The way some people speak and write about God, you’d think He was one big Snuggie – some fluffy Being whose sole function in life is to make us feel warm and comfy and better about ourselves.
Try telling that to Moses.
When it was time to get Moses’ undivided attention, we read in Exodus 3 that God caught his eyeballs with a bush aflame, one that burned without being consumed. A blaze is not the most comfy-cozy image ever conceived, but the words He spoke to Moses also demonstrated that God was no-one to mess with: “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground!”
In other words, I’m not your Snuggie.
Sure, there is much revealed about God’s kindness, His sympathy toward His people, His warm and gentle heart. But it is all in a larger context, that includes His purity, justice, holiness, and ultimate Other-ness. When He tells Moses his name, He says, ” I am that I am. Tell the children of Israel that I AM sent you.”
I’m Steve, and I’ve only been around for a few years. When a self-existent God reveals Himself as the I AM, His presence demands awe and respect. Egypt’s Pharaoh would soon find out how far disbelief and arrogance would get him – he discovered rather decisively that God was no Snuggie.
We’re all tempted to re-make God into some image that we’d prefer. A Snuggie idol sounds nice and cozy. Until you need unstoppable power and irresistible grace. Then only the real God will do…
Steve's Free 