Divine Emotions

“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled… Jesus wept…Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb.” (John 11:33, 35, 38) 

When we contemplate the majesty, omnipotence and supremacy of God, we can forget the qualities of God He gave to mankind who are created in His image. Yeshua said, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19) God has emotions, in the scriptures above we see Him “deeply moved” and weeping. What emotions does God express? The most frequent answer in a public survey might be anger, as Israel’s disbelief, disobedience and regular refusals to trust Him did evoke His righteous anger. He also, spoke with compassion and tender words of longing for His chosen people, affirming commitment to His promises and blessings to Israel. In Yeshua we see another side of God, God in human flesh, able to cry and display emotions which witnesses describe as being deeply moved. 

God is love. (1 John 4:8,16) Could human love be expressed without emotion? Perhaps in a selfless act or hidden to be anonymous, but only in fiction are human’s without emotion. What moves God to express emotion – all People on earth, His beloved creation. The Hebrew writer compares Angels who are exceedingly glorious and powerful with Yeshua who became human saying, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.” (Hebrews 2:14-16)

God also expressed just anger at various times by Israel’s unbelief and rejection of His mercy and leading. Just as often God forgave Israel and restored their heritage. In the Psalms we read of what pleases God and moves Him to compassion, but He is most pleased by His one and only Son, Yeshua, Messiah. God laughs at the wicked. “The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.” (Psalms 2:4, 37:13, 59:8; Prov. 1:26) Finally, He is jealous, not envious like human jealousy, but fiercely protective and demanding righteousness. (Exodus 20:5; 34:14; Deut. 4:24) We can be put-off by emotional displays by others, but we might first consider their source.