by Anna Hodges

Created on: February 07, 2010

Knowing the Character of God

There are those who would have us believe that the God of the Old Testament was a vengeful God. Some of the more accurate descriptions of God are loving, just, patient, merciful, disciplinarian, forgiving, faithful, and sovereign. Proof of these characteristics is woven throughout God's Word in how He interacted with mankind. When we understand these Godly characteristics, we are more able to know Him, be like Him, and show Him to the world. (All quoted scripture in this writing will be taken from the

King James Version Bible.)

God's greatest character trait is His unconditional fatherly love. Because He chose to create us, we know that we are very valuable to Him. He wants to commune with us; to have an intimate relationship with us. His pride and happiness in His creation is evident in His use of the word very after He created Adam and Eve, "And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good" in Genesis 1:31. It was out of love that God made a beautiful paradise with every kind of living beast and plant for mankind to rule over. We can compare our love for our children to the love God has for us. We wish to give them everything in our power that is good.

Genesis 18:20-33 since God is just, the grievous sins of Sodom and Gomorrah demanded punishment. Abraham asked if He would refrain from destroying those wicked cities for the sake of even ten righteous souls. God knew there were not ten godly ones living there, but in His fairness, He would have spared them all if there had been. He was merciful in letting Abraham speak on their behalf. God was also merciful in helping Lot and his family to escape the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah.

In Nehemiah 9:16-21 we are reminded of  the years that followed Israel's deliverance from bondage in Egypt, and how they tested God's patience. Verse 16 - "But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments." They refused to obey and they paid no heed to the miracles and wonders He performed. At one point, they chose a leader to take them back to slavery. Verse 17 - "...but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not." For 40 years "they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not".

There were times when the Hebrews rebelled to the point that God disciplined them by allowing their enemies to smite them and take them captive.

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