Awesome

awe•some
–adjective
1.
inspiring awe: an awesome sight.

If one were to spend several long days writing out a list of the truly great and tragically overused words in the English language, “awesome” would undoubtedly rear its head near the top. I’m guilty of letting it slip, often as a synonym for “cool!” or “that’s really great, man!” Wrong-o. This word is so much better than that.

In my heart I know there is only one thing worthy of this description. It is not the staggering sight of the mountains at sunset, or some laughing waterfall, or even the brilliant zenith of starlight at night (though that’s getting close). No, “awesome” was designed to describe El Shaddai, the Lord Almighty, our Abba Father. Yahweh. The One who began all things, and in whom all things will come to an end.

A close friend and I were talking the other night about the awesomeness of God, and just how scary He is. Take a moment to think about it. We would like to picture God as a kind-faced, benevolent old man, almost like a grandfather. The fact that we’re picturing God as anything really speaks to the finite nature of our human imagination. God is a wild, intangible, incomprehensible Being. “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20). God is the perfect embodiment of Love and Power, wielder of the might of the entire universe. In the blink of an eye He could take everything away, cast the earth out of its orbit, blot out the sun, destroy all of humanity in a matter of days (as He once did). Humbling thought.

Imagine how Moses must have felt, slowly scaling the mountainside at Sinai, his skin rippling with the waves of God’s anger, burning against the Israelites for their idolatry and wickedness. Moses had to face Yahweh to speak for his people – even to intercede on their behalf! Moses lived quite a unique existence, interacting with the Spirit of God in such an intimate matter, receiving the Law literally from the Lord’s mouth. He was all at once an incredibly blessed and harassed man. More often than not he had to face an angry and vengeful God.

It’s easy for us to forget that we serve the same jealous and angry God. True, God has manifested His incredible, all-encompassing love for an undeserving people through the ministry, death, and resurrection of His Son. But God never stopped being angry at our sin and wickedness. Christ trembled in fear, was torn apart by anguish by the thought of becoming Sin on the cross, facing the wrath of God all of us have justly earned.

Our God is an awesome God. His Love is an awesome Love, because it goes in hand in hand with his wild, violent, and perfectly just wrath. The Lord is a beautiful paradox.