God relates to man – Part 1

                                             

God is a Spirit. (John 4:24). There is only one God. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Malachi 2:10, Mark 12:32, James 2:19).

God uses metaphors to describe His many aspects. Because we are human with a human body, God uses metaphors such as face, back, hand, finger, arm, eyes, ears, nose, and feet, so we can relate.

When God manifested Himself in flesh and blood as the man Christ Jesus, He was just like us, with eyes, ears, hands, and feet, looking like we look.

The Bible says,

"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." - 2 Chronicles 16:9 KJV

As the Spirit of God that fills the universe, God does not have literal eyes traveling around the world in the sky watching everyone.

Rather, we understand from our own eyes that God as a Spirit 'sees' and is AWARE of everyone on the earth “whose heart is perfect toward Him.” As a Spirit, God is not limited to His human body.

When the Bible speaks of God’s ears, God as a Spirit does not have literal ears. Rather, ears are a metaphor of God’s ability to ‘hear’ us.

"In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears." - 2 Samuel 22:7 KJV

When the Bible speaks of God’s nose or smelling, it is a metaphor for God being either pleased or disgusted, as a good smell is pleasing and a bad smell repulsive.

"And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours [I will take no pleasure in your offerings that should be a pleasing aroma to me]." - Leviticus 26:31 KJV

"I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; a people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face... which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day." - Isaiah 65:2-3, 5 KJV