"God is spirit"
Letter to the Editor:
GOD’S MESSAGE, September 2002, p. 2
IF GOD IS spirit, that is, He has no flesh and bones, then why does the Bible mention of God having body parts? For example, in Exodus 31:18, “… the tables of stone, written with the FINGER of God” and in Genesis 32:30, “…For I have seen God FACE TO FACE…”
Hanna Kaufman
Bethesda Maryland
Bethesda Maryland
Editor’s Reply:
The Lord Jesus Christ said that God is spirit (Jn. 4:24; 17:1, 3). This means He has no flesh and bones or, in other words, has no material form (Lk. 24:39). And, it is in this sense that God is invisible (I Tim. 1:17)
While the Bible contains some passages that mention God as having body parts, such passages do not contradict the truth that God does NOT have material form.
In Exodus 31:18, it says that the Ten Commandments were written with the finger of God. It would seem here as though God had fingers as we, human beings, have. However, the other verses in the Bible do not support such a conclusion drawn from a literal understanding of the passage in question. The explanation lies within the Bible itself. In Psalms 8:3, the Bible says the heavens are the work of God’s “fingers.” In what sense the heavens are the work of God’s “fingers” is clarified in Jeremiah 10:12, which says:
“He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.” (New King James Version)
Therefore, the phrase, “God’s fingers” refers to the power and wisdom of God by which He created the world. In the same sense, the Lord Jesus Christ was able to “cast out demons by the finger of God” because the power and might of the Almighty God was working through Him (Lk. 11:20; Acts 10:38). It is by this same power and wisdom — “the finger of God” — that the Ten Commandments were written on the tablets that He entrusted to Moses.
Another passage that you presented is Genesis 32:30. This passage also seems to show as though God had material form, that is, He has a face. When Jacob exclaimed, “… I have seen God face to face …” he was referring to the “Man [who] wrestled with him until the breaking of day” (Gen.32:24). Who that “Man” was is further clarified in Hosea 12:4, which states:
“Yes, he [i.e. Jacob] struggled with the Angel and prevailed; he wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in Bethel, and there He spoke to us.” (NKJV)
So, when Jacob exclaimed that he has “seen God face to face” he was referring to the angel of God and not to God Himself.
Because God is invisible, it is important for us to understand what Apostle Paul taught concerning Him:
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:20, Ibid.)
Note: Some words and phrases are in bold & italics for emphasis.
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