Who is God? (The Father)

Welcome to Pray.com's new podcast, the Heartbeat of Faith with Dr. Andrew Farley. Continue your exploration of the Bible in a Year with this series that delves into the profound nature of God the Father, inviting you to journey deeper into your faith.

Sign up for free devotionals on each episode at https://www.HeartbeatOfFaith.com 

In this episode we embark on an exploration of the complex identity of God the Father. Journeying through both Old and New Testaments, we debunk common misconceptions, revealing the multifaceted character of a God who serves as Judge and King but also exudes profound fatherly love for His children.

We discover the depths of His compassion for Israel, gain insights from the captivating tales of Moses, and learn from Jesus' profound teachings on the essence of prayer and our intimate relationship with the Heavenly Father. Tune in to understand why, beyond His majesty and power, God’s heart resonates deeply with ours, beckoning us to call Him "Abba." Don't miss the next episode, where we delve into the role of Jesus in the Holy Trinity. Follow us and stay connected with the timeless truths of the Bible.

Did you find this episode enlightening? Follow the Heartbeat of Faith on Apple or Spotify and Share it with your loved ones.

Download the Pray.com app today to experience the vivid revelation of God's divine presence through cinematic storytelling.

For more encouragement in God's grace visit AndrewFarley.org. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray, sing to God, sing praises to his name,
Extol him who rides on the clouds to ya his name,
Rejoice before him. A father of the fatherless and a
defender of the widows. Is God in his holy habitation.
God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the

(00:21):
prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun
scorched land. Psalm Chapter sixty eight, verses four through six. God,
thank you for the privilege of being called your child.
No matter what struggles Planet Earth may throw my way,
nothing can change your love for me. You are a
good father, a defender of the weak, and the liberator

(00:45):
of the oppressed. You are good to me when I fail,
sturdy when I am unsteady, and loving even when I
feel unlovable. Show me how to walk with confidence, knowing
that I am your child forever in Jesus name. Amen,
Thank you for praying with me today. Now discover the

(01:05):
profound intricacies of scripture through prey dot COM's podcast The
Heartbeat of Faith with doctor Andrew Farley. Stay tuned after
this quick word from our sponsors. Does your money stretch
as far as it used to? Most likely know. Here's
why it took two hundred years for the US to
print its first five trillion dollars. Today Washington has done

(01:29):
that in just three years. The problem every new dollar
makes each of your dollars worth less. Our sponsor, Birch
Gold Group, has helped tens of thousands of Americans protect
their iras or four oh one k's from the dollar's
loss in value with physical gold and silver. Now you
can too get a free info kit on gold right

(01:50):
now by texting the word heartbeat to nine eight nine
eight nine eight. With an A plus rating with the BBB,
You're in good hands with BURD so get your no cost,
no obligation infoKit now by texting Heartbeat to the number
nine eight nine eight nine to eight.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Hello everyone, and welcome to today's episode of the Heartbeat
of Faith podcast. I'm doctor Andrew Farley, your guide on
this biblical journey. Today we continue through themes of the Bible,
exploring the depths of scripture in new and exciting ways.
We aim to showcase how every story, letter, prophecy, and

(02:38):
poem is linked to another, revealing a grand Biblical universe.
And with each episode we tune into the heartbeat of faith. Today,
we'll further explore a simple yet profound question, who is God,
with a focus on God the Father. We'll do this
by re entering the epic store worries of the Old

(03:01):
and New Testaments. Some think of God the Father as
the God of the Old Testament, while Jesus is the
God of the New Testament. However, we've already seen that
every member of the Trinity spans the entire biblical narrative.
It's easy to look at the Old Testament and merely
see God the Father as a judge or king. Of course,

(03:23):
he is both of those things, but the Old Testament
also has dozens of references to the fatherly qualities of God.
He often calls Israel his children, especially when their hurt,
straying away or in danger. When Moses was on his
way to confront Pharaoh, God referred to the captive people

(03:44):
of Israel as his child.

Speaker 3 (03:48):
They journeyed through scorching heat and freezing nights. Doomes, hills
and wilderness surrounded them. When Moses was alone and his
family resting at a short distance, God spoke to him
once again. When you return to Egypt, see that you
show Pharaoh every miracle I have given you. Yet do
not be dismayed if he rejects you, for I have

(04:10):
hardened his heart. He will not let my people go.
Moses listened intently, breathing deeply so that he could tune
into and understand what God was telling him. He continued saying,
tell Pharaoh that Israel is my firstborn son, and if
he refuses to allow my firstborn son to come home

(04:31):
to me, he will lose his For God had already
seen the hideous crimes Egypt had performed against the Hebrew children.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
God the Father is the almighty judge, lawgiver, and holy one.
He's the one who ordered the universe and directed the
paths of the stars. Yet he's also personal, near and
passionate about you and me. Through Jesus, we can relate
to God as children and do to their father. When

(05:01):
the disciples asked Jesus how to talk with God in prayer,
Jesus gave them a way to address him. He didn't
tell them to be overly religious or verbose. He told
them to be personal, like a child talks to their father.

Speaker 3 (05:18):
Jesus looked at the crowd. He could see a group
of Pharisees glaring at him in the corner of his eye.
Jesus's tone was gentle yet firm. He spoke clearly, saying,
there is a trap that many people fall into. They
desire to only do good when people are watching for them.
Their reward is in the validation of others.

Speaker 4 (05:38):
Beware of this.

Speaker 3 (05:40):
When you give to the needy, do not sound a
trumpet like some do in the synagogues. Give in secret
for your heavenly Father sees you when you pray. Do
not add spectacle or poetry to come off as righteous
to others. Some love to stand on the street corners
and proclaim their devotion to God. When you pray, do
so just between you and the Lord. Some of Jesus's

(06:04):
disciples interrupted him and asked, then, teach us how to pray.
Jesus answered and said, our Father, holy is your name.
May your kingdom come and your will be done here
as it is in your perfect will, provide our daily needs,
and forgive us of all our sins. And may we
also forgive those who have trespassed against us, Lead us

(06:27):
away from temptation, and deliver us from evil. The prayer
was simple yet profound, and it spoke of the relationship
man ought to have with God.

Speaker 2 (06:39):
I'm sure the Jewish disciples, who were accustomed to living
under the law thought it was genuinely breathtaking that an
all powerful, dynamic, and holy being like God would invite
them to address him as father. And today, the fact
that God considers you his child should give you confidence

(06:59):
when you him. The author of Hebrews reminds us that
we can come to God with boldness, like a child
who boldly launches onto their father's lap.

Speaker 4 (07:11):
Let's therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of Grace,
that we may receive mercy and may find grace for
help in time of need. Hebrews four sixteen.

Speaker 2 (07:26):
Jesus calls God Abbah and endearing an intimate name, and
Galatians four encourages us that because we're born of the spirit,
with Christ living in our hearts, we too can look
to God as our daddy father. No matter your relationship
with your earthly father, you can take comfort that you

(07:46):
have a loving and forgiving heavenly father who remembers your
sins no more and keeps no record of your wrongs.
He promises you that nothing will ever separate you from Him,
and no one can snatch you out of his hand.
And because you're born of God and have received a

(08:07):
spirit of adoption as a son or daughter of God,
you can know him intimately and trust him with every
aspect of your life. It's for this very reason that
He indwells you living at the very core of your being,
to be your strength, to be your life. Next time,

(08:29):
we'll take a closer look at Jesus as the second
member of the Trinity, God the Sun. Thank you for
listening to today's episode of the Heartbeat of Faith podcast.
Follow the podcast so you can learn about the Bible
in this inspiring and entertaining way. Download Theprey dot com
app to hear the Bible come alive, and to be

(08:51):
further encouraged in God's grace, visit Andrewfarley dot org. That's
Andrewfarley dot org.