Like Father, Like Son (or Daughter)

Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise? 

He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see? 

He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? 

He who teaches man knowledge—

the LORD—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.

(Psalm 94:8-11 ESV)

God speaks baby-talk to us. He uses word pictures that compute in our ant-like brians [sic]. For example, I have asked the question, "Does God have actual eyes, or should I understand phrases like 'the eyes of the Lord' as merely His way of connecting with our understanding of existence?"

I think Psalm 94 answers the question: we are fools if we do not believe that God's creation is a direct reflection of who He is and what He experiences.

Because this conclusion is inductive rather than deductive, I want to be careful to not claim things about Him that He does not claim about Himself; but as stated in verse 8, I don't want to be a fool and miss what He has done plainly and clearly. 

The argumentation utilized in this passage in fantastic: 1) God creates; 2) That which He has created is a reflection of His character; 3) We can look at creation and conclude things about Him by our faculties of observation. 

(verse 9) God did not randomly give humanity ears; He gave ears because He wanted us to know that He is a God who hears when we cry out to Him.

(verse 9) God did not randomly give humanity eyes; He gave eyes because He wanted us to know that He is a God who observes the thoughts and acts of mankind.

(verse 10) God did not randomly give humanity the ability to comprehend facts and internalize truth; He made us thought-filled beings because He is thought-filled. He is knowledge's author; He therefore has thoughts, and knows that ours in comparison to His are infinitely less stable.

I paused for a second, and tried to apply this logic to other characteristics of our post-first coming experience here on earth. Here's what I came up with:

• God created smiles; therefore He is a God who knows how to be happy.
• God created the heart; therefore He is a God who is well-acquainted with a full range of emotions, from rapturous enjoyment to core-wounding sadness.
• God created the voice; therefore He is a God who is well-acquainted with the joy of music.
• God created the taste buds; therefore He is a God who is well-acquainted with the delight of sweet things and the distaste of bitter things.
• God created sex; therefore He is a God who is well-acquainted with relational intimacy and pleasure.
• God created tears; therefore He is a God who knows how to cry.
• God created arms; therefore He is a God who knows how to hug.

I am thankful for Psalm 94. I hope that my mind will continue to be trained in the skill of seeing the depth of the character and person of God in all of the things into which He has imbued Himself. 

To answer the question I posed at the top of the post, it seems like He created the functions of humanity to show us what He is like, just more colorfully than black (or red, depending on your Bible) words on a white page.

How I want to see this marvelously created universe a little more true to the colors with which the Master Painter has been pleased to use!

.DSN.