“In the beginning God created…” (Genesis 1:1a). “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’” (Exodus 3:14a). I wonder how often we have read these words and never taken the time to really consider what they mean. In this week’s study of God’s attributes—God is self-existent.
In The Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer writes, “The human mind, being created, has an understandable uneasiness about the Uncreated. We do not find it comfortable to allow for the presence of One who is wholly outside of the circle of our familiar knowledge. We tend to be disquieted by the thought of One who does not account to us for His being, who is responsible to no one, who is self-existent, self-dependent, and self sufficient.”
The self-existence of God is declared from passages like Psalm 90:2, “Before the mountains are brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Job 36:26 says that the number of God’s years are unsearchable. David encourages us to sing to him who “rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens,” (Psalm 68:32-33). Daniel refers to God as “the Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:13), and in 1 Timothy 1:17, Paul calls God “the King of the ages.”
Most amazing of all are the words that come from God’s own mouth, multiple times, about His existence being the first—without beginning—and the last—without end (Isaiah 41:4, Isaiah 44:6, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 21:6, Revelation 22:12). Jesus speaks to the uncreated existence of God when he prays in John 17:5, “And now, Father glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”
God’s self-existence encourages us in this way; since God exists eternally of His own power, without beginning, with no rule or authority over Him whatsoever, then His sovereignty is absolute and everything that He has promised He will accomplish, for His glory and for our good.
Go Deeper:
Pray. Ask the Lord for help in accepting this deep truth of who He is.
Grace & Peace,
John
(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)