Who Knew God the Best? (Part 1)

The Old Testament has multiple stories of men and women who knew God really well.


There's David for one. "A man after God's own heart" (1 Samuel 3:14).

A man who sinned greatly, but who understood God's mercy and forgiveness.

There was no specific sacrifice designated by God to atone for adultery and murder.

So David knew he had to throw himself on the grace of God to have forgiveness.

We see his heart in Psalm 51:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions....my sin is always before me...cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean, wash me, and I will be whiter than snow....create in me a pure heart...do not cast me from your presence....

He had a "broken and contrite heart."

So David understood that God was merciful and compassionate. He also understood that we are born in sin (also Psalm 51) and that God has to actually give us a new heart to love Him and be in His presence.

So David knew a lot about God!


And Abraham also knew a lot about God. And he knew God well enough to challenge Him, to argue with God about the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot's family.

And God spared Lot and his family because "the LORD was merciful to them" (Genesis 19:16).

Abraham knew God was merciful and compassionate.

Will not the Judge of the earth do right? (Genesis 18:25) He knew God was righteous.

And in Genesis 15 we see that he could even say to God 'how can I be sure You are telling me the truth?'

God showed him the night sky and promised his descendants would be more than the stars in number - but Abraham wanted more - a clearer guarantee.

'But, LORD,' he said, 'how can I know for sure that You are going to do this?'

Abraham could even ask God for more proof!

Someone would have to know God on an intimate level to be able to challenge to Sovereign God of the Universe like that.

And so God treated him to that mysterious covenant agreement, made while Abraham slept, when God appeared as a blazing torch amidst the  animal sacrifice and swore His covenant anew.

A contract, not based on the agreement and faithfulness of both parties, but based on God's unconditional covenant promise only! 



How about Moses? Now there's a man who knew a lot about God, too. He knew God was faithful and holy.  (He had himself received the original holy commandments from God.)

He knew God well enough to  question God's judgment and justice on occasion, to argue with Him, and even to ask for a special revelation of God's glory, and God accommodated him (Genesis 33)

And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your Presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion of whom I will have compassion."

Again, Moses understood that God was merciful and compassionate. He had witnessed many displays of God's mercy in leading the Jews out of Egypt and through the wilderness journey.  He understood why "without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin."


(see Who Really Knew God Best? Part 2)