God Is Not A Man
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Last week, as we concluded Ezekiel 18, we heard the people of Israel tell God that He was not fair. They literally accused Him of cheating. It’s the kind of challenge that is a little shocking to hear; especially in the Bible.
But it should not be that shocking. One of the main reasons God gave us the Bible was to reveal Himself to us. Despite all that He told us, we—as a race—remain largely ignorant of who God is.
We can see this born out in the religions we have created. With rare exception, they portray the gods as similar to either humans or some other physical thing Sure, they are a little more powerful, but not altogether different.
Many Christians see Jesus Christ as the namesake of our faith. We know He is God in the flesh, and we assume He was thus like us, but a little different.
Transition
That is how we imagine God to be, but is that how he reveals Himself to be?
Illumination
The Old Testament book of Numbers (chapters 22-24) recounts an incident where Balak, the king of Moab, hired Balaam, a prophet of God, to curse the people of Israel so that he could defeat them in battle.
It is a fascinating read, but to say that Balak’s plan went sideways is an understatement.
In the midst of this exchange, we read something that we might skip, but is incredibly important
16 Then the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 17 So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”
18 Then he took up his oracle and said:
“Rise up, Balak, and hear!
Listen to me, son of Zippor!
19 “God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
God is existentially different
he has not body
he has no beginning
God is morally different
he does not lie
he cannot lie
why do we lie? Ultimately to hide our own imperfections, He has none.
If we could view God as altogether other than ourselves, we would be making a good start.
