[Biblemat] A) GOD'S IMAGE

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  A very good Monday
morning to each and everyone.  May God bless you and yours.
Here is an article from my recent files:

GOD'S IMAGE

     Marcus Terentius Varro (116-27 B.C.) is described in the
Encyclopedia Britannica as "Rome's greatest scholar."  He
wrote more than 400 books on many subjects.  Among his
writings is this statement: "They who first introduced images
of the gods removed fear and added error."

     This thoughtful statement helps us understand even more
why Moses reminded Israel at Sinai of God's form.  "You saw
no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the mid-
st of the fire" (Deut. 4:15).

     It also highlights the reason behind God's command pro-
hibiting any physical depictions of Him "lest you act corrupt-
ly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any
figure" (vs. 16).

     "You shall not make for yourself any carved image of any
likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the
earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" (Exo.
20:4).

     We cannot love and serve the Lord in an acceptable man-
ner unless we have an accurate understanding of His charact-
er.

     Any physical portrayal however, whether with pictures, symbols, or 
statues, distorts our awarness of His true charac-
ter and lessens a healthy respect for His awesome holiness
and power.

     If we knew what God really looked like, we would inevitab-
ly make an image and seek to understand Him through that
image, instead of through what is revealed in His Word.

     If Rome's greatest worldly scholar could see the dangers
of misrepresenting deity, how much more should we who have God's Word, which 
makes us complete for every good
work, understand the danger.

     Our desire must be to have a proper respect for God and
to grow in our knowledge of Him.  We are made in the image
of God, let us not make Him in our image.  ---- Shane Williams
in The Lilbourn Light, Vol. 8, No. 4, Aug. 2007.   </HTML>
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