This week's Paper Pulpit has been written by Rev. Colin McDowell, Minister of Killymurris Presbyterian

IN the final words of Romans 11 the Apostle Paul explodes into a doxology, an expression of praise to God.

We can’t be sure whether this is in response to the plan of God regarding Israel (chapter 11), whether it is responding to the Sovereignty of God expressed in chapters 9-11 or whether it is a response to the entire gospel message contained in the letter. I honestly don’t think it really matters.

The important point is that Paul ends this chapter with an expression of worship (v. 33):

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Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

I remember one day travelling through Italy and being totally awestruck with the beauty of the Italian mountains, there was no way to take a picture that would capture the incredible beauty. I was on overload. It was a moment of awe.

If you look at some of the descriptions from various prophets when they saw God (Ezekiel 1:25, Isa. 6, Revelation 1) you find these writers at a loss for words. God is beyond our minds. Listen to Ezekiel as he struggles for words to describe what he is seeing (1: 25 – 28):

Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

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Ezekiel (like Isaiah and John) stumble to find words to describe what is beyond description. Six times in these 4 verses we are told Ezekiel saw what looked like or what appeared to be. All he can do is describe what he saw by comparing them to things he can describe. This is the same situation Paul is in.

We must remember that Paul is trying to explain what is beyond our ability to understand. We will never fully grasp the wonder of God’s grace and love until we get to Heaven. We will never be able to fully probe the depth of our sin until we see the purity and holiness of the Father. We won’t be able to appreciate the blessing that we have been given until we step into the splendour of Glory.

Any notion of God as our mate or the old man upstairs cheapens God. The reason the Ten Commandments tell us not to make any images of God is because any image of God we could make would diminish who He truly is. Even the most beautiful image does God an injustice. He is bigger and greater than we are. I am very glad of that fact.

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