God is a God of Truth
God embodies truth of Scripture.
Last time, we looked at the concept of khesed to help us better understand God and how he operates toward us. Another word for us to look at regarding his character comes from another three Hebrew letters. The first is aleph (א). The pictograph is an ox and represents power and strength as well as oneness and unity since it also represents the number 1. The next letter is mem (מ) which has a pictograph of water and conveys the meaning of life and transformation. The third letter is tav (ת) which has a pictograph of a cross and represents completion and fulfillment. These three letters spell the word is emeth. The pictographs give us clues that this word is about something from God that is transformative and complete.
The word emeth is used 127 times in scripture and is translated to the following: Truth, Faithfulness, Reliability, Firmness, Stability, Certainty, and Verity. These words convey some of what the Hebrew word means but it goes much deeper showing one of the true characteristics of God. God is truth and he can present no deception or falsehood whatsoever.
The Greek word used for emeth in the New Testament is aletheia (ἀλήθεια) and is used 225 times in Scripture. It translates to truth or faithfulness in English. It preserves the Hebrew’s emphasis on trustworthiness and divine reliability, not just factual accuracy.
The first time the word emeth is used in the Bible is in Genesis 24:48 where Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, has traveled to Haran to visit Nahor, Abraham’s brother, to find a wife for Isaac. God led Eliezer to meet Rebekkah, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor. The following is Eliezer’s response: and I bowed down and worshipped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right (emeth) road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son. This goes beyond just meaning “right.” It speaks of a divinely appointed path where Eliezer would find the truth and his answer to the task Abraham had assigned him. This demonstrates that this was of God’s doing and of his blessing.
Truth defines God and should be our ambition. God said to Israel: Be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully (emeth) with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you (1Sa 12:24). Although emeth (i.e., truth) is an innate characteristic of God, he expects us to emulate him in this trait. The psalmist also highlights this expectation for us as well. “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth (emeth) from their heart” (Ps 15:1-2).
We should seek emeth (i.e., truth) because God himself is truth and we are to emulate him. The psalmist said, “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth (emeth) and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” (Ps 25:4-5).
God communicated the following to those living in Jerusalem, “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth (emeth) to each other, and render true (emeth) and sound judgment in your courts” (Zc 8:16). We are to be characterized by being truthful. So, knowing that truth comes from God, we are to seek that truth from him and apply it in our lives and in how we relate to each other.
Emeth is part of God’s character: “But the Lord is the true (emeth) God; he is the living God, the eternal King” (Jr 10:10). God is defined by truth and so that means we can trust him for all things.
Aletheia is the Greek word representing the Hebrew word emeth in the New Testament. Jesus Christ identifies himself with this trait which not only identifies himself with God but the pathway to God as well. Jesus said the following to his disciples: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth (aletheia) and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6). As God is truth, so is Christ. He is saying that truth identifies the only one true way to God and that is through Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth: “But when he, the Spirit of truth (aletheia), comes, he will guide you into all the truth (aletheia)” (Jn 16:13). This shows that all three persons of the Godhead are characterized by truth, which is part of the core of their nature.
So, we see that emeth is a characteristic of God and a characteristic we are to try and emulate as well. Yet without the aid of the Holy Spirit this is a very difficult thing to do. If you do not have the Holy Spirit, then I hope you receive him as soon as possible.
Join me next time as we explore the tension of God possessing both khesed and emeth simultaneously.
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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens