Breakfast at Tiffany’s: God’s character [part 1]

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23, KJV

The entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation is rich with examples of God’s character through the ways He interacts with humanity. The earliest example of God’s description of his own character is discovered in the life of Moses: “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty” (Ex.34:6-7a). Those qualities are then repeated throughout scripture, revealing the God who, as John C. Peckham summarizes:

"...creates, sustains and creates anew; speaks, hears and responds; sees, provides, delivers/saves and rules; knows, plans, wills, calls and chooses but has unfulfilled desires; judges, acts justly, and mercifully and graciously forgives; loves compassionately, passionately and steadfastly; grieves, suffers, laments and relents; promises, covenants and engages in covenant relationship; engages in court proceedings and defeats evil; and dwells with us and makes us holy."[1]

Throughout history and from the very beginning, God has made his “invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature” known to humanity (Romans 1:20). His wrath against sin coupled with His grace, mercy, longsuffering, kindness and faithfulness. God is displeased with disobedience and rebellion and will not let them go unpunished because He is a just and righteous God.

However, Israel’s history reveals over and over that God, however displeased He may be, makes a way for His people to remain in communion with Himself.

Whenever Israel would become stiff-necked and rebellious against God, He would allow them to be handed over and oppressed, which drove them to repentance, followed by God acting redemptively in power, freedom and love.

This was all pointing to when God would conquer sin and death once and for all through the redemptive act of Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection. The righteousness of God is revealed through the gospel of Jesus Christ—the power that brings salvation (Romans 1:16–17).”

Lamentations 3:22-23 sums it up so well: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Because of God’s balanced attributes of mercy and justice, we are made aware of our inability to be righteous before a holy God. But we are also made aware that whenever we call upon His name in repentance, the just God is also the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26)! We can daily walk with our Creator because His compassion and mercies are new every morning!

[1] John C. Peckham, Divine Attributes: Knowing the Covenantal God of Scripture (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2021), 15.