Rushwavefrom The Nature and Character of God
© 2020 Bert Davidson
Chapter 14: God has Emotions and Feelings
God’s emotions are as much a demonstration of His perfections as all His other qualities.
Thus far we have considered numerous aspects of God’s nature and character — His being all knowing, all powerful, and other glorious traits. But within God these attributes are not void of an emotional dimension. Words such as “feelings” or “emotions” may be ascribed to God, provided such words are properly understood.
God can be pleased, grieved and provoked. Each of these emotions will be considered individually in future chapters. Here we are simply acknowledging these sensations do exist within God, but qualifying that fact with two very important points.
God’s emotions are always righteous and good. He never has a feeling that fails to conform to what is just, proper and right.
Men are capable of experiencing emotions that are utterly contrary to what actually should be felt. The type of feeling is out of alignment with what should be. A sadistic man can find pleasure in harming others. A murderer can be saddened his evil plot was thwarted. And a robber can become angry he was caught in the act. These are all situations where the emotion experienced was an indication of corruption and depravity, for it is exactly opposite to what should be felt.
The corruption often present in man’s emotions does not apply to God. If He has pleasure, it is because those feelings are in keeping with His holy, righteous, loving nature. If He is provoked to anger, it is likewise because it corresponds to His holy, righteous, loving nature. God never feels pleasure when there should grief, or a sense of indifference when there should be anger.
God’s emotions are always proportionate. God’s emotions are not only right because they do not evoke an opposite reaction, but because they evoke the correct reaction in proper measure.
Scripture contains many passages that show God’s emotions exist in a spectrum. As respects God’s anger, sometimes He is described as “angry,” other times “very angry.” And as respects pleasure, in the creation account each creative day we are told “God saw that it was good.” But when all was completed we are told “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).
In contrast to man, the varying degrees of emotion in God are but another aspect of His perfections. Human emotions or feelings can be disproportionate based on a variety of factors: tiredness, hunger, stress, and so on. What may cause one to be angry one day may cause him to be very angry another time; there is no consistency. But such mood swings do not apply to God.
The God who created you is capable of feeling pleasure, grief and anger. But He is never temperamental, and His emotions are never erratic. Whatever the situation or circumstance, His emotions are always right, proper and fitting both in type and degree.
from The Nature and Character of God
© 2020 Bert Davidson
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