The Bible reveals God in His own words: "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14) and "The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4). He is "the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God" (1 Timothy 1:17), and "God is love" (1 John 4:8). Jesus shows us what God is like: "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9).
People search for Bible verses about God when they want to know who He really is, when they are teaching children, or when they are doubting and want to start from the beginning. These twelve King James verses let God describe Himself: His name and His oneness, His greatness and wisdom, and His nearness to us, ending with Jesus, who came to show us the Father. That makes them a good place to begin a new year of Bible reading. For God's goodness and love, see the goodness of God and God's love; for the divinity of Christ, see Jesus is God.
Who God is: His name and His oneness
1. Exodus 3:14
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
At the burning bush Moses asked God's name, and God answered, I AM THAT I AM. God simply is: He depends on no one, had no beginning and does not change. The name printed LORD in small capitals in the KJV is closely related to this name.
2. Deuteronomy 6:4
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:"
This is the Shema, Israel's great confession, still prayed by Jewish people today. There is one God, not many. Jesus quoted it as the first of all the commandments (Mark 12:29-30).
3. Isaiah 44:6
"Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God."
God is the first and the last: before everything and after everything, with no rival beside Him. In Revelation the risen Jesus uses the same words of Himself (Revelation 1:17).
4. Isaiah 45:22
"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else."
God invites all the ends of the earth to look to Him and be saved. The one true God is not a tribal god; He calls every nation. See salvation.
What God is like: eternal, wise and all-powerful
5. 1 Timothy 1:17
"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen."
Paul bursts into praise: eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God. Each word says what God is not limited by: time, death, sight or ignorance.
6. Psalms 147:5
"Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite."
His understanding is infinite. The same psalm says God counts the stars and calls them all by name (Psalm 147:4) and heals the broken in heart (Psalm 147:3). Infinite knowledge comes with tender care. See stars.
7. Isaiah 40:28
"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding."
The everlasting God, the Creator, never grows faint or weary. Isaiah then promises that He gives power to the faint (Isaiah 40:29). The God who never tires is the God who helps tired people.
8. Jeremiah 32:17
"Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:"
Jeremiah prayed that nothing is too hard for God, and ten verses later God answered with the same words as a question (Jeremiah 32:27). God's power is why prayer is never wasted. See the power of prayer.
The God who knows us and comes near
9. Psalms 139:1
"O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me."
God has searched me and known me. Psalm 139 goes on to say He knows when I sit and rise and every word before I speak it (Psalm 139:2-4). To be fully known by God and still loved is the deepest security there is.
10. Jeremiah 23:24
"Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD."
God fills heaven and earth. No one can hide from Him, and no one is ever beyond His reach. For a believer, His presence everywhere is a comfort. See God always being with us.
11. John 1:18
"No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
No one has seen God at any time, but the Son has declared Him, made Him known. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. Christmas celebrates the moment the invisible God came near (John 1:14).
12. John 14:9
"Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?"
Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, and Jesus answered that whoever has seen Him has seen the Father. The kindness, holiness and truth of Jesus in the Gospels show us the character of God.
A short prayer
Lord God, You are I AM, the first and the last, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God. Nothing is too hard for You, and Your understanding is infinite, yet You know me by name. Thank You for showing me Your heart in Jesus. Help me know You better this year, and look to You first. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Download our free SOAP study page · Start the free One-Year Bible Reading Plan · Get the SOAP Bible Study Journal
Frequently asked questions
Who is God according to the Bible?
The Bible says God is the eternal Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1), one LORD (Deuteronomy 6:4), "a Spirit" (John 4:24), holy (Isaiah 6:3), light (1 John 1:5) and love (1 John 4:8). He is "merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth" (Exodus 34:6). He has made Himself known most fully in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2).
What are the attributes of God in the Bible?
Christians often list God's attributes as eternal (Psalm 90:2), unchanging (Malachi 3:6), all-knowing (Psalm 147:5), all-powerful (Jeremiah 32:17), present everywhere (Jeremiah 23:24), holy (Isaiah 6:3), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), faithful (Lamentations 3:23) and loving (1 John 4:16). See the faithfulness of God.
Is Jesus God?
Christians believe Jesus is fully God and fully man. John says "the Word was God" (John 1:1), Jesus said "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30), and Thomas called Him "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). God is one God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19). See Jesus is God.
How can I know God personally?
God promises, "ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). Start with a Gospel such as John, pray honestly, and talk with a Christian friend or pastor. Jesus said eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ (John 17:3). A Bible reading plan can help.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about Jesus is God · Bible verses about the goodness of God · Bible verses about God's love · Bible verses about the faithfulness of God · Bible verses about the glory of God · Bible verses about salvation · Bible verses about the favor of God
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