Who is God?
Exodus 34:6-7
6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
God is Yahweh — the God who revealed Himself to Moses by proclaiming His own character in Exodus 34:6-7. He is the one true, living God: merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth, who forgives sin but does not leave the guilty unpunished. Everything the rest of Scripture says about Him hangs on this self-disclosure.
His name: Yahweh
The doubled name at the center of Exodus 34:6-7 is the covenant name of God, the one Moses heard at the burning bush: "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14). Saying it twice — "Yahweh! Yahweh!" — is emphatic declaration: this is who He is, unchangingly. The Hebrew יְהוָה (Yahweh, H3068) is His personal covenant name, not a generic title.
His oneness
Deuteronomy 6:4 seals it: "Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one." He alone is God — not one god among many, but the only God, the Maker of heaven and earth.
His character, as He named Himself
Five things stand out in the way He describes Himself in Exodus 34:6-7, and the Hebrew draws each one sharply:
- רַחוּם (rachum) — compassionate, from the root tied to the womb: His mercy comes from the deepest kind of love.
- חַנּוּן (channun) — gracious, giving what we have not earned.
- אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם ("long of nose") — an idiom for patience: not quick to punish.
- חֶסֶד (chesed) — loyal, covenant love that does not run out, kept "for thousands."
- אֱמֶת (emet) — truth, faithfulness, reliability: He is true to His word.
The same five-fold description rolls through the rest of the Old Testament — Psalm 86:15, Psalm 103:8-13, Psalm 145:8, Nehemiah 9:17, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2 — because this is how Israel understood God's unchanging nature: compassionate, patient, faithful.
His being
John 4:24: "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." He is not flesh, not made of parts, not bound by place. 1 John 4:8: "God is love." The mercy, grace and patience in Exodus 34:6-7 are what love looks like in Him.
Justice alongside mercy
Exodus 34:7 holds both lines at once: He forgives — and He "will by no means clear the guilty." He is patient — and He does visit the consequences of sin. This is not a contradiction; it is His holiness refusing to treat sin as nothing.
How you come to know Him
God is not a concept to figure out; He is a Person to meet. John 14:6 and John 10:7-9: Jesus is the way to the Father. Access is by Christ (Romans 5:2; Ephesians 2:13), through faith (Hebrews 11:6).
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 7, 2026
God is not an abstract concept or a distant force, but Yahweh, the living Creator who makes Himself known by name and character. In Scripture He reveals His supreme holiness, His steadfast covenant love, and His perfect justice, inviting humanity not merely to know about Him, but to know Him personally.
The Covenant Name
God reveals His eternal, self-existent identity as Yahweh.
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
Exodus 3:14 (NIV)
God declares His absolute self-existence and unchangeable nature through His personal covenant name.
When God spoke to Moses out of the burning bush in Exodus 3:14, He unveiled His singular, uncreated reality with the words: "I AM WHO I AM." Here the Creator reveals Himself not as one tribal deity among many, nor as a creature dependent upon anything outside Himself, but as the self-existent, self-sustaining Lord. In Exodus 3:15, He immediately binds this transcendent reality to history, naming Himself Yahweh, the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, establishing a memorial name to be remembered throughout all generations.
This self-revelation demands total devotion. Deuteronomy 6:4 establishes the foundational confession of Israel: "The LORD our God, the LORD is one!" There are no rivals or companions in His divine essence. In Isaiah 45:5, the Lord reasserts this absolute exclusivity, declaring that beside Him there is no other God. He shares His being with no creature. Isaiah 40:28 magnifies Him as the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, who never grows faint or weary and whose understanding is unsearchable.
Because God is uncreated, He is free from the limits of time and change. In Psalm 90:2, Moses reflects on this eternal majesty, confessing that before the mountains were brought forth or the earth was formed, from everlasting to everlasting, He is God. In Malachi 3:6, the Lord ties His eternal nature directly to the security of His people: "For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob." God's unyielding immutability is the absolute anchor of His promises.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Exodus 3:14 | God tells Moses that His name is 'I AM WHO I AM', asserting His eternal, uncaused being. |
| Exodus 3:15 | God establishes Yahweh as His memorial name for all generations of His covenant people. |
| Deuteronomy 6:4 | The Shema confesses that Yahweh our God is one, declaring His unique supremacy. |
| Isaiah 45:5 | Yahweh declares that beside Him there is no other God in heaven or earth. |
| Isaiah 40:28 | Declares the Lord as the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, unsearchable in understanding. |
| Psalms 90:2 | Affirms God's eternal nature from everlasting to everlasting before the mountains were brought forth. |
| Malachi 3:6 | Proclaims God's absolute immutability: He does not change, preserving the children of Jacob. |
The Divine Character
God proclaims His compassion, steadfast love, and truth.
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
Exodus 34:6 (NIV)
This foundational creed of Scripture is God's own description of His gracious and merciful heart.
On the heights of Mount Sinai, after the catastrophic failure of the golden calf, the Lord passed before Moses and declared His own inner character in Exodus 34:6: "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth." This foundational creed is God's own chosen description of His heart toward sinners. He is not reluctant to forgive, nor is He driven by capricious temper. He is inherently inclined toward mercy, abundant in covenant loyalty, and faithful to His spoken promises.
This revelation echoes across the entire Old Testament as the standard by which God's people interpret their history. Nehemiah 9:17 recounts Israel's repeated rebellion in the wilderness, yet praises the Lord who remained ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, refusing to forsake them. In Psalm 86:15, David takes refuge in this same character during affliction, while Psalm 103:8 celebrates that the Lord's patient compassion extends toward frail dust who fear Him. Psalm 145:8 magnifies His tender mercies as overflowing to all His works.
The prophets repeatedly anchored their urgent calls to repentance in this unshakeable truth. Joel 2:13 summons a broken nation to rend their hearts, confident that the Lord will turn from wrath precisely because He is slow to anger and abounding in kindness. Even when Jonah fled from Nineveh, he acknowledged in Jonah 4:2 that God's unrelenting nature is to relent from disaster. In the darkest hour of Jerusalem's fall, Jeremiah clung to this reality in Lamentations 3:22–23, writing that His compassions fail not, but are new every morning. Psalm 136:1 calls all creation to gratitude for this enduring love.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Exodus 34:6 | God proclaims His name as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness. |
| Nehemiah 9:17 | Israel remembers God as ready to pardon, gracious, merciful, and slow to anger despite rebellion. |
| Psalms 86:15 | David praises the Lord as full of compassion, gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy. |
| Psalms 103:8 | The psalmist celebrates God's patient mercy toward frail sinners who fear Him. |
| Psalms 145:8 | God is extolled across generations for His goodness and abundant mercy toward all creation. |
| Joel 2:13 | The prophet summons Israel to repentance because God is gracious, merciful, and slow to anger. |
| Jonah 4:2 | Jonah acknowledges God's persistent nature to show mercy and relent from sending disaster. |
| Lamentations 3:22-23 | Affirms that the Lord's steadfast love never ceases and His mercies are new every morning. |
| Psalms 136:1 | Calls all to give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and enduring steadfast love. |
Holiness and Justice
God pardons iniquity while upholding unbending righteous justice.
maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
Exodus 34:7 (NIV)
Scripture couples immense mercy with the solemn warning that God will not leave guilt unpunished.
In the very breath that God proclaims His abounding mercy, He adds a solemn and unalterable boundary in Exodus 34:7: "by no means clearing the guilty." God's love never compromises His righteousness. He forgives iniquity and rebellion through His gracious covenant, yet He cannot simply overlook sin or pretend moral corruption does not exist. His justice is as absolute as His compassion, demanding that the guilt of evil be fully addressed.
This balance stems from God's absolute holiness, an infinite purity that sets Him entirely apart from creation. In Leviticus 19:2, the Lord commands His people, "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." In Isaiah 6:3, the seraphim cry out in ceaseless awe, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" Habakkuk 1:13 declares that God's eyes are too pure even to look upon evil or endorse wrongdoing. He cannot tolerate darkness.
Because God's character is uncorrupted, His judgments are always flawless. Moses celebrates this perfection in Deuteronomy 32:4, exclaiming: "He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice." There is no injustice, partiality, or deceit in Him. This uncompromising standard carries directly into the New Covenant. In 1 Peter 1:15–16, believers are summoned to mirror this divine purity across every area of conduct, walking in holy fear before the God who judges every work impartially.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Exodus 34:7 | God keeps lovingkindness for thousands and forgives iniquity, but by no means clears the guilty. |
| Leviticus 19:2 | The Lord commands His people to be holy because He, Yahweh their God, is holy. |
| Isaiah 6:3 | Seraphim proclaim the threefold holiness of Yahweh of hosts, whose glory fills the earth. |
| Habakkuk 1:13 | God's eyes are too pure to look upon evil or approve of wickedness without judgment. |
| Deuteronomy 32:4 | Praises God as the Rock whose work is perfect, just, upright, and without iniquity. |
| 1 Peter 1:15-16 | Commands believers to be holy in all conduct because God Himself is holy. |
Spirit and Love
The New Testament reveals God as transcendent Spirit and self-giving love.
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
John 4:24 (NIV)
Jesus defines God's essential spiritual nature, calling believers to genuine spiritual worship.
Speaking to the woman at the well in Samaria, Jesus lifted worship above physical temples and geographical borders with a defining statement in John 4:24: "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." The living God possesses no physical body, material shape, or earthly boundaries. He cannot be contained in idols of stone or localized to mountain peaks. In 1 Timothy 1:17, the apostle Paul erupts in praise to this majestic Creator, calling Him "the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise."
Yet this invisible, transcendent Spirit is not a cold or unapproachable force; He is intimately personal. In 1 John 4:8, the apostle John writes the stark and profound truth that "God is love." Love is not merely an emotion God experiences or an activity He occasionally undertakes; it is the fundamental reality of His nature, displayed through the giving of His Son. John reinforces this in 1 John 4:16, declaring that whoever abides in love abides in God, for God is love itself.
This divine love exists in absolute, blinding purity. First John 1:5 states plainly: "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." There is no shadow of deceit, evil, or imperfection within His being. Paul brings this transcendent mystery into full focus in 1 Timothy 6:15–16, describing the Lord as the sovereign King of kings, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no human eye has seen or can see. He is the infinite Spirit whose holy love invites the heart to worship in reverence and awe.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| John 4:24 | Jesus teaches that God is spirit, demanding worship in spirit and truth rather than location. |
| 1 Timothy 1:17 | Paul honors the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, with everlasting glory. |
| 1 John 4:8 | The apostle John declares that God is love, the ultimate origin and standard of affection. |
| 1 John 4:16 | Believers abide in God and God in them because God is fundamentally defined by love. |
| 1 John 1:5 | Declares the message that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. |
| 1 Timothy 6:15-16 | Describes God as sovereign King, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. |
Knowing the Father
Jesus Christ is the definitive revelation and only way to God.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6 (NIV)
Jesus presents Himself as the exclusive path and living truth through which the Father is known.
In John 14:6, Jesus makes the definitive declaration that shapes all Christian faith: He is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. God does not remain an unreachable mystery, nor does He leave humanity to grope in the dark. As John 1:18 reveals, while no man has ever seen God with physical eyes, the only begotten Son, who resides at the Father's side, has made Him fully known. To know who God is, we must look squarely at Jesus Christ.
Christ is not merely one path among many; He is the singular gateway into divine life. In John 10:9, He proclaims Himself as the door, promising that whoever enters through Him will find salvation and pasture. Colossians 1:15 reinforces this reality, naming Him the very image of the invisible God, while Hebrews 1:1-3 announces that after speaking through prophets in various ways, God has spoken conclusively in His Son—the exact radiance of His glory and imprint of His divine nature.
Through this definitive self-disclosure, our relationship to the Creator is entirely transformed. As Romans 5:2 explains, believers obtain direct access by faith into the grace in which they now stand. Though sin rendered humanity estranged and helpless, Ephesians 2:13 confirms that those once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Approaching this living God requires genuine trust, for Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that whoever draws near must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him. Finally, Jesus Himself reveals the eternal triune nature of our Maker in Matthew 28:19, commissioning the church to baptize in the single name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| John 1:18 | The only begotten Son, residing at the Father's side, has made the invisible God known. |
| John 10:9 | Jesus announces Himself as the door through which anyone who enters will be saved. |
| John 14:6 | Jesus declares Himself the way, the truth, and the life, apart from whom none reach the Father. |
| Romans 5:2 | Through Christ believers obtain access by faith into the grace in which they stand. |
| Ephesians 2:13 | Those once far away are brought near to God through the blood of Christ. |
| Hebrews 11:6 | Whoever draws near to God must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him. |
| Colossians 1:15 | Reveals Christ as the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. |
| Hebrews 1:1-3 | Proclaims Christ as the exact radiance of God's glory and imprint of His nature. |
| Matthew 28:19 | Names the one true God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. |
Creator and Sustainer
God is the almighty maker and sustainer of all things.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 (NIV)
It opens all Scripture by revealing God as the uncaused, omnipotent Creator of the entire universe.
Scripture begins not with philosophical speculation about deity, but with a majestic historical assertion in Genesis 1:1: in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Before time, space, or matter existed, God was entirely self-sufficient, bringing all things into being out of nothing by the sovereign power of His spoken word. Every facet of the universe owes its ongoing life and breath to His uncaused, unassisted omnipotence.
The breadth of His craftsmanship constantly stirs the worship of His people. In Psalms 104:24, the psalmist looks out across the earth and sea, marveling that in manifold wisdom God has made them all, filling the globe with His riches. Nothing in creation exists outside the reach of His governance. The prophet declares in Jeremiah 32:17 that because God made heaven and earth by His outstretched arm, nothing is too hard for Him.
This same sovereign truth confronts the pagan philosophies of the world. Standing on the Areopagus, Paul proclaims in Acts 17:24-25 that the God who made the cosmos does not dwell in man-made temples, nor is He served by human hands as though He needed anything; rather, He gives to all people life, breath, and everything else. His purpose in creation culminates in unceasing praise, as echoed in Revelation 4:11, where heavenly elders cast their crowns before His throne, declaring Him worthy of glory, honor, and power because He created all things, and by His will they exist and were created.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Genesis 1:1 | States God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning by His sovereign word. |
| Psalms 104:24 | Celebrates the manifold works and divine wisdom displayed throughout God's creation. |
| Jeremiah 32:17 | Acknowledges that God made heaven and earth by His great power and nothing is too hard for Him. |
| Acts 17:24-25 | Proclaims God as the Lord of heaven and earth who gives life, breath, and everything to all. |
| Revelation 4:11 | Worships God as worthy of glory and honour because He created all things by His sovereign will. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 1 · Genesis 1:1 |
| Exodus | 4 · Exodus 3:14, Exodus 3:15, Exodus 34:6, Exodus 34:7 |
| Leviticus | 1 · Leviticus 19:2 |
| Deuteronomy | 2 · Deuteronomy 6:4, Deuteronomy 32:4 |
| Nehemiah | 1 · Nehemiah 9:17 |
| Psalms | 6 · Psalms 90:2, Psalms 86:15, Psalms 103:8, Psalms 145:8, Psalms 136:1, Psalms 104:24 |
| Isaiah | 3 · Isaiah 45:5, Isaiah 40:28, Isaiah 6:3 |
| Jeremiah | 1 · Jeremiah 32:17 |
| Lamentations | 1 · Lamentations 3:22-23 |
| Joel | 1 · Joel 2:13 |
| Jonah | 1 · Jonah 4:2 |
| Habakkuk | 1 · Habakkuk 1:13 |
| Malachi | 1 · Malachi 3:6 |
| Matthew | 1 · Matthew 28:19 |
| John | 4 · John 4:24, John 1:18, John 10:9, John 14:6 |
| Acts | 1 · Acts 17:24-25 |
| Romans | 1 · Romans 5:2 |
| Ephesians | 1 · Ephesians 2:13 |
| Colossians | 1 · Colossians 1:15 |
| 1 Timothy | 2 · 1 Timothy 1:17, 1 Timothy 6:15-16 |
| Hebrews | 2 · Hebrews 11:6, Hebrews 1:1-3 |
| 1 Peter | 1 · 1 Peter 1:15-16 |
| 1 John | 3 · 1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:16, 1 John 1:5 |
| Revelation | 1 · Revelation 4:11 |
The story in order
- God creates the heavens and earth (c. 4000 BC) · Genesis 1:1 · Establishes God as the sovereign Creator of all things.
- God reveals His name, Yahweh (c. 1450 BC) · Exodus 3:14 · God declares His eternal, self-existent identity as 'I AM WHO I AM'.
- God proclaims His character (c. 1450 BC) · Exodus 34:6 · Reveals Himself as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness.
- Israel confesses Yahweh is One (c. 1400 BC) · Deuteronomy 6:4 · Affirms God's unique supremacy and oneness.
- God's eternal nature affirmed (c. 1000 BC) · Psalms 90:2 · Highlights God's everlasting existence before creation.
- God's holiness proclaimed (c. 740 BC) · Isaiah 6:3 · Seraphim declare the threefold holiness of Yahweh of hosts.
- God is Spirit and Love (c. AD 30) · John 4:24 · Jesus teaches God is spirit, demanding worship in spirit and truth.
- Jesus is the Way to the Father (c. AD 30) · John 14:6 · Jesus declares Himself the way, truth, and life, the only access to God.
- Christ is the image of God (c. AD 60) · Colossians 1:15 · Reveals Christ as the visible representation of the invisible God.
- God is light and love (c. AD 90) · 1 John 4:8 · Declares God's fundamental nature is love and light.
- God is King, immortal, invisible (c. AD 65) · 1 Timothy 6:15-16 · Describes God's sovereign, transcendent, and unapproachable nature.
Key words
- Yahweh (YHWH (יהוה))
- The personal, covenantal name of God, signifying His eternal, self-existent being. · Exodus 3:15
- I AM WHO I AM (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה))
- God's declaration of His eternal, uncaused, and self-sufficient existence. · Exodus 3:14
- Lovingkindness (ḥesed (חֶסֶד))
- Steadfast, covenantal love and mercy, a core attribute of God's character. · Exodus 34:6
- Holiness (qadosh (קָדוֹשׁ))
- God's absolute moral purity, separateness from sin, and supreme perfection. · Leviticus 19:2
- Spirit (pneuma (πνεῦμα))
- God's non-corporeal, transcendent nature, the essence of His being. · John 4:24
- Love (agape (ἀγάπη))
- God's self-giving, sacrificial affection, the fundamental expression of His nature. · 1 John 4:8
To know who God is changes everything about how we live, pray, and face eternity. He is the holy, gracious Lord who seeks us, and in Jesus Christ He opens His arms to all who draw near in faith.
42 passages, each cited once.
Scripture cited
- Exodus 34:6-7
- Psalms 86:15
- Joel 2:13
- Psalms 103:8-13
- Psalms 145:8
- Nehemiah 9:17
- Jonah 4:2
- Deuteronomy 6:4
- 1 John 4:8
- John 4:24