Gifted writers are able to express common ideas and feelings in “ah ha” ways that strike a chord with a reader. When it comes to emotive content and passionate feelings, some of the best Biblical passages are in the Psalms but finding them is not always easy because of the size of the book. This list of phrases is ordered alphabetically by a key word – which is italicized – in the phrase. Comments follow some of the listings.
Ten Biblical Quotations Written About God
The writers of the Psalms wrote as if they had personal relationships with God and they had no trouble describing the deity. They believed that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing, majestic creator. Yet they also described God in terms ranging from gentle to joyful, a divine being willing and able to give unconditional love. Some of these poetic descriptions are difficult to equate with the stern taskmaster keeping score from a perch in heaven.
- “You [God] make the clouds your chariots; you ride upon the wings of the wind.” (104:3b)
- “You [God] sweep people away like dreams that disappear or grass that springs up in the morning. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered.” (90:5) The writer is comparing God’s omnipotence with the frailties of humanity, intentionally pointing out his own weaknesses before asking for God’s pardon.
- “Then the earth quaked and trembled; the foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his [God’s] anger.” (18:7) -- There are several parallels that can be drawn here. One is, if the inanimate earth becomes fearful of God's anger, how much more so should humans?
- “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life” (23:6) – If God’s love pursues people, then God is taking the initiative to build relationships with people.
- “Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed!” (85:10) – The psalmist is jubilant that God has forgiven and shown favor to the nation of Judah. This happens over and over, reinforcing the idea that God knows humans are prone to sin.
- “The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like little lambs” (114:4) – The psalmist describes the joy the earth felt when the children of Israel returned from Egypt and God took up residence in Jerusalem.
- “Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings.” (61:4) -- The Psalms often call God's house a sanctuary, a place of security where God provides the safety.
- “He will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers.” (91:4) Wings? Feathers? God is being described as a bird (both the males and females provide shelter and protection for the young of some avian species) lovingly caring for its young.
- “For when he [God] spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.” (33:9) The Bible teaches that God created the world and all that is in it.
- “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all of my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” (56:8) – Injustice cries out to find a champion. When there is none, God remains, a silent witness who keeps track.
This is just a sampling of the variety of images the psalmists used to describe the God they knew. They represent the perspectives of at least ten, possibly a dozen or more writers. If the images of God differ, it's because people see God through their own eyes. Each of the writers -- just like believers today -- bases his or her understanding of God on his or her own experience of God. Some, like David, get closer to God and seem to have a better understanding.
David, Chief Psalmist, Understood the Nature of God
David was known as a man after God’s own heart. As the apostle Paul was teaching in the synagogue in Antioch he narrated a brief history of the Jewish nation. In the story, Paul told the listeners, God said, “I've searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He's a man whose heart beats to my heart, a man who will do what I tell him.” (Acts 13:22, The Message).
Although David only wrote half of the psalms, his writings became the examples to the other psalmists. David was passionate about life, love and God and not always in the proper order. He was a visionary who didn’t always have the backing of his people but by using powerful words and images, he inspired them. David’s concept of God, based on his relationship with the Almighty, and painted with brilliant brush-stroke words, reaches across the centuries to inform Christians today about the nature of God.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures were taken from the New Living Translation of the Bible. For a better understanding of this book of the Bible, it may be helpful to read The Psalms – General Introduction to the Book and The Psalms – Emotions in Prayer and Worship.
Mistie Shaw - Writing for nearly half a century, Shaw's interests and education meander from music to the military, and from faith to fun.
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