There are a few times in scripture when God declares or identifies Himself in specific terms. Below are two notable examples:
Exodus 3:13-15: His Name Forever
13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”
14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’
Exodus 34:5-7: His Name Proclaimed
5 Now the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD GOD, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
The scriptures above highlight the eternal nature and character of God. In Exodus 3:14, God identifies Himself as “I AM WHO I AM,” or “I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE,” which is “EHYEH ASHER EHYEH” in Hebrew. He is the self-existing God, who created all things (Elohim). He is the God of covenant (Jehovah). He faithfully remembers His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is LORD (Adonai). He is the sovereign God, the Most High God (El Elyon), who rules and reigns over Heaven and Earth. He is God in three persons: God the Father (Jehovah), God the Son (Jesus Christ, Yeshua), and God the Holy Spirit (Ruach Ha Kodesh).
The Scripture of Truth, the Holy Bible, reveals that the LORD is a just and merciful God who upholds His law and His Word. He operates within His righteous system of justice to deal fairly with His creation. In every respect, He expresses both justice and mercy because of His inherent, immutable goodness. He is too good to let the weak be oppressed by the wicked and He is too good to forsake the sinner. He masterfully addresses both spectrums of our humanity within His lovingkindness and long-suffering nature. He is undeterred by human fallibility. He acts out of His character on our behalf to accomplish His will and purposes. Through His purposes, He also reveals Himself to us, inciting us to pursue the knowledge of Him.
This blog is dedicated to unpacking the merciful nature of God. His mercy relates to His gracious character revealed throughout scripture. We can find ourselves seeking to delineate God, put Him in a box, or attempt to offer a complete definition of who He is. But how can we fully define or describe the Holy One? He is indescribable and incomparable. Therefore, we hope to explore His attributes, His wondrous acts, and the gracious gift of His law, ways, and Word. We pray that you find this blog supplemental to your journey with the LORD as you seek Him through personal devotion and in community with other believers in your local church. Lastly, we trust that this blog draws you closer to the heart of the Father and strengthens your trust in Him.
Shalom!