Yours, O LORD is greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And you are exalted as head over all (1Chronicles 29:11).
Our awesome God! He has no match, no equal, and no rival. He is above all and awesome in His ways. He changes times and seasons and none can alter His predetermined counsel. The philosophers call Him the first cause, atheists in their confusion, though they claim He doesn't exist but do know that there is a force (cosmic power) that controls the universe. And truly, God is behind these visible forces. He is the creator of the ends of the earth and by the greatness of His might, He stretches the heaven and the earth (Isaiah 40:26, 24:44b). That's why He rightly outline His credential in Isaiah 48:12b-13, "I am He-the First and the Last" the creator of heaven and earth, incomparable (Isaiah 46:5 &9), indescribable God of Judah (Yahweh), great and above all gods (Psalm 135:5). Job's description of His almightiness is very interesting, the beauty of His wonderful creation, His providence and nature are unfathomable (Job 9:6-10, 36:26-33) and later He reveals His omnipotence to him in Job chapter 38-40. So, He is worthy of our praise. The four living creatures and the 24 elders in heaven ceaselessly worship and accord Him great honour and glory (Revelation 4:8-11). He overturns things and no one can deride Him. Because He sits above the circle of the earth, He sees the secret things and nothing is hidden from His sight. From this-His exalted position, He thwarts every evil counsel just as He did when He overturns the evil plot of Balak against the children of Israel. In His magnificent power, He relegates the princes of the earth to nothing (Isaiah 40:22-25).
Though Balaam was hired to curse the children of Israel, but God turned the curse to blessings for His people, O what an awesome God!(Deuteronomy 23:4b-5). Even covetous Balaam cannot do otherwise after he was cornered three times by an angel sent by God as an adversary to forbid his evil intention to curse the children of Israel. In an attempt to dodge the sword raised by the angel, his donkey crushed his foot against the wall. But in anger, he struck her (Numbers 22:23-25). He repeatedly struck his donkey, wondered why she misbehaved, not knowing it was because she saw an angel on their pathway. And the donkey too must have wondered about his master "If you can't see now that you have been blinded by greediness, I can see. I am doing my normal duty, and I don't deserve this unwarranted death." Finally, all the donkey could do is to surrender, I am not part of this mess, please, let my life be precious in your sight angel of God (Numbers 22:26-27). Then, God opens Balaam's eyes (Numbers 22:31) after his donkey spoke (Numbers 22:27-30). After his ordeal, Balaam knew if he does otherwise, he would pay dearly for it. And after raising many altars, he could still not curse the blessed of the Lord (Numbers 23:19-20). God frustrates the devices of the crafty (Job 5:12-14, 9:4, 12:17-19). Though the stone was marked (sealed), the tomb was guarded by soldiers (Matthew 27:66) and covered with a big stone; yet, the Lord of glory arose. Nothing can hinder Him, the LORD of lords and the King of kings arose and those guarding Him became as dead men (Matthew 28:2-4).
Our awesome God is a warrior! He is the proven man of war El-gibbor. Fortified and backed up by this awesome God, nothing and no one can stand between the children of Israel and their inheritance. Because His children must pass, Jordan cannot restrain them (Joshua 3:11-14). Even the swelling of Jordan cannot hinder their passage, the waters stood as heap (Joshua 3:15-17, 4:18). The wall of Jericho is not strong enough to resist them (Joshua 6:20). And at Joshua's command, the sun stood still in the midst of heaven for a whole day because God defended and was fighting for His people (Joshua 10:12-14). The children of Israel got possession of Canaan land because of the awesome presence of God and His intervention (Psalm 44:2-3). So, they eventually entered Canaan, God delivered all their enemies into their hand and gave them rest round about (Joshua 21:44-45). While in Canaan, God gave deliverance and conquest to His people with unimaginable people and weapons. Ehud, a left handed man, Killed Eglon the king of Moab-oppressor of the children of Israel. (Judges 3:15-23). Shamgar with an ox goad killed six hundred men of the Philistines (Judges 3: 31). Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera and his army (Judges 4:1-9, 13-24), and no wonder she sang, "The Lord came down for me against the mighty" Indeed, He is a mighty deliverer. Gideon, Jephthah and Samson also wrought exploits, the awesome God fought for them and scatters their enemies with His might arm ( Psalm 89:10) for in His anger the earth shook and trembled ( 2 Samuel 22:8-13). Our awesome God is mighty to save and deliver, He released Paul and Silas from the prison after they prayed and sang praises, there was an earthquake and the foundation of the prison was shaken.
He also brought water from the rock for His people to drink (Psalm 78:15-16); He supplied all their need as He wonderfully brought them into their inheritance. He graciously dealt with Esther, a nonentity became a queen (Esther 1:19), not because she was better than others but because God decided to favour her (Esther 2:8, 10, 15-17). Our awesome God gave Solomon rest roundabout (1 King 5:4), unlike David his father, he was a man of rest, he never fought any battle. Extending His love to generations of those that love Him, God also blessed Solomon with wisdom and riches beyond measure much more than David his father (2 Chronicles 1:9-12). He gave future and hope to the hopeless, so Ruth, the Moabites, gets her life secured when she covenanted with the awesome God of the Jews (Ruth 1:14-18, 4:15). He gladdens the heart of the barren what an awesome God! Hannah silenced the mockery of Peninnah when God remembered her and gave her Samuel. And her prayer of thanksgiving is worth noting in 1 Samuel chapter 2 verses 1-10. God also remembered the Shunammite woman (2Kings 4:14-17). He gives divine elevation (Job 5:11), He enlarges the coast of Jabesh (1 Chronicles 4:9-10); and our awesome God is still in the business of divine provision.
But when the children of Israel forget God who fathered them (Deuteronomy 32:17-18), forsook Him and His fear was no more in them (Jeremiah 2:19), He testified against them and delivered them up to their enemies (2 Kings 17:13-20). God hates every form of syncretism, sorcery and idolatry and He has repeatedly warned them against such practises (Deuteronomy 12:4, 13:6-10, 17:2-5, 18:10-13, 23:17). Yet, they delight in these detestable things and little did they know that God's eyes are not hidden from their ways (Jeremiah 16:17, Proverbs 5:21). Moses had told them in Deuteronomy 7:10 that God will repay and destroy those who hate Him. David's admonition that God should be greatly praised and feared above all gods was also disregarded, therefore, God became their enemy (1 Chronicles 16:25-26). In fact, God will not take it lightly with anyone who rebels against His command. Thus, it behooves us to tread carefully before the court of this awesome God. And that is the reason why David, a man after God's own heart further instructed, "Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved "(1 Chronicles 16:30). He is awesome in power and judgment! He made Pharaoh a sign to those outside, Korah, Dathan and Abiram became sign among the children of Israel when they rebelled against Moses leadership, and when the earth opened and swallowed them up, everyone feared and fled (Numbers 16:1-3, 12-14, 31-35). Even Ananias and Sapphira his wife were not spared but were sign among the new testament believers.
David, a man of war and exploits, trusted in the might of God and killed Goliath of Gath with a stone and a sling (1 Samuel 17:45-51). He refuted Goliath's decrees because he cursed him by his gods (verse 43), and our awesome God will not allow His name to be put to disrepute (verse 45-47). David's unique way of dealing with his enemies (either personal or national) is linked to God who has always been his strength, shield, defense, fortress, stronghold and help. Interestingly, David prevailed over all his enemies. God never allowed him to be defeated but gave him victory over them all and he won all the battles he fought (2 Samuel 7:9, 22:38-41). God established a covenant with him, even a covenant of salt (2 Chronicles 13:5). However, despite God 's great benevolence to David, yet, he did not escape the wrath of this awesome God who smote him with His rod of correction when he sinned by killing Uriah and taking his wife. He actually pronounced the judgment on himself when Nathan was sent to him by God (2 Samuel 12:5-6). Calamity struck and the first child born of his adultery with Bathsheba died though he prayed and fasted for seven days. But God in His mercy spared Solomon the second son, He loved him and gave him a name Jedidiah (2 Samuel 12:24-25). However, Amnon David's son committed incest with Tamar Absalom's sister (2 Samuel 13: 7-14) and at an opportune time on a revenge mission, Absalom ordered and killed Amnon because he forced his sister (2 Samuel 13: 26-29). Later, Absalom waged war against David his father, revolted against him and he was killed (2 Samuel 18:14). Lastly, Adonijah the fourth person died because of Abishag after he presumed to become the king ((1King 1:5-7, 2:23-25).
