Ten Ways God Describes Himself To Us

 

 

How can we possibly fully grasp a being that spoke the universe into existence, created time, and lives in eternity?  We can’t.  Not that part anyway.

 

It is important to God that we know Him well.  In His written word, God uses relationships that we DO understand to describe His nature to us.

 

The attentive reader may count 11 examples listed instead of the 10 noted in the title.  Please do not write me to complain.

 

Friend

 

This seems way too casual to be right, but Abraham was called a friend of God (John 18: 8-21).  That is quite an honor.  Friends are loyal, reliable, and you can always count on them.  Abraham was all of those to God.

 

Shepherd

 

David knew a thing or two about shepherding; he protected his sheep with his life, killing predators such as bears and lions.  Bad things were not going to happen to his flock.  And so he wrote passionately about the Lord as his shepherd in the 23rd Psalm.

 

King

 

We don’t live in a monarchy, and most earthly kings today have limitations to their power.  Not so in most of history.  Kings had ultimate power over their subjects.  And yet the Prophet Isaiah declares the nations as a “drop in the bucket” and as “less than nothing” compared to the sovereignty of God (Isaiah 40: 15, 17).

 

Mother

 

The nation in captivity was sure that God had forgotten His people.  Not so.  God wrote “Can a mother forget the baby she gave birth to?”  Every mother knows in her heart this could never happen. God continues, “I will not forget you. See, I have written you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49: 15, 16).

 

Gardener

 

A tree in the grove is not producing.  The easiest thing to do is not put any more effort into it; just pull it up and discard it.  And yet the gardener digs around the soil, filling it with fertilizer giving it a little more time in hope it can be saved (Luke 13:6-9).

 

Husband

 

Men, imagine how you would feel if your wife cheated on you and left you for another man?  It has been described to me as a pain worse than being widowed.

 

I believe God had Hosea go through that pain so that he could then describe to the nation of Israel how He felt (yes, God feels) when His people sinned by cheating on Him with other gods.  It should hurt us to think we have put God through that kind of pain.

 

Judge

 

A prophet wrote “The Lord requires you to act justly” (Micah 6:8).  God is a “just judge” (Psalm 7:11) who gets frustrated with people when they are unjust to each other.

 

Employer

 

A landowner hires laborers throughout the day.  The ones that worked all day got a full day’s wages - as did the ones hired later in the day!  The employer defends his actions “...because I am generous” (Matthew 20:15).

 

Master

 

Words of praise from the Master:  “Well done good and faithful servant…come share your master’s happiness!”  A master will reward good work, and for poor work, he’ll say, “Throw that worthless servant outside!” (Matthew 25:14-30)

 

Landlord

 

Think about this scenario:  You rent out your property.  The tenants refuse to pay and then beat up your employees.  When you send your son to talk some sense into them, they kill him. How would you feel?  (Ref. Matthew 21)

 

Father

 

Did you actually think I had forgotten about this one?  God describing himself as a father gives me the most comfort.

 

There are all kinds of earthly fathers - stern, absent, biological, and weekend.  God does not present himself as any of those.

 

When God tells us what kind of a Father He is - well, He sets the bar high. “Good fathers give their children everything they need to be healthy” (Luke 11:11).  And then the parable about the father running to embrace his lost son?! (Luke 15:11-33)  Come on, that has GOT to bring you to tears!

 

God is not too big to be understood.  He wants each one of us to know Him, and to know Him well.