"Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, I will not let Israel go" (Ex. 5:2). Pharaoh's question would soon be answered in the chapters to follow. However the question that he presented is a good one. I'm quite confident that if more knew the answer to his question, if they knew the Lord, that they would be more and more concerned with serving him.

Job's friend Zophar asked: "Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?" (Job 11:7) The apostle Paul said: "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways! " (Rom. 11:33)

Our God whom we serve is not confined to the material limitations of time, matter, and space. Jesus himself spoke of God as a "Spirit" (Jn. 4:24), and then informs us that 46a spirit does not have flesh and bones" (Lk. 24:39). Moses had reminded the children of Israel that they "saw no form" when God appeared to them at Horeb, and there warned them against making "a graven image of any figure" (Deut. 4:12,15-19). The second of the 10 commandments forbade 46graven images" (Deut. 5:8-10) since God is a non-corporeal personal being.

Yet realistically the question remains, "who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?"

Our God whom we serve is:

- Eternal

- Immutable

- Omnipotent

- Omnipresent

- Omniscient

The apostle Paul actually made many of these observations in his lesson while on Mars Hill (cf. Acts 17:22-29).

Eternal: Jesus informed the Jews that He is eternal in the Gospel of John by stating, "before Abraham was born, I AM" Qn. 8:58). When Moses was receiving his instructions to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt he asked, "what is His name?" (Ex. 3:13) "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you" (Ex. 3:14). And the Psalmist said, "Lord, Thou has been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born, Or thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God" (Psa. 90:1,2).

Immutable (unchanging): In this great attribute of God we build our trust and have tremendous confidence. This can be done because we know his promises are true. Our Christian hope is based on Divine Word, and that Divine Word has been given to us by an oath (cf. Heb. 6:9-20).

Man is unpredictable because he changes his mind from time to time. But our God is unchanging, "For I the Lord, do not change" (Mal. 3:6). And James states that with our Father in Heaven, "there is no variation, or shifting shadow" (James 1:17).

Omnipotent (almighty): The word omni comes from the Latin word omnis which means all. Thus our God is all powerful.

In Jeremiah's prayer he said, "Ali Lord God! Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee" (Jer. 32:17). After he had finished praying the Lord said to him, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is anything too difficult for Me?" (Jer. 32:27)

The Hebrew name for God Almighty was El Shaddai and this name seemed to be the usual name for God in the days of the Patriarchs. To Abraham, Isaac, and Job God was known as the "Almighty" (cf. Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11).

Omnipresent (everywhere): The apostle Paul said, "There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" (Heb. 4:13).

In 11:4, the Psalmist stated, "Heaven is the throne of God" and in 1 Kings 8:30 we are told that Heaven is "His dwelling place." If this be correct, then how can God be everywhere? Consider with me these Old Testament examples for a clue to our answer. . .

(1) Exodus 3:2,4

(2) Exodus 14:30; Isaiah 63:9

(3) Exodus 13:21; 14:19

Now answer these questions:

(1) Was God in the bush?

(2) Did the Lord save Israel from the hand of the Egyptians?

(3) Did the Lord go before the children of Israel in a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night?

I believe you would have to answer "Yes" to all 3 questions, simply because that's what the Bible says. But you would also have to conclude that God used an angel to do all three while He yet remained in Heaven, "His dwelling place."

Thus in Jeremiah we find, "Am I a God who is near," declares the Lord, "and not a God far off?" Can a man hide himself in hiding places, So I do not see Him?" declares the Lord. "Do I not fill the Heavens and the earth?" declares the Lord (Jer. 23:23-24).

Omniscient (all knowing): Our God is a "God of all knowledge" (1 Sam. 2:3). "He knoweth all things" (1 Jn. 3:20). His knowledge is as infinite as his great power; he knows our hearts (Acts 1:24) and our needs (Matt. 6:8). According to Mark 13:32, He even knows what Jesus and the angels do not know.

There is a God, He is alive In Him we live, and we survive; From dust our God, created man, He is our God, the great I AM.

The apostle Paul said, "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God" (Rom. 13:1). These my friend are the Divine Attributes of our God, the One we worship and adore.

Based upon so many Bible truths it doesn't seem possible for one "once enlightened" to go back to the ways of Satan. After all, the God of Heaven even controls his (Satan's) powers. Sadly enough however, it happens everyday.

But you don't have to allow that to happen to you. Pay close attention to his word and learn to love him with all of our heart, all of your soul, with all of your strength and with all of your mind (cf. Lk. 10:27). When this was stated to the children of Israel, the Lord told them, "These words shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up" (Deut. 6:4-7).

Guardian of Truth XXXI: 17, pp. 532-533
September 3, 1987