The mystery who is God

Some say that God is an invention of the human mind. If true, then the mind that makes up God is greater than the entity it invents. That is, a vessel is of necessity larger and with far greater faculties than its contents. Not only that, the mind that created God should be able to explain or put into words an accurate and full description of His nature and workings. But who can do that?

Besides, any genius that might have come up with the idea of God, should also be the inventor of other equal or greater inventions, but where are they? This is like a person claiming to have created the sun, then striking a match that is blown out by the wind, or a person claiming to have created the flowers, then produces a silk imitation covered with dust.

If humanity created the Creator God, compare Him with the other gods of man’s creation, those made of wood and stone. How laughable, both from our perspective and His. From His high throne He holds them in derision. And from our lowly place, we know that a wooden idol cannot hear or answer our prayers.

If man created God, then God would be understood, but the Old Testament is filled with praises to His mystery. Even as He revealed Himself to His people in many ways, in many ways He also remains an enigma. Some, like the young man Elihu (who tried to rebuke Job), referred to the world around him and said of the Creator things like…

Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable. (Job 36:26)

God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend. (Job 37:5)

Moses perhaps had a better grasp of who God is, at least of His eternal nature. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:2) This eternal nature of God is echoed in other psalms such as Psalm 102:25-27, “Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.”

Even with the knowledge of those more intimately acquainted with God, God knew that we still did not have enough knowledge of Him, because in our ignorance and sin, our faith and our lives fall short. He did more…

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:1–3)

Even knowing Jesus, even believing in this great God, He is still a mystery. Every day I learn more about Him, but after years of Bible study and learning about Jesus, I realize how much more there is to learn and how limited is my capacity to absorb the wonder that is God. I will need a new heavenly body and a new eternal mind to finally and fully understand what I can only see vaguely now…

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)