Caricature God

I was having my Bible study this morning and wanted to share one of the devotions that I read with you.  We will start with reading Exodus 34:1-9.   

"And the Lord said to Moses, 'Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke.  So be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain.  And no man shall come up with you, and let no man be seen throughout all the mountain; let neither flocks nor herds feed before the mountain.'  So he cut two tablets of stone like the first ones.  Then Moses rose early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him; and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone.  Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.  and the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation.'  So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped.  Then he said, 'If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.' "

Caricature artists set up their easels in public places and draw pictures of people who are willing to pay a modest price for a humorous image of themselves.  Their drawings amuse us because they exaggerate one or more of our physical features in a way that is recognizable but funny.

Caricatures of God, on the other hand, are not funny.  Exaggerating one of His attributes presents a distorted view that people easily dismiss.  Like a caricature, a distorted view of God is not taken seriously.  Those who see God portrayed only as an angry and demanding judge are easily lured away by someone who emphasizes mercy.  Those who see God as a kind-hearted grandfather will reject that image when they need justice.  Those who see God as an intellectual idea rather than a living, loving being eventually find other ideas more appealing.  Those who see God as a best friend often leave Him behind when they find human friends who are more to their liking.

God declares Himself to be merciful and gracious, but also just in punishing the guilty (Exodus 34: 6-7).

As we put our faith into action, we need to avoid portraying God as having only our favorite attributes.  We must worship all of God, not just what we like.