GOD'S NOT LIKE US
I was watching a trailer for an American Gospel production about how the gospel had become watered down in America and how some churches are conforming to please the masses. At one point it cut to a shot of a bible opened up to Ps. 50:21 focusing on the words, "you thought I was altogether like you".
I was intrigued by that so went to Ps. 50 to read it for myself. Beginning in vs. 16 God addresses the wicked. He states various offenses and finishes with vs. 21. Ps. 50:21, "These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face."
They thought because God hadn't struck them down that he was being tolerant of their sins, like they were of their own and each other's. But they were wrong. We can do that. We feel because God isn't striking us down when we sin then he let it go. This stems from putting human thinking into the mind of God. But God's not like us. Let's look at why this is important to understand.
1) God's not like us.
We can make the mistake of viewing God through the lens of human behavior. I've counseled men who had a wrong view of God based on how their earthly father was. Their thinking was if my earthly father was mean and abusive so is God. If my father didn't stick around, God will abandon me too. If my father didn't show up for weekend visits or my birthday then God will break his promises and let me down too. If my father doesn't love me, neither does God.
We can make this connection with other relationships or life in general. If I feel ignored or shunned by people then God has done that too. I can feel like a societal misfit; alone and depressed. No one cares-not even God. If I've done wrong and feel no one's willing to forgive me God won't either. If I mess up too many times, people reach the point where they want nothing to do with me. Has God reached that point too?
We make the mistake of thinking God behaves like people. But it's not true. People make decisions on emotion-God doesn't. People get out of control-God doesn't. People are hateful toward each other-God isn't. People's love can be shallow-God's isn't. God is different-he's not like us.
Num. 23:19, "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"
People lie, deceive and break promises. People let us down-but God never will. Humans commit human errors. No one is perfect-except God. That's why we need to see him in a different light. That's why we have verses like these. God needed to say he's not like man because we can tend to wonder if he is. "People have lied to me, betrayed me; let me down when I needed them most. How can I trust that God won't?"
The issue is we can point to times when we feel God has let us down. That's a reason why some people don't want anything to do with God. "I prayed my mom wouldn't die when she got cancer and she did. Praying doesn't do any good. God doesn't care." That all goes back to believing God should do things the way we would.
But we need to remember that we have a limited view; we only see what's in front of us. God's view is an eternal 360 degrees. We can't see all the factors; we can't see tomorrow. Even what we can see is with a limited understanding. Only God has the full scope; that's why we need to trust in him, not ourselves.
Prov. 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
If I lean on my own understanding I won't trust in God-I'll trust in me. But if I will acknowledge him, which involves acknowledging that he has all the insight, wisdom, power and understanding-then the path I walk will be a straight one of faithful obedience.
In Mark 9, Jesus came across a situation where a man with a possessed son went to the disciples to see if they could help; but they couldn't. Then Jesus comes along and is told what happened and he told them to bring the boy to him.
Mark 9:20-24, "So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Jesus called the man out. He challenged the man's lack of faith. The father's response sounds like an oxy-moron. But if we're honest we can probably think of a situation when we were like this father. We believe but we have doubts too. Do we doubt because we're having a hard time believing the impossible? Do we put human limitations on God?
Why is it hard to see God being able to do more than we could ask or imagine? Why is it hard to trust the reality that nothing is impossible with God? Maybe we prayed for the impossible but it didn't happen so we gave up. Perhaps we came to view God's abilities through the lens of man's limitations.
One reason Jesus did miracles was to show that he's not like us. People were amazed when they heard him speak and perform miracles. No one taught like him or did what he did. Yes, he took on human form but he was still God. When Jesus went back to Nazareth teaching and doing miracles the people were amazed. But they were skeptical too. "Isn't this the carpenter's son?" They were basically saying, "How can he do all this? We know this guy; we grew up with him. He's like us." No, he isn't.
2) Higher thoughts and higher ways.
Isa. 55:6-9, "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
There are human thoughts and there are holy thoughts. There is a worldly way of doing things and there is a spiritual way of doing things. God wants us to see that the way we naturally think and act is far beneath the way he thinks and acts. It's not that my way of thinking is just slightly below God's. It says, 'as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher'. That's not a little bit higher, that's a lot higher! There's a huge contrast between our thoughts and his.
Humility will allow me to accept this. Pride tells me that I'm wise and discerning; I know what's best. This can be seen when have issues with God's word or problems with the way he does things. Sometimes we're just trying to gain understanding. Asking God questions is fine but questioning God is not.
When things happen we think about what we would do or how we'd handle it if we were God and then we question why God doesn't operate the way we feel he should. Martha and Mary wondered why Jesus didn't show up when their brother Lazarus was sick. When the waves were crashing over the bow the disciples were wondering why Jesus wasn't coming to their rescue. "God, I don't get you sometimes!"
Isa. 40:13-14, "Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?"
The answer to these rhetorical questions is-no one! God doesn't need to consult anyone. We're the ones who need to be enlightened. We need to be taught, we need to gain knowledge and understanding; not God! Mary and Martha found out why Jesus didn't come when their brother was sick. The disciples found out why Jesus was sleeping on a cushion. We wonder why God does things the way he does, but when the dust settles we realize the way God does things is far better than how we would.
Rom. 11:33-36, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."
Paul is recognizing how great God is and we need to do the same. It puts things in perspective if we ever get to where we think we can figure God out or we think we know a better way of doing things.
And keep this in mind-if we could figure God out he would not be God. His ways and thoughts are much higher than ours and with good reason-he's God and we're not. Thank God that he's not like us!
