My wife, Linda, recently took a trip to Alaska. She brought back hundreds of pictures of glaciers, whales, and beautiful scenery. When showing them to friends and family, a certain phrase comes frequently to her lips: “Compared to the sights I actually saw, these photos just don’t do them justice.”
The Bible teaches that mankind is created in God’s image. It’s easy to unconsciously think that the reverse is true. For example, I have two hands which can be used to accomplish tasks. If that’s indicative of His image, perhaps the Almighty has something like hands as well. Rather than only a pair, however, He likely possesses quadrillions of them, giving Him the ability to do much more than I can ask or think. Viewing God as merely some sort of divine superhero might cause me to miss that.
Likewise, I have a mind that solves problems, a voice that offers advice, the ability to place myself in different locations, etc. These could all be glimpses into some attributes of God, but what miniscule percentage of His infinite capacity do they represent?
To say that humans are created in God’s image is biblical and an amazing gift. We must not, however, envision God as being a reflection of humanity with any of its limitations. Such thoughts are grossly misleading. They just don’t do Him justice.
Also misleading is the tendency to assign human flaws to God such as vanity, vengefulness and spite. The idea that an insecure God is ready to unleash a world of hurt on me because of some slight or infraction represents the worst of human nature attributed to God. Judging from these infantile portrayals, “Far Beyond The Image” is far beyond the imagination of many to picture a truly all-powerful, all-loving God.