This is the second part of a new series entitled: YHWH.

(Resources at the bottom)

(Exodus 03:4-8a, 10-11, 13-16) When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground... I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God... "I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt... Go, for I am sending you...” But Moses protested to God, “...Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” God answered, “I will be with you..." But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel... they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” God replied to Moses, “I am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you... Yahweh, the God of your ancestors... has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations... I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you.

YHWH. - Yahweh. - I AM.

Purpose of this series:
The purpose of this seven-part series is to remind us of God's attributes.

God is holy.
God is omnipotent.
God is omniscient.
God is omnibenevolent.
God is sovereign.
God is immutable.
God is omnipresent.

Why it matters:
The more we see God, the more we can see everything else.

Why should you care:
AW Tozer says, "What you think you about when you think of God is the most important thing about you."

Part Four: God is OmniBenevolent.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes on the Sovereignty of God:

"God's goodness is evident by all of our continued existence."

"God is so good that if he were to ask me to eat dung off the street, not only would I eat it, I would be certain it was good for me." -Martin Luther.

What does it mean to be OmniBenevolent?

To be omnibenevolent means that God is completely good. This does not mean He has goodness or He acts good. It means He is the definition of goodness. Whatever He is, that is what goodness is. Therefore, to ever say God is not good is to be a logical fallacy if you believe in the omnibenevolence of God. Also, it is important to note that God's goodness and God's love are often considered synonymous by many scholars. (I am one of them.) I prefer "Goodness" over "love" only because the term "love" has been so drastically changed in our current culture.

Here are just a few verses that discuss the "God is in Control" Nature of God:

Psalm 34:8: "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"

Psalm 23:6: "Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life."

Psalm 145:9: "The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made."

James 1:17: "Every good and perfect gift is from above."

Nahum 1:7: "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble."

Three foundational ֶevidences for God's Goodness:

God shows His goodness through CREATION.
God shows His goodness through His PATIENCE.
God shows His goodness through the CROSS.

The Presence of Evil.

While it is beyond the scope of this blog to discuss the nature of evil, it is important to consider it because it is the opposite of God's goodness. There are resources at the bottom to help with this.

God's Word speaks to the beauty of God's Goodness:

(Lamentations 3:19-26) Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is. I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!” The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.

This book of Lamentations is actually five different poems or funeral songs that Jeremiah wrote over the destroyed city of Jerusalem. What is interesting is that Jeremiah arranged the songs into an acrostic, with each stanza representing one of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Some scholars believe this is also important because it relates in some way to the Hebrew word's meaning. If that is true, the passage above can be broken up into the following:

(v17-20) Hebrew letter: Zayin- (ז)
- In Hebrew, Zayin means a tool or weapon.
- The letter could symbolize spiritual conflict.
- Therefore, this stanza can be seen as resembling the battles we go through.
(v21-23) Hebrew letter: Khet (ח)
- In Hebrew, Keth means a wall or fence.
- The letter could symbolize God's protection.
- Therefore, this stanza can be seen as a reflection of how God protects us.
(V24-26) Hebrew letter: Tet (ט)
- In Hebrew, Tet is strongly connected to the word "Good."
- The letter could symbolize hidden goodness or trials that shape you.
- Therefore, this stanza can be seen as resembling how moving forward with God reveals His goodness in various ways.

God's Goodness Helps Us In Our Darkest Seasons Because It Reminds Us That...

(Verse 17-20) His goodness is Strong.

The book of Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah after the fall of Jerusalem. Jeremiah was likely a prophet who spent his life in Jerusalem and was devastated to see the city of God destroyed. What was worse was he knew the people had brought it on themselves. The destruction of Jerusalem was part of God's righteous judgment for years of idolatry. However, rather than turning away from God because of this fact, Jeremiah turns toward God. It is important to realize that God's Goodness is not weak nor fragile. He can handle our most raw feelings. In this passage, Jeremiah shows us...

(v17) God can handle our complaining.
(v18) Our disappointments.
(v19) Our "hatred" of the season we are in.
(v20) Our grief.

God does not give up on us when we have bad days, weeks, months, or years. What is even more amazing is when we reap the consequences of our own sin, God is still there.

(Verse 20-23-34) His Goodness Dares Us To Hope.

This passage is the turning point and central point of the entire book of Lamentations. It is at this point where Jeremiah says he has to begin remembering the goodness of God. He dares to hope when he...

Remembers God's faithful love- The Hebrew phrase for "love" is an all-encompassing word. It means love, faithfulness, patience, kindness, and more. It was another way of saying, "God is better than I could possibly deserve."
Remembers God's unending mercy- Mercy is best described is unearned forgiveness. It is giving someone something they could not possibly afford. That is God's mercy toward us.
Remembers God's fresh faithfulness- Faithfulness is dependability. Even though Jeremiah realizes the destruction of Jerusalem is, in part, due to God's righteous justice, He also knows God is faithful to forgive and restore.

(Verse 24-26) His Goodness Gives Us Direction.

This section ends with Jeremiah realizing what God's goodness does. God's goodness does not leave us in the ditch. He picks us up and gives us direction. God's Goodness...

(v24) "Inheritance"- This is a reminder that the Levite clan of Israel did not receive land as an inheritance because God said, "I will be your inheritance." Therefore, Jeremiah is saying, "I'm going all in with God. He will protect and sustain me."
(v25) "Search"- The Hebrew word describes action. This is not merely standing and looking around. It is getting up and moving forward.
V26) "Wait Quietly" Stay on the path. We trust the Lord to do what He is going to do, and we don't wait in worry. We wait in expectation.