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It comes to this, therefore: that man, being a person, can say "I am". We are
immediately reminded that when God revealed Himself to Moses, it was this special
emphasis upon personality that was prominent. No attributes such as goodness,
righteousness, holiness are introduced; but simply unlimited individuality--"I am":--
"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM; and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto
the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (Exod. 3: 14).
Analogy in natural science suggests a personality. The evidence of design suggests a
designer, the evidence of a plan suggests an intelligence. And the Scriptures fully
endorse this approach to truth:--
"They say, the Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.
Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that
planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see?"
(Psa. 94: 7-9).
To fail to perceive the force of this argument is to lack understanding, and to be like a
"brute" beast. This analogy is at the bottom of all right reasoning; and, as we have seen
from Rom. 1: 19, 20, it left the heathen without excuse.
In the moral realm analogy brings us nearer. Everything points to the Person,
although it does not actually bring us into living contact with Him. This final living
contact demands more than nature or morals can supply.
Not only should we appreciate the place of anthropomorphic teaching concerning
God, but we should also realize something of what may be termed the theomorphic in
man. The words of Martineau are pertinent in this connection:--
"There are but three forms under which it is possible to think of the ultimate or
immanent principle of the universe. Mind. Life. Matter. Given the first, the universe is
intelligently thought out: given the second, it blindly grows: given the third, it
mechanically shuffles into equilibrium. We are rational, we are alive, we have weight
and extension."
"It is from our microcosm that we have to interpret the macrocosm."
"The severest science is in this sense, just as anthropomorphic as the most ideal
theology."
Earlier in this series we drew attention to two facts:--
(1)
Reasoning is impossible apart from definition, and definition is impossible without
affixing names.
(2)
Adam manifested this essential attribute of intelligence by naming all the animals
that passes before him (Gen. 2: 20).
If we go back earlier in the record of creation, we learn that man was created in the
image of God (Gen. 1: 26). The moment we remember this, we realize that analogy
between the visible things of man and the invisible things of God rests upon a solid basis.