Metaphor and Figurative Language as Descriptions for the Almighty

We have a tendency to describe things we do not know with things we do know. This is what we call metaphor. The Sun is like a blazing hot iron. The woman was as a beautiful as a rose. These,  of course, are simple examples that work with earthly means, but these descriptors fail when we use them with the Almighty. What can we compare to God? There is simply not enough matter on the earth to materialize an image of who God is. It is simply impossible to describe God apart from His self-revelation to us. The best descriptor of God is found in Jesus. Though, we must not make the mistake of equating Him with figurative language; He was after all a real person in the flesh. But it seems we have a great limitation with our language when it comes to describing God.

Say for instance that someone comes to you and asks, “Who is God?” This is what you might call a “loaded question.” There are behind those three words more explanation than the world has to offer. You might say “He is the Creator of the Universe” or “He is the Father of All.” But I would say these answers are not quite fulfilling to the question. Who really is God? What does He look like? What does He act like? In other words, who really is God?

Our language is not capable of making such a metaphor. Afterall, figurative language does exactly what it is designed to do – it is meant to figuratively describe something. It is founded upon the principal of limitation. When we reach the limit of what we can describe in reality, we replace it with figurative language. But this is the problem when we begin to use it to describe God. God’s very being is rooted in reality – he cannot in any way be figurative. He must be the Most Real thing to exist within and without our universe. He appeared to Moses in the burning bush and presented Himself as “I AM.” That is, He cannot be anything other than Himself. The bush was not consumed though God’s presence alone is a consuming fire. Yet this gives us a hint as to the nature of God and a qualifying descriptor of God. God was more real than the bush in which He inflamed. In other words, God was able to exist within and without reality.

Such mysteries are not for the mind to comprehend, but thanks be to God for not leaving us in the dark about it! He most certainly could have made Himself distant from our reasoning and leave us here to our own limited intellectual abilities. But this is not at all what He did. Instead, God manifested Himself to us in spite of our lack of understanding. We can confidently and boldly know who God is by who Jesus Christ was.