Anthropomorphic language is a fancy name for the use of human traits to describe truths about God. Since God is spirit, He has no physical body; therefore, He does not literally have eyes, ears, and hands. But, He does see, hear, and do. To help a feeble mind like mine better understand Him “human form”—the literal meaning of anthropomorphic—language is used in the Scriptures.
Psalm 33 begins with the exhortation “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!” Its rationale is “for praise from the upright is beautiful.” From Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures employ anthropomorphic language to help our human minds understand the beauty of our praise and worship of God when we are living upright lives.
In Genesis, acceptable worship of God by the patriarchs is described as a “soothing aroma” to the Lord (Genesis 8:20-21). To many humans there are few smells that are as wondrous as the aroma of a barbecue. That profound sense of pleasure that humans feel is possible in the presence of God when the upright praise Him.
In Revelation 5:8, the prayers of the saints are described as golden bowls full of incense. As a bowl of incense gives off a pleasing aroma when it is lit, so are the prayers of the upright in the courts of heaven. Here is another picturesque portrayal of the pleasing nature of the upright’s praise of Jehovah.
How vigorously and frequently we need to heed the earnest exhortation to “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!”
Keep these posts coming! I’ve been posting them on Shelbyville Road’s Facebook page.