Our 4-Fold God

Our Glorious Creator

He is the Creator of a vast universe our mortal minds can’t comprehend.

His wonders are astronomical in scope; his power an unstoppable force. Yet, His tenderness and compassion reach down to us in astonishing waves of paternal love and heavenly affection. He dwells in glory, holiness, and majesty, but resides among the insignificant, sin-stained, and grotesque.

He is a 4-fold God of might & tenderness; greatness & compassion. Four exhilarating Bible verses beautifully illustrate these 4 attributes, unveiling the intricate tapestry of a Heavenly Father who created, saved, loves, and sustains us.

God’s Might

Isaiah 40 is among Scripture’s greatest chapters. We utilize, however, but 3 gems from its entirety, plus a bonus verse which punctuates this ode to God.

Verse 10: “Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His [reward] is with Him, And His reward before Him.”

Addressed to Israel, God reminds them of His might – the power with which He conquers and reigns. God is King of the Earth, and nothing can prevent Him from punishing and rewarding.

Chapter 40 deals with the restored people of Israel in the coming Millennial (1,000-year) Kingdom. Just prior to this God displayed His might by destroying both His and Israel’s enemies.

Now back in the land and worshiping the Lord Jesus, the saved remnant of Israel is the inheritor of God’s richest blessings (see Isaiah 11). Once the recipients of God’s stern discipline, Israel is now rewarded for its fidelity to Him.

The same holds true for believers today. A holy and righteous God must judge and punish sin, and when christians sin, He does so. But upon repentance, God restores His fallen children and rewards them with peace and communion with Him.

Our God of might disciplines and rewards according to His perfect will.

God’s Tenderness

And just one verse later, we have this:

Verse 11: Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in the fold of His robe; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

God is making a point: Yes, I am the mighty God who punishes and disciplines, but I am also a God of tenderness who prefers to nurture and protect.

This verse is among the most gentle in the entire Bible – a proclamation of affection to the redeemed. Though the timeframe of Isaiah 40 is future, the demonstration of God’s love depicted here is for all time.

Even now your Heavenly Father is carrying you in His arms, wrapping you in the robe of His love, and leading you through this arduous life as a shepherd guiding his sheep.

Our God of tenderness is watching over you at all times, even when it seems He’s 1,000 miles away.

God’s Greatness

And just in case you may have momentarily lost sight of who this God of tenderness is, He reminds you in the next verse.

Verse 12: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And measured the heavens with a span, And calculated the dust of the earth with a measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?”

This same God who cuddles you in His protective robe is also the one whose greatness cannot be grasped.

He not only created the seas and oceans, heavens, and all of Earth’s wonders, He also sustains them. Our great God is the architect of the universe, assigning the abodes of the astral bodies and earthly elements. He created them, placed them, and preserves them.

His wonders are astonishing to behold, yet pale in light of His greatness.

God’s Compassion

Here’s our “bonus verses” – so called because though in Isaiah, it is not in Chapter 40, but Chapter 57. It perfectly sums up the 4-fold God.

57:15: “For this is what the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, says: ‘I dwell in a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.’”

If we could behold God’s holy “residence,” we would be overwhelmed as was Isaiah himself (6:5). Our eternal God of might and greatness is clothed in glory and perfection. Yet, regarding we straying sheep, our Shepherd is one of profound compassion who has no qualms about bending down to revive, rejuvenate, and renew us when we are faint.

He lifts us up when we are at our lowest. He picks us up when we have fallen into sin. He reinvigorates us when the torments of life grind us to a pulp. Though God is “high and exalted,” He is not so high that He cannot see us.

There is no height or depth great enough to prevent God from knowing our suffering and delivering to us the divine compassion we so desperately need.

He is boundless in might, tenderness, greatness, and compassion. He is our 4-fold God, and worthy of our undying praise!

David Ettinger was born and raised in a Jewish family in New York. After moving to New Mexico as an adult, he suffered through many trials. The nudge of the Holy Spirit caused him to examine his heart and in 1986 he surrendered his life to Jesus and has walked with Him ever since.David holds a BA, and MA, in English from New Mexico State University. He began his journalism career writing for The Roundup, the university paper. After graduation he became the sportswriter for the El Paso Times. He has held many other positions as both writer and editor with major publications. David is active in providing his skills with Zion’s Hope, Inc., in Winter Garden, Florida. His publications include Lifeway publications, Single Parent magazine (Focus on the Family), Zion’s Fire magazine, and Real Life magazine. In addition, he served as managing editor for Zion’s Fire and Real Life. David’s book, Overcomers: 30 Stories of Triumph from the Bible, is available online. David is proud of his son and grandson. Please read his testimony here, on his website. 

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