Humanizing God

Morning Bible Study Lesson

"...thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes." (Psalm 50:21)

It is clear, from this oracle from Jehovah, that the Psalmist had entertained in his mind some false ideas about God, concerning who he is, what he is like, etc. This error in thinking about God lay in believing that God was "altogether" as the Psalmist.

This is indeed the case with many people -- certainly with all unbelievers, in one degree or another. It is even true with some of the Lord's enlightened people, who also often entertain false notions about God, his nature, and about his attributes and works of creation and providence.

Humanistic conceptions of God are not proper, and represent a "corruption" of the pure truth as it was originally taught to the parents and patriarchs of our race. Although the scriptures use human characteristics in referring to Lord God, yet they assure us that "God is not man."

Though God is said to have body parts, such as arms, legs, ears, nostrils, a tongue, etc., and to have emotions of love, hate, anger, grief, etc., these are not to be taken literally, but are to be understood figuratively or analogically, as "anthropomorphisms" and "anthropopathisms."

We have lost a sense today of God's transcendence, of his "otherness," and of his holiness and uniqueness.

Corrupt and sinful man has made God too much in his own image. He has lowered and debased him, as all idolatry does, thinking of him as if he were a creature.

The idea that God can suffer, feel pain, feel emotion and passion, just as we do, is an error that the historic creeds of Christendom have condemned, affirming rather that God is "without body, parts, or passions." God does not tire, fail, get hungry, go to sleep, or learn anything, as do the pagan deities.

"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19)

"And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent." (I Sam. 15:29)

These verses emphasize the fact that God is not a man, certainly not a sinful man. Creatures are mutable and subject to change, but God is immutable and changes not. Man is weak but God is Almighty. Man is deficient, but God is all sufficient, lacking nothing. Man is bound by limitation, but God knows no limitation. He is infinite while man is finite. Man knows very little, but God knows everything.

"And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men...And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein." (Acts 14: 11, 15 KJV)

Here we see the Hebrew, Christian, and monotheistic faith of Paul and Barnabas coming into contract with the pagan polytheism of the Gentiles. We have the pure truth about God and the nature of God confronting corruption in theology, or in the doctrine of God.

The pagans had reversed things, for rather than seeing the "image" and "likeness" of God in pristine man, they, as corrupt men, had made God in their own corrupt, impotent, foolish, and disgusting "image" and "likeness."

The pagan idolators who wanted to worship Paul and Barnabas wrongly imagined them to be incarnate gods descended from Mt. Olympus. These "gods" were indeed "made in the likeness of sinful men," having frailties, fickle emotions and depraved passions, "gods" and "goddesses" who were no better than those who worshipped them. The true God is very much "unlike" these pagan idol gods who were invented by men who desired to make a "god" in their own corrupt image.

The God of the bible is described in this fashion.

"But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth." (Job 23: 13 KJV)

"In one mind," never altering his plans, nor repenting of his purposes nor of his promises, and one not subject to "passion" as humans and as the mythical gods of Greece and Rome.

Paul and Barnabas called upon these polytheists and idolators to "repent" and to "turn from these vanities" and to turn to the one and only living and true God, and his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He preached to them "one" Creator, not many creators, as did the idolators, who had one "god" create this thing, and another "god" to create another thing. The same in regard to God as "governer" and "ruler" of the cosmos. Paul and Barnabas preached that there was only one Sovereign Lord God, only one who made and governs all things.

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things." (Romans 1: 18-23 KJV)

What a degrading of Lord God! To make pictures of him in the likeness of men and animals! What a corruption of the "image" of God! Men reject the witnesses God has in the world, witnesses that testify of his excellence, and infinite perfections, and "robbing" him of the "glory" and "honor" he is due.

Paul gives a description of the root problem of all false religion, of all idolatry. Besides denying the oneness of God, they deny his eternity, immutability, omniscience, omnipotence, holiness, infinity and eternity, and his goodness, justice, and righteousness.

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." (Genesis 1: 26 KJV)

This "likeness" to God does not respect the physical body of man, at least not chiefly, but rather respects the higher qualities of man's soul and rational mind, his powers to act morally and to have fellowship with God. (See Colossians 3: 10) Man was originally made to "resemble" and to "reflect" the substance of Deity. Of course, he is not a perfect image, especially not now while in his state of corruption; Only Jesus, the Son of God, is the perfect "image" and "likeness" of God his Father. (See Hebrews 1: 3)

"Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?" (Exodus 15: 11 KJV)

There is none "like" God, none who is "as God." Yes, Michael the archangel, who's name means "he who is as God," resembles the being of God, but again, his likeness is still not comprehensive.

Man is forbidden to make images of God for this is to limit God and to degrade him.

"Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee." (Deuteronomy 4: 23 KJV)

It can be said that the only lawful images or likenesses of God are such as he made himself. Man was made in the image and likeness of God, but he was made by God himself. Michael too is an image and likeness of God, but he too was created by God. And Jesus too, who, in both his divine and human natures, though in differing degrees, is the very "express image" of his Father.

"Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved. Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding." (Isaiah 40: 12-28 KJV)

These verses show that it is utterly impossible to make an image of the invisible God. God is indescribable. How then can he be fully portrayed by an image of wood, stone, gold, or silver?

"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy." (Micah 7: 18 KJV)

Again, God is incomparable and cannot be comprehended or captured by a picture created by men. No image or likeness created by men could possibly "do justice" to the person and character of God. To attempt to do so is vain and sinful.

"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17: 22-31 KJV)

Men are called to "repent" or to change their minds, beliefs, and attitudes about God. They are to have proper views of his character and person. They are to see him as the lone Creator of all things, the only Ruler, Lawgiver, and Governor of the cosmos. They are to acknowledge his attributes, his excellence, and his surpassing greatness.

"Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews." (John 4: 22 KJV)

To worship God acceptably requires a proper understanding of who God is, of his nature, character, and works. The bible is the only source for this understanding. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the only one who can reveal him to us.

"Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 9: 23, 24 KJV)