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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION TO THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD A. GODCANNOTBEKNOWNAPARTFROMHISSELFREVELATION

To considerknowingGodpresupposes thatGod is.So the authorof theEpistle to theHebrewswrote that, hewho comes toGodmust believe thatHe is (Heb. 11:6).ButspecificallywhoisthisGodwhoissodefinitivelyreferencedinHebrews(Heb.1:12;3:4;10:31;12:2829;13:20)toHebrewChristians?Pauldeclaredinequallydefinitiveterms,tothereligioussophisticatesonMarsHill inAthens includingEpicureansandStoics, that,what [unknownGod]youworship in ignorance, that [God] Iproclaim toyou (Acts17:23).HethendeclaredthisGodtobetheCreator,thesovereignoverheavenandearth,transcendentandimminent,lifegiving,anddemandingaccountabilityfrommanintermsof His impeccable righteousness. This being our assumed starting point, we arespecifically concerned here solely with the God of the Bible according to His selfrevelation,inboththeOldTestamentandtheNewTestament.1ThisistheGod(Elohim)ofGenesis1:1, theGod (Elohim,Adonai)ofAdam,Abraham,Isaac,andJacob, theGod(Elohim,Adonai, Jehovah/Yahweh)ofMoses, theGodof theprophets, theGodof theApostlesincludingPaul,andtheGodandFatheroftheLordJesusChrist,whichGodisoneandthesameinbiblicalJudaeoChristianity.SoPaulwrites,thereisnosuchthingasan idol in theworld,and that there isnoGodbutone. . . . [T]here isbutoneGod, theFather, fromwhomareall thingsandweexist forHim;andoneLord, JesusChrist,bywhomareallthings,andweexistthroughHim(ICor.8:4,6).

1. Godcannotbeknownthroughhumanselfdiscovery.

Canaman,believingintheexistenceoftheGodoftheBiblewhoheconfessesnottoknow, yet find that same God by diligent, even strenuous searching?Man mayattempt thisquest,aswas thecasewithGreekphilosophy,except that itsultimatefailurewas evidenced by its inability to dealwith sin, especially in any effectualredemptivesense.Suchatrail,likeamanattemptingtofindlightbygropinginthemidstofdarkness,orhisimpossiblequesttoreachtheextremitiesoftheuniverse,isdoomed tofailure.Whenman isseentotakethe initiative inthediscoveryofGod,eventhoughseemingpietisticmotivesareexpressed,orsincereritualisticformsareemployed,suchasmeditationconcerningselfortheuniverse,whateverhediscovers

1 IncontrastwiththeRomanCatholicChurch,whichhasaddedthefifteenbooksoftheApocryphatothe

OldTestament, forverygood reason it is excluded from theCanonasnoninspiredScripture.TheOldTestamenthereisessentiallythesameastheHebrewBibleorTanach.TheJewshaveneverincludedtheApocryphawithintheCanonoftheTanachasifitwereGodinspiredScripture.

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willonlyfallwithintherealmofhiscognitiveandanalyticalcapacity.Howfutileitisfor finitude to discover infinity ormortality to attain to immortality.Zopharwascorrectwhenheexhorted Jobconcerningsuchan impossibility:CanyoudiscoverthedepthofGod?CanyoudiscoverthelimitsoftheAlmighty?Theyarehighastheheavens,whatcanyoudo?Deeper thanSheol,whatcanyouknow? (Job11:78).2CarlHenrywelldescribesthefutilityofmansarroganceatthispoint.

GodisnottheGreatPerhaps,acluelessshadowcharacterinaScotlandYardmystery.Far less isheanamelessspiritawaitingpostmortemexamination insome theologicalmorgue.Heisaveryparticularandspecificdivinity,knownfromthebeginningsolelyonthebasisofhisworksandselfdeclarationastheonelivingGod.Onlytheoristswhoignoredivineselfdisclosureareprone to identifyGodas thenondescriptJohnDoeofreligiousphilosophy.3

Henceas John theBaptistdeclared:Amancan receivenothingunless ithasbeengiven him from heaven (John 3:27; cf.Matt. 16:1617). Of course such truth ishumiliatingforproudhumanity.Howevermansegotismasthispointissuchthatitcauseshimtothinkotherwiseand,asaresult,reachforhisownconceptionsofdeitythat, bymeans ofmere projection, lead to sophisticated self idolatry. In contrast,Gods selfrevelation, according toHis sovereign intent, beingwholly exclusive ofhumanderivation,isbyitsverynatureanactofpurestgrace.Thisisevenmorethecasewhen one contemplatesmansdebilitating spiritual blindness (Matt. 16:1617;John3:3,910;ICor.2:1014;Gal.1:1112;Heb.1:12).

But in itbeinggrantedhere thatGods selfdisclosure is in theBible, is itnot thenmans responsibility to search this selfrevelation so as to findGod?However thepresuppositionhereisthatman,asasinfulchildofAdam,withtheBibleopenbeforehim, yet has the innate capacity to discover and embraceGods saving truth forhimself,andforsuchamanboastinginhisautonomyatthisjuncture,thisbecomesaseriousandmostfundamentalerror.DuringJesusChristspublicministry,theJewswere very well acquainted with the Scriptures, yet were blind to the truth thatconfrontedthemevenastheSonofGodplainlypointedout(John5:3940).PontiusPilatewassimilarlyblindwhen Jesuswason trialbeforehisveryeyes (John18:3738).However the Psalmistwaswell aware ofmans spiritual blindness in such asituation,evenwhen theWordofGodwascerebrallyembraced.For thisreasonhewisely sought Gods Spiritual selfrevelationwhen Gods objective selfrevelationwasinhishand,andsoprayed:Openmyeyes,thatImaybeholdwonderfulthingsfrom Your law (Ps. 119:118).Ultimately,Gods selfrevelation only reaches deepwithin thehumanheartwhen it isHis sovereign goodpleasure (Matt. 11:27;Gal.1:1516).Itisforthisreasonthatthemereacademicstudyoftheologyproper,thatis

2 F.Delitzschcommentsontheseverses:ThenatureofGodmaybesoughtafter,butcannotbefoundout.BiblicalCommentaryontheBookofJob,I,p.181.

3 CarlHenry,God,RevelationandAuthority,II,p.7.

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Godsbeing, isamostdangerouspursuit,except theHolySpiritdirects thehumanheart,inwhichcaseitthenbecomesamostblessedpursuit.

2. Godcannotbyknownthroughhumanrepresentation

Man,especiallyfallenman,cannotportrayGodinmaterialterms,whetherbymeansofthepainterscanvas,thestonecraftmanschisel,thepottersmolding,orthemetalworkerscasting.HereistheproblemofidolatrythatGodsovehementlycondemns(Exod. 20:4; Deut. 4:1519). For man to attempt to reproduce God is supremearroganceandsuggestiveofignoranceconcerningthegloryofHisBeing.FormantoprofessthathecanbeaidedintheworshipofGodbymeansofamaterialdepictionis to lay down terms of worship before God that He has clearly repudiated.GodisSpirit,andthosewhoworshipHimmustworshipinspiritandtruth(John4:14).Tobelieve thatGodcanonlybeknownbymeansofHisselfrevelation is,ofnecessity,torenouncethatHecanalsobeknownbymeansofhumanreproduction.SoJ.I.PackerquotesCalvininmakingexplanationhere.

Images dishonorGod, for they obscureHis glory. . . . A true image ofGod,wroteCalvin,isnottobefoundinalltheworld;andhence...Hisgloryisdefiled,andHistruth corruptedby the lie,wheneverHe is setbeforeour eyes in avisible form. . . .Therefore,todeviseanyimageofGodisitselfimpious;becausebythiscorruptionHismajesty isadulterated,andHe is figured tbeother thanHe is. . . .Theheartof theobjection topicturesand images is that they inevitablyconcealmost, ifnotall,of thetruthaboutthepersonalnatureandcharacterofthedivineBeingwhomtheyrepresent....Imagesmisleadmen.TheyconveyfalseimagesaboutGod.4

3. GodcanonlybeknownthroughSelfdisclosure.

Whileman cannot, of his own initiative, come up toGod, yet thewonder ofHiscondescensionisthatHeispleasedtocomedowntoman:TheLORDsaid,Ihavesurely seen the afflictionofMypeoplewho are inEgypt, andhavegivenheed totheircrybecauseof their taskmasters, for Iamawareof theirsufferings.So IhavecomedowntodeliverthemfromthepoweroftheEgyptians,andtobringthemupfromthatlandtoagoodandspaciousland,toalandflowingwithmilkandhoney(Ex.3:78;cf.19:11;Num.11:1617).TheScriptureisabundantlyclearthatformantoknowHim,GodmusttaketheinitiativeinfindingmanandmakingHimselfknown.Even intheGardenofEden,followingthefallofAdamandEve insin, itwasGodwhowascallingout,Whereareyou [Adam]? (Gen.3:9),andnot to thecontrarysincetheywereinhiding(Gen.3:8).Manislimitedasacreatureinbeingfinitewhileat thesame timehe isperverted innatureasasinner.For thisreason,whilebeingdeadintrespassesandsins,yetatthesametimehewalksaccordingtothecourseof this world (Eph. 2:12). However, God graciously stoops to reveal Himself

4 J. I. Packer, Knowing God, pp. 40-41.

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wherevermanis,especiallyinhisextremity,evenasHedesiredtowalkwithhimintheGardenofEden immediately following the fall (Gen.3:89).FurtherHereachesthroughthebarrierthatmanhasencounteredsothat,thethingswhicheyehasnotseenandearhasnotheard,andwhichhavenotentered theheartofman,all thatGodhaspreparedforthosewholoveHim.FortousGodrevealedthemthroughtheSpirit(ICor.2:910).

4. GodcanonlybeknownthroughHischosenmedia.

Butspecifically,howhasGodmadeHimselfknown?WhatmeanshasHeemployed?AccordingtoHebrews1:12Godhasspokentothefathersintheprophetsinmanyportionsandinmanyways.FurthertherehasbeenprogressthatisclimacticintheLordJesusChristsince,inthese lastdays[God]hasspokentous inHisSon.FortheChristianthroughthecenturiesallofthishascomebymeansofScripture.YetacleardistinctionhasbeenrecognizedinGodsspeaking.

a. Naturalrevelation(Psalm19:16).

Godspeaksuniversallythroughnature,thecreatedorder,especiallybymeansofhis evident power and majesty, such as through the wonder of the silentheavens that loudly, eloquently speak ofHis great glory.As JohnHampdenGurneyhaswritten:

Yes,Godisgoodinearthandsky,Fromoceandepthsandspreadingwood,Tenthousandvoicesseemtocry:Godmadeusall,andGodisgood.

Thesunthatkeepshistracklessway,Anddownwardpourshisgoldenflood,Nightssparklinghosts,allseemtosayInaccentsclear,thatGodisgood.

Yes,Godisgood,allnaturesays,ByGodsownhandwithspeechendued;Andman,inloudernotesofpraise,ShouldsingforjoythatGodisgood.

Yetthere is limitationwithnature,especiallywhenweobserve it,accordingtoTennyson,redintoothandclaw.AtbestthegoodnesswebeholdatthislevelconcernsGods attractive benevolence as, all nature says, not goodness onaccountofmoralattractiveness.Formanasasinner, thisrevelationwill likelycausehimtomingleawesomeadmirationwithguiltytrembling.Butitdoesn