This paper examines how the God of the Old Testament is depicted through distinctly human attributes in the first two books of the Bible: Genesis and Exodus. Written by Moses, these books portray a God who creates, protects, grieves, provides, fulfills promises, tests, and takes vengeance—emotions and behaviors that mirror human experience. The paper argues that biblical authors described God in human terms because that was the only framework available to them, and that such anthropomorphic portrayals help believers understand and relate to the divine. Key episodes analyzed include the Creation, Noah's Ark, the lives of Abraham and Joseph, and the ten plagues of Egypt.
The God of the Old Testament displays many human qualities and emotions. Even though humanity is, after all, created in His image, it still shocks the reader to encounter an angry God or a vengeful God. God seems to play favorites on occasion. We must keep in mind, however, that the Bible was written by human hands. Man wrote of God in the only manner he could — in human terms.
Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Genesis means "beginning" or "origin." It is the beginning of mankind, the beginning of sin, and the beginning of our fall from Grace. Exodus recounts the story of the Israelites in Egypt and their escape from such harshness. Leviticus details the laws set down by God and the Levites — the twelve tribes of Israel. Numbers deals with the census on the surface; however, the underlying story follows the Israelites in the desert and into the land of Canaan. Deuteronomy continues the journey of the Israelites up to the last days of Moses. For the purpose of this paper, we shall examine the first two books: Genesis and Exodus.
God is creative. He created everything in Genesis. The earth was without form (Genesis 1:2) before He began to create. He created the earth, the stars, and the heavens. He created the waters and the mountains, as well as the valleys and the creeks in between.
He is also a protective Father. Essentially, He tried to keep His people out of trouble, much as we tend to do with our children today. He warns Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge (Genesis 2:17). He permits Noah to live since Noah has found grace in the Lord, and He instructs Noah on ark-building (Genesis 6:14). He protected Abraham and Sarah from Abimelech (Genesis 20:7). He protected many men through their dreams, giving them visions of what they were to do — or sometimes what they were specifically not to do. Isaac was protected when an angel appeared to Abraham.
The Lord protected Joseph, son of Jacob, in a special manner. His brothers sold Joseph into slavery, yet throughout the years the Lord ensured that no harm came to Joseph. He protected Joseph in prison and made certain that Joseph eventually became Pharaoh's dream interpreter.
The Lord is also a provider, often given an almost parental nature in the text. While in the desert, Moses and the people became hungry. Just as a parent would never let a meal go unprovided, neither would the Lord — He provided them with manna, bread from heaven (Exodus 16:31).
God also grieves. The evil and wrongdoings of mankind sadden Him on many occasions. In the time of Noah, God saw the wickedness of man and it grieved Him (Genesis 6:6). He was likewise saddened by the harsh treatment of the Israelites in Egypt.
"God's escalating vengeance through the ten plagues"
"God fulfills covenants and tests Abraham's faith"
"God's mercy and the purpose of anthropomorphic portrayal"
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