Who, being in very nature God…
Summary: Understanding the nature of God is a tall order. Perhaps the best we can do is to understand that we are not God and then learn to recognize who God is.
Imagine for a moment that you are a puppet. (You can be any kind of a puppet you would like to be!) You live in a world populated by puppets of all different types. Some are nice, others are mean. You know the world we live in.
For example, there is a centuries-old style of puppet show called “Punch and Judy.” In the show, Punch is a bully and Judy is the victim, unless she grabs a frying pan and bonks Punch before he can hit her with his stick. Punch and Judy are “funny” because they illustrate the inner workings of the human mind without God.
Now, imagine a new character enters the scene. His name is Jesus. Punch and Judy remain unchanged, joking, bullying, and punching each other and Jesus. Jesus turns to the audience and says, “Love your neighbor.”
**BONK!** Punch whacks Jesus on the back of the head.
“Love! What is THAT?!” yells Punch, who turns to whack a policeman over the head with his stick.
As the play continues, it becomes obvious that Jesus is not like the other puppets. He honors God above all else, he honors his parents, he does not hurt others, commit adultery, steal, lie, or even covet what others have.
Jesus is very different!
He looks like a puppet, he acts like a puppet, he sounds like a puppet, but something makes him different. What is it?
Jesus has some puppet friends called “disciples.” One day, he tells them what makes him different. He says, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).
What does that mean?
One thing we can know about God is that his ways are beyond human understanding (Isaiah 55:8-9). Jesus tries to explain this to one of the smartest men of his day, Nicodemus. Jesus says:
“I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.” (John 3:12-13)
If Jesus were a puppet, whose hand would be inside making him move? When he says, “I and the Father are one,” what does he mean? Can we truly understand?
Application: Take Jesus at his word — he and the Father are one.
Food for Thought: What happens when people claim to be able to explain God’s thinking in human terms?
What happens when people claim to be able to explain God’s thinking in human terms?
Humans are inherently finite, and their understanding of the universe and its creator is limited.
I believe that God gave us His thoughts and intentions for humanity in the Bible. And by studying these texts we can gain understanding into God’s character. Keeping in mind the importance of context when interpreting scripture and the danger of relying on isolated verses. Personal interpretations can lead to misinterpretations of scripture and false teachings. So context context context and be following in the Bible with what anyone says like the Bereans.
Thank you, Tim!
Context is, as you point out, critical to understanding God’s truth!
I know that the Bible has already told us this about God’s thoughts:
Isaiah 55:8-9
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
So I think to claim to be able to explain God’s thinking in human terms is a pretty big claim. I have two trains of thought on the results. First I think some people do try and explain God’s thinking from good intentions, in an effort to help others understand a concept. The problem is, a person cannot explain the fullness of something that a person doesn’t fully understand themselves. I think it leads to more questions and becomes a bit confusing. Second I think some people claim to be able to explain God’s thinking in human terms as a means of self-edification, claiming to have been given “secret knowledge.” As T pointed out, this can give rise to false teachings.
I feel very much led to add this point: I have met people that are able to read scripture and tell me background of the author, the circumstances of the audience, and the key message behind the passage, and in all cases the driving thought or agenda behind it points to Christ. Allegorically, metaphorically, figuratively, literally, forth telling, and foretelling, all of the God’s Word tells us that God is love, that He loved us so much He sent Christ to pay our ransom, He sent Christ to restore us to Him, beyond this very clear thought, to try and delineate the logistics of God’s mind seems like a fools errand. Despite the infinity of God’s thoughts is one driving message: He is always with us, and we with Him when we abide in Him through Christ.
Psalm 139:17-18
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
Thank you, Chris.
Well said! I appreciate you pointing out the difference between understanding God’s Word in context – as Tim points to – and adding context to God’s Word based on “secret knowledge” which Tim calls “personal interpretation.”
You are both tracking a critical difference in how we approach God’s Word.
Thank you all for your comments today. I am in agreement and my mind also went to Isaiah 55: 8 – 9, which CH already quoted.
Another verse that I find applicable is Romans 11: 33 – 36: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and i knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?” j
35“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?” k
36For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
And of course there is much in the book of Job that addresses this same idea. In fact, the entire book of Job reveals the dangers of speaking for God or assuming we are experts on His reasoning. It is better to let God speak for Himself. In fact, I believe He did just that in His revealed word. And as others said – taken in context.
Rich,
Thank you for bringing Job into the discussion. I hadn’t thought about him in this context, but you are right; that whole discussion represented a variety of views on who God is and what he was doing in Job’s case. Well said!