God the Sovereign King

I am currently involved in a discussion about how we, as finite beings, can speak about an infinite God. The big subtopic right now is the use of analogies in religious conversation. Analogies are very common in the Bible and Christian language as a whole. I tend to prefer biblical analogies (Father-Son, Shepherd-Sheep, Great Physician etc.) but I don’t think that human analogies are inappropriate. I definitely see the value of both. Analogies can be very helpful to us finite beings, in our quest to comprehend the infinite. Analogies have been used by God, so I think that it is ok that we use them, however I think that we must be careful not to make the mistake of thinking that we are "capturing" the whole of God in our analogy (or in any of our finite words for that matter). God is beyond description - He is indescribable.

However, I do think that there is lack of analogies highlighting the awesome, sovereign and just power of God, compared to the multitude of “nice” analogies highlighting God as our “Father” and “friend.” These are certainly not wrong but I just think that there may be an imbalance. Where are the analogies helping us to understand the glory of God, or the wrath of God, or the holiness of God? I’m not saying they don’t exist, but they certainly don’t get as much “coverage” as the “nice” ones.

Pro 19:12 ESV A king's wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

Pro 20:2 ESV The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life.

The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given, and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is its course, when once it is let loose?

The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood. - Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

We of course, should not dwell only on this "side" of God, for He is also a God of love - in fact God IS love. However, I don't really think that we are in danger of this. It seems to me that much of Christianity has turned God into merely a loving and infinitely gracious father and friend, who looks the other way when we sin because He loves us so much....and that's it. Where is the awesome fear of the glory and power of God? Where is the recognition of God's great holiness and righteousness? If we leave these CRUCIAL attributes out, then we are no longer talking about the God of the Bible, but instead we are talking about a man-centered, man-made God.