Attributes Of God
The Attributes of God as Seen in the Old Testament
“Essence of God” is a term used to refer to God’s personal characteristics or the facets of His personality. These facets cannot be completely communicated to man. They can be described to a degree, but they cannot be fully defined because finite man cannot comprehend the infinite. The Bible is the Word of God, and it reveals those facts about the Creator that He has seen fit to reveal about himself.
Man assumes that God thinks like a man. We think God wants revenge, because when we’re insulted, we want revenge. When we are cheated, we want immediate justice and so we expect that God feels the same way. But God does not. God approaches every issue from the basis of His perfect character. His character and attributes are the subject of this study.
God approaches every issue regarding humans with His love for all men and takes all of His attributes into consideration when dealing with them – but Love is always present. God has revealed something of what He is in the Word. We must rely on the Bible for understanding of what God is like.
Because of the difference between God's supreme nature and man's weak nature, all revelation on God's part involves accommodation to man's level of understanding. Therefore, in the Bible, God is described in human terms.
Anthropomorphism
ANTHROPOMORPHISM - The practice of describing God in human terms, as if He has feet, hands, a face, a heart, and so forth. Although the Old and New Testaments deny any literal similarity of form between God and His creatures, the Bible frequently uses such human language to affirm that God is personal and active in His creation.
Scripture speaks of God's eyes, fingers, and hands; He is a God who sees and touches His creation. He is also portrayed with such emotions as jealousy and anger. This is the Bible's way of declaring that He is a God who feels and...
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