The Nature and Attributes of God

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

'I AM THAT I AM' — God's self-existent, eternal name.

And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

Self-revelation: merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, yet by no means clearing the guilty.

Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Self-revelation: merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, yet by no means clearing the guilty.

O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

God's omniscience and omnipresence — He knows and is everywhere.

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

God's omniscience and omnipresence — He knows and is everywhere.

Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

God's omniscience and omnipresence — He knows and is everywhere.

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

God's omniscience and omnipresence — He knows and is everywhere.

Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

God's omniscience and omnipresence — He knows and is everywhere.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

God's omniscience and omnipresence — He knows and is everywhere.

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

God's omniscience and omnipresence — He knows and is everywhere.

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

God's omniscience and omnipresence — He knows and is everywhere.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

God's omniscience and omnipresence — He knows and is everywhere.

Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

God's omniscience and omnipresence — He knows and is everywhere.

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

God's omniscience and omnipresence — He knows and is everywhere.

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

God's omniscience and omnipresence — He knows and is everywhere.

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

'Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts' — His transcendent holiness.

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

'I am God, and there is none like me' — declaring the end from the beginning; sovereignty.

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

'I am God, and there is none like me' — declaring the end from the beginning; sovereignty.

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

'God is love' — His essential nature.

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

'God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.'

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

'God is a Spirit' — must be worshipped in spirit and in truth.

For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

'I am the LORD, I change not' — divine immutability.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

'From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God' — eternality.

Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

'There is nothing too hard for thee' — omnipotence.

He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

'A God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he' — justice and faithfulness.