Knowing Who God Is: His Character - God is Great

To Study and Ponder

• The Creator and Redeemer God of the Bible is both infinite and personal. The gods of other religions are not like this.

• God is so big that Solomon prayed, “even the highest heavens cannot contain you” (1Ki 8:27) and yet so personal that “the high and lofty one who lives in eternity” also lives “with those whose spirits are contrite and humble” (Isa 57:15). Moses also knew God was close and personal, “For what great nation has a god as near to them as the LORD our God is near to us whenever we call on him?” (Deu 4:7).

• Any true statement about the God of the Bible will make him at the same time both bigger and more approachable, both more out-there-huge and in-here-close.

• Infinite means without any limits. Personal means having the qualities of a personal being (mind, will, emotions) able to form meaningful relationships and give/receive love. We have personal attributes (in this we are like God) because God created us in his image (Gen 1:26-27). We do not have infinite attributes (in this we are not like God) because we are created (he is not) & have many limitations as his creatures.

• We do not have enough words to describe God’s infiniteness. Great is one word that points us in the right direction along with huge, mighty, awesome, glorious, terrible, enormous, wonderful, incomparable, extraordinary. Read how the people of Israel, Hannah, King David, Solomon and others knew that there is no one else like our God! – Exodus 9:13-14; 15:11; 1Samuel 2:2; 2Samuel 7:22; 1Kings 8:23; Psalms 86:8; 89:6; Isaiah 64:4; Jeremiah 10:6-7.

• God tells his people that there is no other like Him through his prophet Isaiah 44:7; 46:9.

• God is called “ the great and awesome God...” Neh 1:5, 9:32, Dan 9:4, and “great King” Psa 47:2;48:2; 95:3; Mal 1:14; Mat 5:35

• We go as far as we can with our own understanding and then before the greatness of God we must bow down and worship. Bible passages where God’s greatness is exalted include: Deuteronomy 7:21; 10:14-18, 21; 1Chronicles 16:25-27; 2Chronicles 2:5-6; Neh 8:2,5-6; Psa 77:13-15; 86:10; 95:3-6; Jer 32:17-20; Dan 9:4; Luke 1:30-33; Rom 11:33-36; Rev 15:3-4

• To see how great our God is, go outside on a clear night, look up, and start counting! Then remember he put each star in place and named every single one of the trillions of the stars in the heavens! God lives in eternity (Isa 57:15), measures the universe by the span of His hand (Isa 40:12), and spoke it all into existence! (Gen 1:14-19) How Great is our God?

• God’s greatness is described as unfathomable, unmeasurable, uncontainable (2 Ch 2:5-6; Job 5:9; 9:10; 37:5; Psalm 145:3) Yet we are also told “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jer 33:3. He does want to reveal His greatness to us. (Eph 1:17-21, Deu 3:24)

• John gives us a picture of the greatness of God among the nations in Revelation 15:2-4

• The Bible often speaks about God’s GREAT love and mercy
  - Psalm 17:7 Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those

  who take refuge in you from their foes.
  - Also Numbers 14:19; Psalm 69:13; 89:1; 106:44-46; 107:43; Lamentations 3:22;

  Nehemiah 9:5; Ephesians 2:4-5

Memory/Meditation

Lower Grades:

Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. Psalm 145:3 (NLT)

Let us sing psalms of praise to him. For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains. Psalm 95:2b-4 (NLT)

Middle Grades:

O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations. Psalm 77:13-14 (NLT)

No pagan god is like you, O Lord. None can do what you do! All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name. For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God. Psalm 86:8-10 (NLT)

Upper Grades:

Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods. The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens! Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary. Psalm 96:4-6 (NLT)

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all god’s. 1 Chronicles 16:23-25 (NLT)