How Does God Reveal Himself?
Reading through the Old Testament can be quite daunting. There are so many different names, repetitions, and a slew of weird concepts that we do not understand in the modern day. Many Christians like to avoid the Old Testament, because it's "just history" or "too hard", but the reason for this is because we read it without a purpose other than just to read. One question helps us overcome this fear of the Old Testament, and if we read it with this question in mind, it will change how we treat the Old Testament: How does God reveal Himself? He reveals Himself in many ways, and in the Old Testament, we are able to see how those who came before learned about who God is through His actions and commandments. Below is about one verse per book, summarizing how God reveals Himself in the Old Testament, and that book specifically, so that we can change our outlook from "just history" to "God's revelation."
History
Esther​
Genesis
God Reveals Himself through His creation, His handiwork, carefully created in Genesis
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Now, in Genesis, God never says, "I reveal Myself to them," but instead he creates an artwork of the universe, placing inside His personality, His "signature", just as an artist would. Creation holds the mysteries of God, and they "proclaim the works of His hands." We can see evidence of this in other places, like Psalm 19:1.
Exodus
God reveals Himself through His mercy, though providing justice when needed.
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If you ask a regular person, they may say that God is more loving in the New Testament, and he is all about being a judge in the Old Testament. But here, in Exodus, we see Israel know and understand that God does in fact judge, but he also provides, he is merciful, loving, and by knowing this, and seeing this, we can also know how to properly show these, as well.
Leviticus
God reveals Himself through His holiness, giving us a standard to be like Him: better.
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Leviticus has been the dread of the Old Testament for far too long because we Christians are unwilling to see the beauty in God's law. The Jews understand this. By reading the laws, we see how difficult it is for us to be "holy" and what God requires in order for sins to be forgiven. God is good, and allows forgiveness, and gives Israel these laws, but HE sets the standard.
Numbers
God reveals Himself through His judgment and His desire for evil to be punished.
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We can speak of God's mercy day and night, but what is the purpose of mercy if he does not judge properly? Mercy is meaningless without judgment. God sets the standard, and we refuse to meet that standard of goodness and holiness, so God judges us properly. Mercy is not being punished when we deserve it, and since God establishes what is right and what is wrong, he can also decide what we are forgiven for and what we are punished for. God is a good judge and a righteous judge.
Deuteronomy
God reveals Himself through our obedience: we will know God if we obey and seek him.
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As Israel is going into the promised land, Moses reminds them to obey God and remember what happens when they do, and when they don't. God gave us commands to follow so that we may be like Him and be righteous. Not for prosperity's sake, not for boasting's sake, but for the sake of our souls. If we obey God, we will find righteousness, and desire to learn more about Him and who He is.
Joshua
God reveals Himself through keeping His promises and His desire to be our only desire.​
God is always faithful. Joshua is not the only book that speaks on this. But the book of Joshua doesn't just talk about His faithfulness; it displays it. In the past, God made the promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their descendants will be as numerous as the starts. He kept that. He promised that Israel will take over the promised land. He kept that. But God also wants us to desire Him and Him alone. If we do not desire and worship Him, He will not promise prosperity or happiness, but the opposite. God lets Israel know that He desires good for them, but destruction will come if they follow their own desires. He kept that.
Judges
God reveals Himself through His patience with us and His desire for us to repent.​
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The time of Judges is a time of uncertainty and confusion. This is because Israel rebelled against God, repented, and followed God repeatedly. We act in this same way constantly. We sin, repent, and come back to God, but we do not stop there. We repeat this cycle over and over again, so why would God allow this? Because He is always patient, and desires us to be with Him as His children. We are His creation, and He loves us dearly, so He gives us many opportunities to return to him.
Ruth
God reveals Himself through the process of redemption: that He will pay the price and accept us.​
What is a redeemer? What is the point? A family redeemer pays the price and essentially buys back a family into their inheritance. Maybe this family sold themselves away, or fell away, and a redeemer comes to save them. Christ is our redeemer, who paid the price for us to be brought back into the kingdom of God, our inheritance as his children. Without redemption, we are fully separated from God. Without redemption, we have no hope. But Christ is our family redeemer who gives us hope, who gives us life.
1 Samuel
God reveals Himself as the one true King that we should put our faith in, and not any man.​
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God was the King of Israel. He made the laws, he allotted the land, He protected them, and He provided for them. But they rebelled and did not act in His ways, and so they asked for a human, earthly king to rule over them. God was not enough for them, and so they chose a king who also rebelled against God. Then, David was chosen for his desire after God's own heart, but even he made mistakes and struggled to follow God's Word. Humans make mistakes, and we have a sinful nature, but God is perfect, just, and righteous. An unchanging God should be the only thing we put our hope in.
2 Samuel
God reveals himself through David, God's sinful anointed, who sought after God and repented of his sins.​
God chose a king, and He wanted a king after His own heart. But what does that mean? God never said He wanted a sinless king to rule Israel; that would later be Jesus Christ. Instead, a king after God's heart looks like David. God wants us to be humble enough to face our wrongdoing and repent of it. He praised God, loved God, and sought a true relationship with Him, despite his mistakes. Because of this, god blesses David, and establishes him as a legend among Israel for thousands of years. David became known as a great leader, and great worshiper of God. But remember, he is not a good model of a follower of God because of his sinful actions, but because of his desire for God.
1 Kings
God reveals Himself through His faithfulness and patience, even through our rebellion.​
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We rebel every time we sin. It is active defiance of God, especially if we want to call ourselves Christians. Even though we sin against Him, we are not destroyed right away. So why? Because God is gracious, merciful, and faithful. God made promises to Israel, even after the split with Judah. Both nations are His people, and even though judgment will come, he provides for them in many ways. He sends multiple prophets, like Elijah, to warn them of their rebellion and encourage them to return to God. He gives us many chances to come to Him, because He is a loving and faithful God. He hates to see us suffer and be judged, and wants us to seek and know Him.​
2 Kings
God reveals Himself through the consequences of our lack of repentance.
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Sin brings evil into the world. We bring evil into the world. Pain, suffering, and death are all because we sin. This sin corrupts God's creation, but God is merciful and allows us to repent from this sin. Sometimes we don't, and He enables us to face the consequences of sin. God doesn't always have to bring judgment, but our own sin will punish us. In the case of Manasseh, he sinned and led an entire nation into sin. Because of this, Judah had to learn the consequences of idol worship: destruction. Soon, Babylon comes to overtake Judah and Jerusalem, bringing an end to the monarchy. Sometimes our unrepentance affects us, and sometimes it affects everyone else as well.​
1 Chronicles
God reveals Himself through his blessings, and all good things come from Him.​
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All of creation is God's, and it is His control. God created all the good things in the world, including the things we cannot see, like strength, happiness, and love. Many people believe that strength and power come from the person, but that is not true. Strength and power come from God. He can give it, and take it away. These are all blessings, things God controls. We cannot give ourselves our own blessings; we cannot work towards them. The only thing we can do is ask God to bless us with these good things and trust in Him.
2 Chronicles
God reveals Himself through the examples of great and terrible leaders.
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Yes, God reveals Himself in many ways through our leaders. Maybe there is a great leader who does good, leading as a good example. This leader pushes us to be faithful to God, leads by example, and is not hypocritical. If this leader existed in our churches, workplaces, or countries, then we would not doubt that God established them. But the thing is, God establishes the bad leaders, too. Sometimes, to teach us lessons, and sometimes He allows us to fall into our own sin. Our sin as a group, or world, will produce bad, even evil leaders, but ultimately, God allows them to rise to power. This shows that all leaders are put in place by God's will. Sometimes they will glorify God through their goodness, but others will fall short and lead their people into ruin.​​
Ezra
God reveals Himself through salvation from our slavery and our sin.​
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God is our salvation. This is a theme we can find time and time again in Scripture. We can be saved from earthly troubles and tribulations. This is what Ezra discusses after the exile. God saved them from Assyria, Babylon, and eventually, Persia. He sent Persia and saved Israel through a secular nation. God promised He would let them return, and here He fulfills his promises of salvation. God also saves us from the slavery of sin. In the New Testament, this is even clearer, but God is more than willing to bring salvation to us and free us from our sin. He wants to redeem us and have us as a part of His kingdom. In the end, it is all about grace. God's grace is what saves us. Not anyone else, and certainly not ourselves.
Nehemiah
God reveals Himself through revival.
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Revival is an overlooked and often misunderstood aspect of our faith. To revive something is to bring it from death to life. We know that God has conquered death and revives us from our walking death in sin, which is what baptism represents. However, when we speak of revival, we speak of spiritual revival, not physical. In Nehemiah, the remnant of Israel returned to their land, and there was a time of spiritual revival. They were dispersed because of their sin against God, and desired to return to Him, and not just their land. Even though most of us are not of Israel, we can also return to God through revival. He can open our hearts, follow in His ways, and love God. But in order to do this, we must repent, acknowledge our sin, and seek God.
Esther
God reveals Himself through His will, whether or not we know it.
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God's will will be done. It does not matter if we want to be a part of it or not. It will be done. We have the opportunity to be a part of His plans and be fully dedicated to Him. Sometimes, God will even use unwilling people to be a part of the plan. In Esther, Esther plays an important part in saving her people, the Israelites. Mordecai sees the opportunity and knows that God has this plan for Esther. God's will is still in place, and we all have the opportunity to be a willing part and to see His will unfold. Or, we can ignore God's plans and let others witness the glory of God.
Job
God reveals Himself through His almighty power and vast knowledge.
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It can be very difficult not to blame God. If He is all-powerful, why does evil exist? If He is all-powerful, then why am I not saved from my suffering? Job may have struggled with these questions for a very long time. But in truth, we have evil and flawed hearts. We can forget that God has ultimate wisdom, grace, and love. He is righteous and just, but also forgiving. We have imperfect perceptions of these things, believing we know what justice, love and righteousness is, but failing to meet God's standard. We lose sight of it all, and forget that evil exists in the world. We can't see everything, know everything, and even understand everything. But God does. He knows and He sees. We can ask god questions, and hope to have the answers revealed to us, but we cannot blame God, and fight against God. We must trust in Him.
Psalms
God reveals Himself through our worship of Him.​
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The book of Psalms is full of songs and poetry that give all worship to God. God is always the focus, the main topic. Many of these songs were written by David, who sought God and sought His heart. We can see how David worshiped and what our worship should look like. We should take refuge in God, follow His ways, repent, and turn to Him. He is always there, always listening. We should be thankful and glorify Him for all of these things, and more. David sinned against God, and yet he still sought God and came back to His glory. We are not the focus of worship, but God and God alone.
Proverbs
God reveals Himself through wisdom, for wisdom is His to give.​
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All wisdom comes from God. Proverbs never says otherwise. Wisdom is something to seek and strive to know, just as we must seek and know God. Proverbs contains bits of wisdom that we can keep in our hearts and remember, always. What's the point of wisdom? It shields us and protects us from evil and wrongdoing. It makes us blameless. Most importantly, it comes from the understanding of God, not our own understanding. Following our own ways will always lead to ruin and sin.
Ecclesiastes
God reveals Himself because without Him, all is vain and fading.​
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Since wisdom comes from God, we must follow in His ways, but what happens when we don't? What would it be like if God did not give us wisdom? What would it be like if God did not exist? Ecclesiastes tells us that all is vain, and all will fade under the sun. Nothing lasts, including us. You may think that earthly pleasures are important, and without God, you would be able to focus on pleasures more, but in reality, you are enslaved to the world and to the fading things. You are enslaved to death, but with God, our pleasures s in everlasting things: Him.
Song of Solomon
God reveals Himself through love, and He is how we show love to others.​
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People love to ignore this book because it can be awkward at times; however, it is still Scripture. Though this book is about the love a man and woman have for each other, it shows us how God intends us to love. True, holy love is a gift from God, and God wants us to follow in His ways so He can teach us how to love in a holy and fruitful way.
Isaiah
God reveals Himself as the bringer of judgment and the bringer of hope, that is, Christ.​
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Isaiah is a massive book, full of prophecy, warnings, and hope. People like to look at God in the Old Testament as a judge, because they say he is destructive and mean, but that is not true. Yes, He is a judge for those who disobey and rebel against Him, because a holy God punishes wickedness. God is also loving and brings hope. Isaiah pleads with Israel to return to God and follow Him, even when they ignore Isaiah. God desires repentance, and God also desires to save us. Isaiah also speaks about the Messiah, who is later Christ, who will come to free us from our slavery of sin. Because of Christ, the hope of being with God and knowing God is real and for all of us.
Jeremiah
God reveals Himself by pleading with His people to repent and follow Him alone.​
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Jeremiah also prophesies repentance and judgment for wickedness. Israel has a constant issue with rebelling against God, but God is patient and merciful. Ultimately, God desires for us to follow Him, for He is holy and perfect. His ways are true. Jeremiah speaks these words to Israel, hoping that they see the light and repent from their rebellion, so they can know God forever. This should also be a warning and a hopeful message for us. We should also follow God and repent for our disobedience. We can feel His love and grace; we simply need to follow.
Lamentations
God reveals Himself by being our hope after experiencing grief.​
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Lamentations is a book, grieves the destruction of the First Temple and the exile of Israel. To them, it seemed their lives, and the promises given to them, were over. God has turned his face from them. This would be a time to feel hopeless, but that is not the case here. Here we see the writer discuss hope in God and in his faithful love. His love endures forever. God is merciful and will always be merciful. We can always rely on Him. He is faithful to the end.
Ezekiel
God reveals Himself as a guide through our times of struggle and judgment.​
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There is no doubt that Israel has disobeyed God and deserved their exile. God does not regret his actions against Israel. He does, however, guide the lost, the dispersed, and the broken back to Him. What is the point of discipline if God doesn't teach the right way? God guides His people back to Him and encourages them in their exile. God remains faithful. When we feel exiled, lost, or broken, even by means of our own actions, God is faithful and will guide us to redemption and holiness.
Daniel
God reveals Himself as sovereign over all kingdoms and rulers.​
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God used pagan nations to judge Israel. He is not just sovereign over Christian leaders, but over all leaders of the world, on any level. He gives them power, and He can take it away. Even the unbelieving can do His will, whether they know it or not. This is proof that God is the ultimate authority, and even the unbelievers are bound under Him. In Daniel, the king of Babylon had to face God's power and authority. Even in Daniel's visions, God shows his authority over rulers. He foretells of kingdoms that come and go, destroyed by the next one. God is powerful and everlasting, and no earthly ruler will stand against Him.
Hosea
God reveals Himself as a God who heals, saves, and shows mercy.​
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Hosea was a prophet in a bit of a different way. He prophesied the mercy of God on Israel through Hosea's marriage. Hosea married an unfaithful woman, whom he knew to be unfaithful. When she left, he bought her from slavery and commanded that she remain faithful forever. God treated Israel, and now us, in the same way. We are unfaithful to a God who desires us, we leave and rebel against Him, and fall into the slavery of sin. But God comes, redeems us as Jesus Christ, and commands us to live faithful and holy lives. That is what he desires: not sacrifice, but mercy and love.
Joel
God reveals Himself as a God who will ultimately defeat evil and sin.​
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We know that God is all-powerful. Part of His will is to destroy evil and sin, as prophesied even in Genesis. God hates sin and wants it destroyed from the earth. Only a just God would desire this. Sin keeps us from knowing Him, and when we sin, we fall further from Him. God sent Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice, and with this, He defeated death and sin, so that they no longer have a hold on us. While we are on earth, we must take refuge in God. He is the same God who moves the heavens, who destroys evil, whose will be done. God is our stronghold against evil and sin.
Amos
God reveals Himself as a God who ensures that sin will not go unpunished.​
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Sin is evil, and a just God would desire for it to be annihilated. Many argue that God isn't good because evil is still here. They are not wrong; evil still exists in the world, but evil is our own doing. When we sin, we promote evil. When we follow our own desires, we become evil. Amos is warning Israel about this. Judgment is coming because of their sin. They are evil, and they are the focus of God's wrath. Evil is being punished, and a good, just, and holy God will make sure evil is destroyed.
Obadiah
God reveals Himself as a God who punishes pride.​
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We know God punishes sin, but pride is a very special sin. It is destructive, and it makes a person believe they are above God and, in turn, above consequences. Pride makes sin seem harmless, or even good. Obadia warns his listeners that God will bring them down from their prideful place. There is no one higher than God, and to place yourself above Him is truly evil. We must strive to be humble in the presence of God.
Jonah
God reveals Himself as compassionate, even to His enemies.
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How could God be loving and merciful to His enemies? You may ask this question, along with, "I follow God and keep His commands, so why should they be treated the same as I?" We are all sinners and undeserving of mercy and grace. God created and loves us all, even those who do not follow. Jonah had this same attitude. Jonah hated Ninevah and believed that they did not deserve God's warnings and mercy, but that is the point. None of us deserves God, and yet, He loves us despite our rebellion. We see time and time again that God's love endures forever.
Micah
God reveals Himself as just and fair.
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People will always believe that God in the Old Testament is all about judgment, while God in the New Testament is all about love. This continues to be proven false, even in Micah. Micah tells the people that God has shown us what is good, what is righteous, and what is loving, but we constantly refuse God. It is because of our own pride that we do not follow the paths that are shown to be righteous and true. So, we must humble ourselves and follow God's righteous ways.
Nahum
God reveals Himself through judgment if we refuse or corrupt His mercy.
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Mercy is a gift. It is the removal of a punishment that we deserve. We deserve punishment because of our sin. Sometimes, it's not just sin, but active rebellion against God. To fight against God is a futile battle, and yet we hate God's ways and choose to trust in ourselves. But if we fight against God, we will not win, and He will bring complete destruction upon us.
Habakkuk
God reveals Himself as good, even when tragedy strikes in the world.
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Some people will blame God for tragedies. If God is so powerful and so good, then why do tragedies occur? Evil things occur because we are evil people. We disregard God and then blame him for when evil strikes. Even Habakkuk struggles with this question, but He knows that God is pure and good. He knows that God punishes the wicked, but the wicked remain. God is good, and we can trust in him, but when tragedy and evil are present, we must keep our focus, our eyes, on God.
Zephaniah
God reveals Himself as God who desires for us to seek humility and righteousness.
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The keyword here is "to seek," which means that we must actively search for and desire it. Humility and righteousness are not things that will just come to us. We don't earn them, and we can only obtain them if we follow God's commands. Is He not good enough to follow? Righteousness can only be found in God, and only He can give it. it will never come to us, but it must be sought after and fought for. Humility goes against our nature, and we must always lower ourselves and follow God.
Haggai
God reveals Himself when we turn from our sin and trust in Him fully.
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Pride separates us from God. We cannot have a relationship with Him, we cannot worship Him if we hold ourselves in a higher regard than we deserve. We will never know God if we do not humble ourselves. If we follow our ways, it will leave us unsatisfied, waiting and desiring more. If we follow God's ways, He gifts us wisdom, mercy, and righteousness.
Zechariah
God reveals Himself as a God who has revealed Himself, but no one listens.
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God has revealed Himself to the world in many ways, and yet people still have not sought Him or believed in Him. People will claim that God should have been clearer, that God should speak to them directly. This is pride, and will further separate you from Him. If we humble ourselves and look at how God has revealed Himself, we will see that time and time again, He has. It is we who do not listen.
Malachi
God reveals Himself as patient and willing to return to His people if they repent.
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We are His children, His creation. He will always love us, more than we can imagine, but our sin separates us from Him. We rebel and leave Him. God promises that if we repent from our rebellion and turn back to Him, then He will meet us with open arms. He will give us mercy, grace, righteousness, wisdom, and love, for all of those things only come from Him. He commands that we should follow Him, and Him alone. All we must do is humble ourselves, admit our sin, and come back to Him.