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Sunday, March 29, 2009

An Egocentric God

God desires, no, commands that His creation worships Him. In the Old Testament, when the children of Israel worshiped a golden calf or Baal, it went badly for them (How is that for understatement?) because God commands that His creation worships Him. In the New Testament, idolatry is something we are still to avoid because God commands that His creation worships Him.

The question might well be asked, "What's wrong with God?" In human terms, if someone constantly needs attention, affirmation, and applause, we consider them eccentric at best and egomaniacal at worst. Is that God? Is He so unsure of Himself that He needs constant praise? Does God suffer from poor self-esteem?

I suppose, in human terms, that might be the case ... but God isn't human. He is the Ultimate Being. While we arrogantly think that "the universe revolves around me", it turns out that He really is the center of all existence. Indeed, were He to recognize anyone else as of equal importance to Himself, He would be the idolater. Thus, He demands that His creation worships Him because it's right, it's true, it's real. He demands it because He alone deserves it.

There's another aspect. Imagine, if you will, a skilled horse breeder. This guy breeds horses to win races. He spends years breeding the fastest horses in the world. Because it is his work, it is expected that he should be rewarded with the acclaim due a successful breeder as well as with horses that win races. All well and good. On the other hand, these horses, bred to run, would love to run. They would only be happiest when they were at full speed. Racing wouldn't be a chore; it would be a delight. Walking around just wouldn't cut it. No, their real joy would be in the fulfillment of their design.

Like all of creation, we are designed to glorify God. There is no doubt that He deserves it. In Him we live and move and have our being. He is the Sovereign of the Universe. He holds all things together, and all things are made for Him. And as part of that creation, we are designed to join in that process. The truth is that we are happiest when we are fully engaged in glorifying God. Or, to twist John Piper's famous phrase, we are most satisfied when we are giving God the most glory. So, while it is right for us to worship, it is also for our benefit that God commands it. It is a command from love.

What's wrong with God? Well, let's see. He commands worship because it is right -- in line with reality and He deserves it -- and because it is in the best interest of His creation that we worship Him. So ... there's nothing at all wrong with God as far as I can tell.

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