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NASB | Hosea 11:8 ¶ How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me, All My compassions are kindled. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hosea 11:8 ¶ How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within Me; All My compassions are kindled together [for My nation of Israel]. [Deut 29:23] |
Bible Question: Can you clarify about the "anthromorphism". I think that was what I was feeling but now believe there may be much more. |
Bible Answer: Sure, I'll see if I can explain. Anthropomorphism is a tendency we have to attribute human characteristics to non-human things. Sometimes it is merely poetic. For example when we say, "The angry grey clouds." Other times, we fool ourselves. For example, when we talk about the "loyalty" of a dog. Dogs may be loyal in the strictest sense of the word, but dogs are not human. They are a mere fraction of our intelligence. They are driven by very different motives. We cannot assume that when a dog is being loyal that it is the same kind of thing that goes on inside of a human being when they are being loyal. The Bible sometimes uses anthropomorphic language regarding God when it speaks of His "fingers" in creating the stars, His "right arm" in upholding the righteous, etc. These are metaphors. The Bible warns us not to make the error of assuming that God is man-like. See the following scriptures: Job 9:32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. Isa 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. God is utterly different than anything in our experience. Indeed, He is utterly different than anything that is now, ever will be, or ever has been in the universe or any possible other universe. God is entirely self sufficient. He is totally complete and perfect in and of Himself. He has no origin and no cause. In philosophy there is a field called ontology that deals with the nature of being. Thus, theologians speak of the otherness of God. Whereas it is true that He thinks, He speaks, He sees, He acts, He moves, He loves, He hates, He wills, etc. etc. These things are not to be thought of in strictly human terms. Yet, if they were not communicated to us in human terms, we would not be able to understand. Thus, God often speaks to us about Himself in ways that we can comprehend. Let me give some examples of how these things just can't be the same as human characteristics in God. As human beings, we have something called antipathy. We can be pulled by contradicting emotions. For example, we might want justice, but because of compassion, we might want to be merciful at the same time. We might tearfully sentence someone to some punishment. God is not this way. His justice and His mercy are never at odds with one another. They are in perfect balance and perfect harmony. There is a Hebrew word that is used to describe God. It is "hes'ed." This is translated as the English word faithfulness. The word has the connotation of two rope ends that are tied together, and cannot be pulled apart. However, you and I have never seen a perfectly faithful being. Given enough time, every human being we know will let us down. God is not that way. He is eternally and infinitely faithful. His kind of faithfulness makes our own look like nothing at all! Now, as we begin to understand the otherness of God, let us not think of Him as distant or dispassionate. On the contrary, He has gone to incredible lengths to redeem fallen man and to be close to His children. We see this all through the scriptures. I hope that helps you understand, Nallon. I wish that I was a better crafter of words, but these are things that will defy the ability of any language to fully capture. Truly, our God is an awesome God! |