The Plural of Abraham’s God

The God of Abraham is singular.  Always singular.  Except in four verses, where in dialogue God says “us” and “our.”

Modern Christians often say these instances acknowledge the Trinity.  Except: Trinity is not universally accepted in Christianity, nor would any Jew acknowledge its legitimacy.  If Christian theology is the correct interpreter of these passages, then Abraham, Moses, all the prophets, and the apostles misunderstood the basic concept of who God was.  How then can we trust anything they believed?  Since Christianity is built upon their foundation, then Christianity falls with them.

There have always been explanations besides Trinity for these passages.  Not all clarify the context.  For example, “God spoke like a king” is not consistent with overall scripture since everywhere else God speaks of Himself in the singular.  Therefore, the passages need explanations acceptable to the Jewish writers, which do not distort their message.  Clarification must come from their texts or it misrepresents their understanding of God.

Isaiah 6:8b – “Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?” (NIV)

Isaiah’s vision did not depict a human-shaped god, not the Son, not a Trinity.  The Holy One did not command from a mighty castle or sit upon a baroque throne.  Isaiah saw the Jewish God who descended within the Holy of Holies, above the Mercy Seat, between the wings of the bronze cherubim.  His train filled the temple like a copious textile depiction of glory. 

God reigns as the eternal King, in contrast to the governmental transition recently held in Jerusalem.  But here, a crowd did not bow in joyous celebration or anticipate each possible desire.  Isaiah knelt alone and God pled for someone to hear and act.

He used a singular pronoun in the first question: only God sends.  Other entities, not deities, support His call for a righteous messenger.  God’s second question recognized them all.

Instead of an inflated ego, our God acknowledges His followers.

Genesis 3:22a – “…Behold, the man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.” (NIV)

Obviously, humans were not included in “one of us.”  The only other beings mentioned in the Bible, who know the difference between good and evil, were angels (obedient or fallen).

Immediately after this statement, Cherubim guard the garden.  Here again, God informs those involved.  The dialogue allows us to know why.

Instead of arrogance, God engaged His subordinate.

Genesis 1:26a – “…Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” (NIV)

Several theological interpretations exist to explain this passage.  Besides Trinity, the most popular says God spoke to angels who were the lights of Day 1.  However, Genesis One never gives spirituality to this light or introduces any sentient being until humans.

The writer of the poem presented only two characters: Creator and creation.  Instead of God talking to himself or someone else, He spoke to the only other character, Everything Else.

Creator informed creation that what came next was something different.  Then, He commanded creation to help create humanity.  With this explanation of the word “us” and “our,” God employed evolution, not rejected it.  We evolved in the likeness of the Creator’s good universe and then He infused His likeness.

Instead of haughtiness, God enjoyed including everything.

Genesis 11:7a – “Come, let us go down and confuse their language…” (NIV)

The only problematic passage of the four is this one.

Paul described church communication troubles in 1 Corinthians.  He would have known the Babel story, but did not believe anarchy characterized God (v. 14:33).  Jesus prayed that his followers would live unified, as He and His Father “are” One (John 17:11).  He clearly told them circumstances make that goal difficult.

So, where does confusion come from?

In the literal translation of the Hebrew, Genesis 11 verses 3, 4, and 7 begin with the same imperative, often translated “come.”  The leaders of the people and God used the exact same words to enlist assistance.  Jesus and the Spirit do the will of Father/God innately.  They are not minions that need to be compelled.

So, who helps God and why?

The text does not present another character, but the Bible mentions possible options.  Listed below are two spiritual and one natural case that satisfy the mystery without imposing a Trinity.  One or more could be the hidden character(s) that help accomplish the task of mingling language and ending the building project.

1.      Satan: He loves twisting words.  In the parable of the sower, Jesus said the Devil’s children choked the word from those who heard the Good News (Matthew 13:37-39; Mark 4:15).  This case is like the Isaiah 6 interpretation: God acknowledges the one willing to work.

2.      Angels: Before the Israelites entered Canaan, God sent an angel (messenger) before them (Exodus 23:20-30).  It brought terror (confusion) into the enemy’s camps, aiding in their destruction.  The angel would not even tolerate rebellion within the Israelite’s camp.  This case is similar to the Genesis 3:22 interpretation: God informs the assistant of its task.

  

3.      Neighboring city-states: Nothing in the Babel story requires this group to be the only people on Earth.  If other people existed, they probably spoke other languages.  When diverse people mingled, the cultural differences caused division.  This case is like the Genesis 1:26 interpretation: God used natural events to shape the future.

[Excerpts from Creation’s Parables by Jo Helen Cox]