Acts 17:29
“…God…the divine being…”
Most people realize The God of the Bible is considered the all-powerful creator of the universe, and this is true: but have you every stopped to really consider what exactly God is? Now I don’t mean the nature or identity of God I mean what exactly is God?
Many people picture The God of the Bible (specifically referring to God the father) as a large old white man that lives in the sky somewhere, while others think God is not really a living conscious being of some sort but is really just an unconscious but powerful force or energy in the universe or even the universe/nature itself. But is this what God-almighty is? Either an old man in the sky or just a force of some sort? There’s only one way to know for sure: see what the world of God says itself!
So first off, Is God an old man living up in the clouds?
No! because God is not a human
God first reveals this through his prophet Balaam:
Numbers 23:19
“God is not human,…not a human being…”
Then through his prophet Samuel:
1 Samuel 15:29
“…the Glory of Israel (that is God)…he is not a human being,…”
And also, directly through Hosea:
Hosea 11:9
“...I am God, and not a man…”
Also, humans are created beings made by God:
Knowing this fact, it means God would have to create himself as a human to be an actual human, this does not make no sense and nothing in the Bible supports this conclusion!
So, God is definitely not a human, therefore he cannot be an old man!
Why many picture the God of the Bible as an old human man, other non-Christians might think God is really an unconscious force/energy of nature of some sort, But the Bible is pretty clear God is a literal living being:
This is why he is called “The living God” because he is alive
Revelation 7:2
“…the living God.”
Psalm 84:2
“My heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.”
So, God is also not just some unconscious force or even nature itself, God is described as a completely conscious being that can reason! There is really no way around this conclusion!
So, if God is not a human or a force, then what exactly is he?
For the most part the Bible does not really say, it just strongly hints God is a powerful otherworldly being of some sort, but in the New Testament Jesus finally reveals exactly what God is in one simple statement:
John 4:24
“God is spirit…”
With this small clause Jesus reveals what God is: God is not a human or a force of nature, but God is a spirit!
Though other verses don’t directly say this: God is almost always associated with spirit!
Numbers 24:2
“...When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him…”
2 Chronicles 24:20
“...the Spirit of God came on Zechariah…”
So, God is a living spirit being.
However, God is not just a spirit being, nor is he just any living being, he is THE living spirit being: that is, the ultimate living being! God is a divine being (alive) (and the ultimate being) that is NOT comparable to any other living being)
Acts 17:29
“…God…the divine being…”
So according to the Bible, God is not a human or even a force but a literal living spiritual being.