Lesson 2 | Selah Reverie

Lesson 2: God the Father— The Great I AM

Part 1 of 3: Knowing the Trinity Personally

---Introduction:Before anything existed, God already was. He is not created, not limited, and not distant. He is the Great I AM — eternal, holy, powerful, and all-knowing. Yet, this same God invites us to know Him as Father. In this lesson, we explore what it means to know God the Father personally, and how awe and intimacy can live together in our relationship with Him.

---1. God is Eternal and Self-Existent

God doesn’t need anyone or anything to exist. He simply is. His name, I AM, reveals that He is constant, unchanging, and completely independent.

Exodus 3:14 — "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.'

"Revelation 1:— "I am the Alpha and the Omega... who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.

"Reflection: Have you ever paused to truly consider that God had no beginning? That He exists outside of time and space? This truth alone should humble us.

---2. God is All-Knowing, All-Present, and All-PowerfulThere is no place He cannot reach, no thought He does not know, and no situation too broken for His hand to touch.

Psalm 139:1–4 — "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me... you are familiar with all my ways.

"Jeremiah 23:24 — "Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord.

"Reflection: God knows you more deeply than you know yourself — and still loves you completely.

---3. God is Holy and Just — Sin Must Be Accounted For

God is pure and righteous. Because of this, sin cannot be ignored. From the beginning, God required a sacrifice to atone for sin — and ultimately, He would send Jesus to be the final, perfect sacrifice.

Leviticus 17:11 — "For the life of a creature is in the blood... it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

"Romans 6:23 — "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."Reflection: Understanding God's holiness helps us understand why Jesus' sacrifice was necessary — and just how deep the Father’s love goes.

---4. God is Father — Deeply Personal and Loving

Though He is infinitely powerful and holy, God desires to be known as our Father — not a distant judge, but a loving parent.

1 John 3:1 — "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

"Psalm 68:5 — "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

"Reflection: This balance of awe and tenderness is what makes knowing God so transformative.

---Personal Story – Coming to Know the True Heart of God:

Growing up, my image of God was… intense. I imagined Him like Zeus — white-haired, powerful, sitting on a throne with massive feet, looking down on humanity with judgment. I thought of Him as distant, stern, maybe even mean.

The stories I remembered from the Old Testament scared me:God sending snakes to bite people (Numbers 21)

Hardening Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 9:12)

Flooding the earth (Genesis 6–9)

Letting Satan torment people (Job 1)

It seemed like He was always punishing someone. I didn’t yet understand His holiness or His plan. I certainly didn’t understand His love. But now, I see differently.