Author's Note: All previous volumes of this series are here. The first 56 volumes are compiled in the book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible." "Part Two," featuring volumes 57-113, was published in December 2022.
Thanks for joining us on Father’s Day, and I hope the title caught your attention since God is “The Father” and “Our Father.”
Please note that these “God’s Greatest Quotes From the Torah” are my opinion, which is why this study appears in Townhall’s op-ed section. For those unfamiliar, the Torah comprises the first five books of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Next week, I will present more of the “greatest” from the rest of the Old Testament.
It always fascinates me when God is directly quoted in the Old Testament. I wonder what His voice sounded like. One assumes it was a majestic, powerful baritone. Or was God's voice transmitted directly into the recipient's mind? If you are a loyal reader, you know that I often feel “called” to write about a study topic, and that “voice” is transmitted.
What blows my mind and is difficult to process is that Almighty God, who created the universe and spoke to Old Testament leaders and prophets, is the same God who speaks to us now. Is that because He appears so great, powerful, and unapproachable?
Conversely, Jesus appears so approachable because He is both human and divine, as God’s plan intended. And today, His Holy Spirit is in us and with us. Always remember that Christianity is the only religion in which God came to humankind.
Before we proceed with God’s “greatest” Torah quotes, I stress that there is no official list, since “greatest quotes” is subjective. Your list (if you care to make one) will differ from mine, which appears in order of appearance rather than by content ranking.
God’s first recorded quote is among humankind’s most meaningful and beautiful:
“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3).
“Let there be light” is such a common phrase that I imagine the vast majority of people are unaware of its “genesis” — excuse the pun. Of course, no human heard God say that magnificent proclamation because humankind was not created until 23 chapters later:
“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground '” (Genesis 1:26).
Question: Who is “us” in “Let us make mankind in our image”? Here is how my study Bible’s footnote addresses that question: “God speaks as the Creator King, announcing His crowning work to the members of His heavenly court.” Myra’s discussion question: Was Jesus a member of that heavenly court?
Moving ahead, my labeling a God quote among the “greatest” also means it is extremely consequential, and the next quote ranks first in that subcategory:
"And the Lord God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die'" (Genesis 2:15-17). Read Vol. 110 for the rest of the story.
The next “greatest” set of quotes is so powerful and relevant that its geopolitical repercussions appear in daily headlines. The passage is “The Call of Abram,” whom God later renamed Abraham:
“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. ‘I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’” (Genesis 12:1-3).
Leaving that hot-potato passage on the plate, God’s next quote points to a corollary about Jesus's identity that was equally controversial at the time. But first, context is important for understanding Moses’s leadership and credibility:
“Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?’” (Exodus 3:13). God’s profound answer ripples through the gospels:
“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites': ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14). (For more details, see Vol. 182.)
Continuing with Exodus, the Ten Commandments (Vol. 150) are among God’s most significant passages. The Commandments' positive impact on the development of Western civilization, including the U.S. judicial system, is incalculable. Hence, “Moses, the lawgiver” appears in numerous stone sculptures at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Although what follows is not a direct quote from God, Moses told his people, “Your God directed me to teach you.” The passage is known as the “Shema,” Hebrew for “hear.” The Shema is a Jewish confession of faith recited at most Temple services:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
Does that prayer sound familiar? It should, because Jesus famously called it “the Greatest Commandment.” He recited it in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, where it was recited to Jesus by “an expert in the law.” (See Vol. 33 for more about the “Greatest Commandment.”)
For readers interested in exploring more of God’s quotes, check out the search engine GodQuotes.com. Some of my most loyal fans might recall the February 2024 “GodQuotes” Bible study, Vol. 203, posted soon after the site launched. Since I was writing about God’s Greatest quotes in the Torah, I contacted the site’s owner and CEO, Eric Schwelling, to see how the site had grown. It turns out my timing was propitious because Eric said:
“GodQuotes.com is embarking on groundbreaking work to weave AI functionality into our platform, taking daily quotes to a new level by grounding them in science and personalizing them in a way that speaks uniquely to each individual.”
I told Eric about my study topic and asked him to share a God quote that was meaningful to him. He replied, “While every word God has spoken is profound and vital, the quote that resonates most with me is:
‘You shall seek me, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart’” (Jeremiah 29:13). Eric said that quote “can shift our focus from hopeless circumstances to the certainty of His presence, proving our deepest desperation can become the turning point where we intimately encounter God, by seeking Him wholeheartedly!”
To that I say “Amen!” Eric, thanks for sharing, and bless you for hosting GodQuotes.
I hope God’s Greatest Torah quotes have uplifted my loyal readers, especially on Father’s Day. Here is an early Bible study about my father from 2020.
See you all next week when we continue with the “greatest” from the rest of the Old Testament.
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer. Her book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible" reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. "Part 2," reprints Vols. 57 –113. Order it here.
Myra is also the Executive Director of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit. You can help support our six-month exhibit at the Basilica in Orlando, Florida. Read more here. Contact: Myraadams01@gmail.com