What is God Like?

The first time God described himself to a human being was in a conversation he was having with Moses on Mount Sinai. Moses requested that God to show him his glory (Ex. 33:18).

In the natural you’re expecting a spectacular display of God’s power and majesty, with lightning and thunder, and fire coming down from heaven. I mean, this is the God who flung the stars into space, whom the writer of Hebrews says, “holds everything together by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3).

But instead of shock & awe, God does something completely unexpected. He describes to Moses his character. “I will make my goodness pass before you,” he said, “and I will proclaim the name of the Lord …” (Ex. 33: 19). Then he went on to tell him that he is a gracious God, and one who shows compassion. 

There is something amazing in this interaction we cannot afford to miss: The glory of God is his character! 

I say this because the word “name” in Hebrew is “shem,” which refers to a person’s reputation or character. Unlike our English, or Spanish, or French names, Hebrew names had a meaning behind them that was reflective of who the person was. The closest thing we have in English is when someone says that so-and-so has “a good name.” In other words, it’s not as much about their actual name, as it is about the person behind the name. 

So what is God like? He is good, and gracious, and compassionate. Then, in Ex. 34: 6-7 he describes other attributes of his character, like patience, kindness, faithfulness, and justice. Consider the following ten characteristics of God found in the Bible.

God is Compassionate: Rachūm (Rakh-oom) 

In the Hebrew, this word is synonymous with Mercy. A person is compassionate when they hold back from punishing others for the wrong things they have done, and looks instead for ways to forgive them. 

Some people see God as cruel and indifferent toward the needs of others but that is not how the Bible describes him. It shows him, instead, as one who identifies with us: Heb. 4:15: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are …”

The Bible portrays God as one who urges us to turn from our sin so he doesn’t have to punish us: Joel 2:13 (NLT): “Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.”

Compassion must be an integral part of who God is by the mere fact that it was one of the very first attributes he described about himself.

God is Gracious: Channun (Khan-noon)

In English: Someone is gracious when they are polite and courteous. In Hebrew: The word gracious refers to someone who stoops in an attitude of kindness toward those who are less fortunate. 

If mercy is God not giving us the punishment we deserve, then graciousness is God giving us a reward we don’t deserve (basically forgiveness): Eph. 1:7: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our (sins), according to the riches of his grace.”

God’s graciousness is evident in that he paid the debt we were unable to pay. And this is the incredible part: He did it for free! Rom. 3:24 (NLT): “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight.”

God is Patient: Arek (Aw-rake)

This word refers to someone who is not easily provoked, but is slow to anger. God does not react impulsively when we sin but instead, looks for any way possible to give us more time to repent. 2 Pet. 3:9: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

The corresponding word to arek in the New Testament is makrothumeó, which is sometimes translated longsuffering. God suffers a long time when we sin, and yet, he waits patiently to give us every possible opportunity to turn back to him.

God is Kind: Checed (kheh-sed)

Checed is sometimes termed goodness, loving-kindness, and in some places steadfast love - Neh. 9:17: “They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love …” Ps. 136:1: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

God is Faithful: Emeth (eh'-meth)

Out of His faithfulness, God honors the covenants he has made with man. Emeth means: Certain, stable, and one who is trustworthy. Even if we fail to uphold our end of the bargain, God will always upholds his. 2 Tim. 2:13: “If we are faithless, he remains faithful - for he cannot deny himself.”

His character is not dependent on our actions. It is based on himself - on his own unchanging character. Regardless of the circumstances God will always be true to himself. The apostle Paul put it this way in Rom. 3: 3-4: “What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means!” 

                God is Just: Tsedeq (tseh'-dek)

Following these first five attributes, God says he will “by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Ex. 34:7), which he probably needed to say so people would understand he could not overlook their sin simply because he is compassionate, gracious, patient, etc. If he is truly just, he needs to do what is right in every situation. But then he adds something that seems to nullify all the “nice” things he just said about himself: “Visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Really? In what universe is that compassionate and kind – or “just” for that matter? What are we supposed to make of this? Why would a just God punish children for their parent’s iniquities? That’s not just, and neither is it loving. If we take this statement at face value, it raises some serious questions about the character of God, except for three important considerations that must be taken into account:

1. The first consideration is the use of hyperbole in the Bible. In his book, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, E.W. Bullinger points out that hyperbole was used extensively in Biblical times to underscore important truths. If something needed to be emphasized, biblical authors would resort to exaggeration to get their point across. This was the custom of the day, and it needed to be so, because the original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts did not have spaces between words, or accents, or exclamation marks to emphasize a point. As a result, Bullinger explains, “more was said than what was literally meant.” 

Kyle Butt agrees, pointing out that we do the same thing, even though we have the benefit of punctuation marks. When a teenager explains to her mother that “everybody” is going to be at the party, does she mean that the entire population of the world is going to be there? Of course not – she is intentionally exaggerating to make her point. When a teacher explains to the class that “everybody” knows who the first president of the United States was, does the teacher really believe that every American toddler can correctly answer that question? No. Once again, the teacher is using a well-understood figure of speech to make his or her point. 

We can see the same thing in the New Testament. In the story of the Samaritan woman, the passage says she went back to her village and reported to them that Jesus had told her everything she ever did (John 4:39). But was that true? Had Jesus really told her everything she had done in her life? No, she was using this figure of speech to underscore her point. Similarly, the Bible describes the huge impact John the Baptist was having throughout Israel. “All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River” (Mark 1:5). Did John actually baptize every person living in Judea and Jerusalem. No, it was an intentional exaggeration used to point out that John’s baptism had a wide-reaching impact. 

So, back to God’s conversation with Moses - If we take into consideration the communication style of the day, it seems that God was doing nothing more than using the contrast between his judgment on “three and four” generations (Ex. 20: 5), versus his mercy toward “thousands” of generations (Ex. 20: 6), to communicate that his mercy is far greater than his judgment. My friend, David Hamilton, says that if you do the math, the maximum of “three and four” is four, and the minimum of “thousands” is two thousand. Four goes into two thousand five hundred times, so, from a purely mathematical standpoint, God’s favor and blessing are 500 times greater than his judgment. But I’m sure God wasn’t giving us a mathematical formula to solve, but merely making the point that his mercy is far greater than his judgment.

2. The second consideration is that God will always clarify statements that have been misunderstood or taken out of context, which does not mean the original statement was untrue, per se, but just that God felt people had misunderstood his original intent. The passage related to the sins of the fathers being passed on to the third and fourth generation seems to fit into this category, and here is why. In the generations that followed God’s original conversation with Moses, a proverb became popular throughout Israel: “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” (Ezek. 18:2). It was an adaptation of the “third and fourth generation” narrative from Exodus. God obviously felt they had misunderstood his original intent, because he went on to say, “As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel” (Ezek. 18:3). 

Then, he went into a long explanation of why this was the case, which you can read if you want, but the gist of the explanation is that God says in no uncertain terms that he will not punish children for their parent's sins, nor a parent for their children’s sins for that matter. “Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness” (Ezek. 18:20).

3. The final consideration is the powerful influence parents have on the lives of their children. The minds and hearts of little ones are like sponges absorbing everything they see their parents say and do, and then, they begin to incorporate these same words and actions into their own lives and vocabulary. As a result, parents are their children’s most significant role models.

"Children spend a lot of time observing and processing information before they attempt something," explains Daniel B. Kessler, M.D., director of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the Children's Health Center of St. Joseph's Hospital, in Phoenix, Arizona. "As they copy the deeds of adults, toddlers realize, Wow, I can do this too! Aren't I great? I'll try it again," Dr. Kessler says. "They learn that they have control." Eventually, a one-year-old will begin, not just to imitate, but to act out of self-motivation.

God designed us this way on purpose. He did it so we would learn the right kinds of behavior from the people who care about us the most. But what if a parent behaves poorly? What if they yell and lash out when they are irritated instead of responding with kindness and self-control? If differences of opinion are handled fairly and with maturity, a child can actually benefit from seeing how conflicts are meant to be resolved. But if there is verbal or physical fighting, and especially if there is abuse, it has a drastic impact on a child’s psyche.

These children often blame themselves for their parents’ arguments and may be traumatized for years to come. They will often develop low self-esteem, and in many cases, will begin to act out what they have learned in their relationships with other children. Dysfunctional families breed dysfunctional children. It’s a fact. And, unfortunately, this dysfunction is passed on, not only to their own children, but often, to their grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Up to three or four successive generations, the Bible says.

Is God just? Yes. Tsedeq is the main word used to describe his justice in the Old Testament. It means: One who is righteous, just and impartial. God is always this way. I love how Moses put it in the song he wrote about God: “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; just and upright (tsedeq) is he!” (Deut. 32:4). The greatest evidence of God’s unwavering commitment to justice is that he, “made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). The word “righteousness” in this verse is the Greek translation of the word tsedeq. 

Following are several other attributes of God’s character mentioned in other Biblical passages:

God is Holy: Hagios (Hag'-ee-os)

The angel told Mary that the child she was carrying was “holy” (Luke 1:35), meaning, one who is “set apart.” Holiness is an integral part of who God is, underscored by the fact that it’s the one attribute the angels are declaring day and night. Joy Dawson points out that God is faithful, but they aren’t singing, “faithful, faithful, faithful,” and God is kind but they aren’t singing, “kind, kind, kind.” No, day and night they sing: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come" (Rev. 4:8). 

Doesn’t that seem like a long time to be singing the same song? I get bored with a new song after two or three months, but these angels have been singing the same song for thousands of years. Don’t you think they would be tired of repeating the same thing over and over again by now? I heard Steve Fry say once that he believes every time the angels start to get up after falling down at Jesus’ feet, they see a new aspect of who God is, something they have never seen before, and they are so blown away by the beauty and wonderment of it all, they fall down all over again and say holy, holy, holy. Then, they start to get up and again, God uncovers a little more of his infinite, glorious character and they can’t help but fall down again and worship. It is probably not so much the song as it is about the revelation of God, the one who is compassionate, gracious, patient, kind, faithful, just … and thousands of other amazing attributes we probably cannot even begin to imagine, things that are different from every other created being, which is precisely the reason he is called “set apart” (hagios).

God is Love: Aheb (aw-hab')

From beginning to end, the Bible portrays God as a God of love. He is the epitome of selfless love, which in the Old Testament is the word aheb or ahavah. People blame him when things don’t go their way, but what they don’t understand is that most of the time it’s not his doing, and on the rare occasions when it is, it’s only because he has something better for us in mind. John described him best when he said, “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:8), and Paul too, arguing that his love was demonstrated in that he died for us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8). He didn’t wait for us to say sorry, but took the initiative to reconcile us, even though we were the ones who were in the wrong.

If you ask me, the most remarkable aspect of God’s love is that he loves you and me individually. He has the unique ability, by virtue of his omnipresence, to focus upon, and love each and every one of us as if we were the only ones on earth. C.S. Lewis took it a step further, speculating that if you were the only person in existence, Jesus still would have died in your place. That is how much you mean to him. If you have been struggling to believe he loves you, you need to allow the truth of his Word to replace the lie you have believed about him. The Bible is clear on this point: No matter what condition your life is in, he still loves you, because his love is defined, not primarily by how much you love him, but by how much he loves you (1 John 4:10). 

God is Jealous: Qanah (kaw-naw')

There are many other attributes that define God as well, such as his generosity, and his goodness, and his wisdom, but one that requires a more in-depth explanation is God’s jealousy. Oprah Winfrey says it was this specific attribute that originally made her doubt the existence of the God of the Bible. So let’s talk about his jealousy for a moment, because it is not what most people think. 

The word means “ardor, zeal, and passion” for something, and, in God’s case, a passion for you and me. Because he loves us, he is jealous for our time and affection. His jealousy does not stem from a desire for something that doesn’t belong to him, but rather, it is the jealousy a husband has for his wife, or a father for his teenage daughter. 

My wife and I raised two daughters, and I became extremely protective of them when young men started to notice them. Picture this scenario: Your teenage daughter has been asked to go on her first date. She is dressed up and looking beautiful, and then the doorbell rings, and a young man is standing at the front door. You invite him in and ask him to take a seat on the couch so you can explain some ground rules before they depart. Then you go into a detailed explanation of how precious your daughter is to you, and how much you love her, and that if someone were to take advantage of her, or hurt her in any way, it would be as if they were doing it to you personally. 

You are saying all of this, of course, as you are cleaning your shotgun. Then you look up, and the young man’s eyes are as big as saucers – mission accomplished. That is the outcome you were hoping for. “Do you understand what I’m saying?” you ask him. 

“Yes sir.”

In a similar way, this is the type of jealousy God has for his children. He knows the bad things that will come from worshipping false gods, and he is extremely protective. That is what love does to a person. Every time the Bible talks about God’s jealousy, it is related to his children going after the false gods that will lead them down the pathway to destruction (Deut. 32:16). So yes, God is a jealous God.

God is With Us: Shammah (sham'-a)

This last attribute of God is my personal favorite. I agree with John Wesley when he said, “The best thing of all is that God is with us.” What I love most about this attribute is that it shows God as one who presences himself in the lives of those who belong to him. No matter where I go or what I do, God says he will never leave me nor forsake me (Heb. 13:5). “Where can I go from your Spirit?” David asked, “and where can I flee from your presence?” If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, or settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me and your right hand will hold me fast” (Ps. 139: 7-10). This, too, was Paul’s testimony. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God,” he wrote. “Not death, nor life, nor angels, nor demons, nor fears for today, nor worries about tomorrow … not even the powers of hell itself” (Rom. 8:38-39). God has promised to be with us, so much so, that he gave this name to his only son. Joseph and Mary named him Jesus, but God had also given him another name: Immanuel, which translated means, “God with us” (Matt. 1:23).

So, what is God like: He is clearly the sovereign ruler of the universe, who possesses all power, is everywhere at once, and knows everything. He has no beginning or end, and he is unparalleled in beauty and majesty. But those aren’t the attributes he wants us to know about him. He mainly wants us to know that he is gracious, compassionate, patient, kind, faithful and just. Isn’t that incredible?