Yahweh, when they describe His
creative work; for instance:
• No less than 52 passages in the Old Testament give us important insights into God’s character and attributes based on His creation.
• Yahweh who made the earth, Yahweh who formed it to establish it—Yahweh is his name (Jeremiah 33:2).This is a primary identifier of the true God. When Jonah wants to identify himself
and his God, he tells the men on the ship, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land” (Jonah 1:9). And this knowledge was not limited to
the Hebrews: Hiram the king of Tyre in Solomon’s day recognized that Israel’s God was the Creator: “Blessed is Yahweh God of Israel, who made heaven and earth” (2 Chronicles 2:12).
• When Scripture wants to emphasize the authority of Yahweh’s words, the prophets often appeal to God’s creative power:
• Thus says Yahweh, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—Yahweh of hosts is his
name (Jeremiah 31:35; see also Zechariah 12:1).Because God created the world, He has the authority and the power to make sure that His word is fulfilled—so we should listen to Him!
• Yahweh: the only God
• Yahweh is repeatedly asserted to have created the heavens and earth alone, demonstrating that He is God alone:
• Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: ‘I am Yahweh, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by
myself’ (Isaiah 44:24, see also Isaiah 45:18, Job 9:8–9).God’s creative activity is a major basis for praising Yahweh:
• Praise Yahweh! Praise Yahweh from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights … Let them praise the name of Yahweh, for He commanded and they were created (Psalm 148:1–5).You are
Yahweh, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the
host of heaven worships you (Nehemiah 9:6).Scripture is clear that God’s creative activity, which brought everything into existence, and His sustaining power, without which none of us
would continue to exist, are both major reasons to worship God.
• Yahweh: the transcendent God
• God could not have created heaven and earth if He were contained inside or limited to it. So it follows that God preceded and is outside of the created heavens and earth.
• Of old you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Even they will perish, but you endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing you will
change them and they will be changed (Psalm 102:25–26).Even though God had a temple in Jerusalem, it was clear that unlike temples for false gods which were filled with lifeless idols, it
was not a place for Israel’s God to actually live:
• But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! (1 Kings 8:27; see also 2 Chronicles 2:5–
6; 6:18).God is also beyond human understanding:
• Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things (Ecclesiastes
11:5).Because God is so far above the earth and its inhabitants, it is awe-inspiring that He concerns Himself with human beings:
• When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:3–4).Yahweh: the ruler and judge of the earth
• It follows logically that since Yahweh created the heavens and earth, they belong to Him: