BibleProject | The Character of GodSample

The word emet is a common word used to describe God in the Hebrew Bible. It can be translated as “faithfulness” or “truth.” So when the authors say that God is “full of emet,” they are saying that he is trustworthy—we can trust him. But trust isn’t always an easy thing. 

For example, God promised the Israelites that he would give them a king of peace that would rule forever and ever. But Israel’s kingdom collapsed, and they found themselves without a home or a king. They wondered if God was truly faithful to his promises and cried out to him, “Where is your loyal love that you swore to David in your emet?” (Psalm 89:49). Ultimately, God answered their cries in the person of Jesus—the embodiment of God’s trustworthy character. Jesus is the faithful king whose Kingdom will endure forever, and he invites all people to trust in him. 

When it’s hard to trust God because our circumstances seem to contradict the promises he has made, we can remember the history of God’s trustworthy character. God has always been faithful in the past, and he will remain true into the future. So we can join the long line of people who have put their trust in God and discovered God’s enduring faithfulness! 

Reflect:

1. How do the following passages portray God’s faithfulness?

2. How are we called to respond to God’s faithful character?