5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6:5-8 NASB
I’ve spent many hours reading fiction to young children. Animals are popular characters in these stories and bears are among the more popular animals.
The ‘bear’ of children’s literature often looks like a teddy bear. It may have relational problems with family and friends much as the children experience in their own lives. It often has hopes and fears that echo the children’s own hopes and fears.
As a teaching tool, this ‘bear’ is very effective – but it is nothing like a real bear. A real bear has teeth and claws. Its bites and blows are potentially deadly. It can easily outrun a man or a woman. It is definitely not the cuddly ‘bear’ of the children’s story book.
There is an attitude that says, in effect, “I couldn’t believe in a God who would do that…”. By that they may be referring to some punishment that God inflicted – such as the Flood – or they may be referring to warnings of eternal judgement.
The god they apparently can believe in is something like a teddy bear or the tame bear of children’s literature. But surely this is just wishful thinking. A person who encounters a bear in the forest may wish or hope that the bear is like the ‘bear’ of the children’s storybook – but preferring the storybook ‘bear’ does not change the reality. Believing in teddy bears does not make real bears any less real.
You or I might prefer a tame god, a non-judgemental god – but we still have to reckon with God as he is.
– SSXG