Some individuals have incorrectly
concluded from Scripture that God is unchangeable in all senses of the word. When this is said of God, it is in reference to His
character. There are some who would say that when it comes to real emotions like anger, and joy,
and grief...they are impossible to God because these would involve variations within Him
and we all know God is immutable. Yet we also saw Jesus weep at Lazarus’ tomb,
didn’t we?
There are many theologians that the
Biblical writers attributed human feelings to God in order that they might
reveal Him to us. In this way they believer that man anthropomorphized God (gave Him human characteristics) so that we could grasp and understand Him. Many learned Bible
readers would say that God is all seriousness and completely emotionless. It is
said that a sinner places himself in the jurisdiction of God's wrath because God’s
wrath is God's ageless attitude toward sin. These same people will say that the
person who receives Jesus Christ places himself in the realm of God's love. We get an image of God as a
stoical, humorless rigid Being. An acrylic bulletproof God.
This is just not the God described in the Bible. The Scriptures are
clear that God is personal and no place is this better exemplified than in
Jesus. Jesus who was the God who could be touched, He could be touched
physically, emotionally and even spiritually. He knew our infirmities, our
temptations, our sufferings….our death.
In Song of Solomon we see many verse but one stands out in Song of Solomon 4:9. Song of Solomon is a book pure poetry speaking of God’s love for the
Church or believers or at least that is one of the ways it can be interpreted. Once someone has been able to decipher the
poetic song, it will break a believer’s heart due to the disclosure of how much
God truly loves us and longs for us to be with Him. Once we understand how greatly He loves is it is heart-rending to see how we have so lightly treated His excitement
for our relationship with Him. It is a disgrace to see how we have tread carelessly and callously on His "heart".
Song
of Solomon 4:9 ~ You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen
my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.
The words in this verse are not words of a being
that does not care or is an emotional stone. This is a loving relational God.
The Hebrew word לִבַּבְתִּ֙ינִי֙ / libbaḇtini and comes from the root
word levav. This word is in a Piel perfect form. There is a double Beth in
use here also. The Beth represents the heart. Therefore, this double Beth in this
context represents God’s heart and our hearts joined in a loving intimate
relationship. It is a picture of two hearts opening up to each other and
becoming equally as vulnerable. Two beings/people in love in the truest sense.
God may be this immutable, impervious,
unchanging and sovereign God of Scripture but He is simultaneously allowing
Himself to be hurt by putting Himself in a relationship with a fickle and capricious
being called man/woman. God purposely makes Himself vulnerable to believers by opening up His
heart to us. He even allows Himself to have His heart betrayed when we turn
away like a cheating spouse and we chase after idols on nearly a daily basis. God didn’t have to do this but He chooses to
anyway. This should affect the way we behave as Christians at all times. We should be ashamed and mortified by our behavior.
This is also why God takes great joy
and pleasure in mercy and grace. It is why he rejoices when one sinner repents and
turns back to Him. It is why Jesus participated in our temptations and sorrows but overcame them.
God’s call for us to repent are as zealous, jealous and true as they were in
the days of Ezekiel when God called on His people to turn back to Him.
Ezekiel
33:11 ~ “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in
the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn
back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
Shouldn't we at least try and reciprocate this intense burning love instead of spurning God? Immutable does not mean aloof and heartless. God's immutability should be a reassurance to us for our salvation, not a scary attribute of a brutish God. Not cold and distant, warm and imminent. This warm God is exactly what is described earlier in Ezekiel 8:2...
Ezekiel 8:2 ~ I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man. From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal.
A glowing metal or aglow as in the color of amber/copper (literal). This figure like a man was aglow in a warm copper hue. What Ezekiel is probably seeing here is a feeling through his field of vision or a feeling that paints a warm image of God in a visible manner. We see what is a shadow or type of the episode with Jesus on Mount of Transfiguration. It should not then be surprising that the Transfiguration is actually a culmination of the Law and the Prophets promises in Jesus. God wishes to be reconciled to us and this is exactly what the Law and Prophets points us to...reconciliation in Jesus. He is even willing to abrogate our sin if we would only trust in His Son, His promises and repent by turning back to Him in faith.
Bentorah, Chaim (2013-07-24).
Hebrew Word Study: A Hebrew Teacher Explores the Heart of God (Kindle Locations
163-167). WestBowPress. Kindle Edition.
2 comments:
I appreciate your thoughts. i think some people think of God as as a stoic sitting on his throne in heaven ready to stop us from having any fun at all. But, John tells us that God is love.
Glad you appreciated this Jeff. Just doing my own home study and learning more about our God through meditation on the word. The more I dig the more amazed I become. The more coherent and solidified its truth becomes too.
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