by Velma aka Shammah

Created on: April 29, 2008

With the limited human mind each of us, through our own experiences, senses, knowledge and individual understanding, has his own personal interpretation of God's image, that is what we think He (I use the term generically, as He is neither male nor female)looks like. Oh how we fail Him in doing so. We need only go back to the "beginning" of the book we call the Bible and read what is written. We are told that YHWH is "spirit" so right then and there we must dismiss our feeble human efforts to codify, classify and quantify YHWH!

How many "spirits" have you seen lately? If any, then you are the most qualified to write and inform the rest of us plebeians about "God's image."

We are given many characteristics about YHWH, characteristics that are described in the wonderful names through which we have come to know some, and I do say some because the awesomeness of who He is could not be restricted to the 66 books in the Bible. Let's take a look at some of these names we so lovingly use from time to time, when speaking of Him. Let's look at the depth of the richness of the meanings of some of these names, and if after consideration of even just these few, you can paint picture, with words, of "God's image," then I beg of you, for the rest of us - share that wonderful treasure.

So, here are some of His names that purport to give us a snippet of information about just who He might be, what He might look like:

El Shaddai - God Almighty. Think of any human being we've heard or read about in history, ever described as "all mighty". I dare say there isn't one. So scratch trying to figure out the powerfulness of God's character through this descriptive name.

El Roi - The God Who Sees Me. Yep folks, each and every one of us; He sees. Not just us wee peoples, but every plant, tree, star, planet, snail, ant; every living thing on earth. I believe He has total awareness at all times, of all times, of everything going on everywhere. Try and paint that quality into His portrait!

Yahweh Shalom - The Lord IS Peace! Wow! A "person (sorry my attribute here)" IS PEACE! We can't even find peace with our own family, let alone neighbours, next door countries, the rest of the world! And God is Peace! I wouldn't know where to try painting that quality of His image.

Melek - King! He's not just the "king of Arabia, or France..." He is THE KING of the Universe and as such He is very aware of everything that is happening in His Kingdom! Wow, He must have a zillion eyes!

Ab, Abba, Pater - Father! Okay, so I come from a big family, by worldly standards today. To try and describe my "human father's image" to you; well, I'd fall short on being able to provide you with sufficient detail for you to really "see" who he is, because I'd leave something out, accidentally, and it would leave it open for you to fill in the blanks and likely come up with an "image" of my father that was nothing like him at all - because you'd do so from your own perspective. God is called Abba, Father - Our Father, just as Yahshua told his disciples when they asked him how to pray. He said, "Our Father..." Try and get a grasp of that will you; the father of every human being that ever was, is and shall be.

My recommendation to you, when trying to interpret or paint a picture of God, to get an image or "imagination" of what you or I think He looks like or is like, is to simply accept His response.

He said, " I AM ". Let's just leave it at that.

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