Israel experienced God's greatness in the Exodus and realized that God was the Lord of history: God could bring several hundred years of slavery in Egypt to an end and create a new history for them, a history of freedom in the Promised Land. That freedom did not endure because of Israel's intransigence and backsliding. God, nevertheless, forever remembered his covenant and was faithful to it even in the face of Israel's sin.

Since God was the Lord of history, some thinkers, such as those who were responsible for the traditions behind the theology of the Book of Genesis, came to understand that God must also be the Lord of the universe and so its creator. This realization came to be a part of Israel's spirituality as witnessed by many of the Psalms. Since God was creator and Lord of the Universe, then his greatness could be discovered in nature and all his works acclaimed as "Great indeed!". This spirituality of contemplating God's greatness in the wonder and beauty of nature continues throughout the ages. But in Jesus we have even greater reasons for acclaiming God's greatness and majesty, the greatness of divine redeeming love and mercy.