Jeshurun's Mind: Spiritual Food

God Is A Spirit 

    The teaching that God is a Spirit is one of the most basic truths about Him found in the Scriptures. It was taught by the Lord Jesus Christ while conversing with a Samaritan woman. Interestingly, Jesus, on His way to Galilee from Judea had not taken the usual route for a Jew of His day – across the Jordan at Jericho, north along the east side of the river, then back into Galilee. The salvation of the Samaritan woman's soul and those of many other Samaritans was paramount to Him and that's why,

      “...He had to go through Samaria.”(John 4:4, NIV).

      “...he must needs go through Samaria.” (John 4:4, KJV).

That was typical of the Good Shepherd to leave the ninety-nine sheep and go seeking for the lost one. It is worth noting that there is no article in the Greek text before the word Spirit, which probably emphasizes the essence of the word.

      Having come to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph, Jesus sat at Jacob's well, having being wearied from His journey. It was about the sixth hour and His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water and Jesus requested her to give Him a drink, she was surprised since Jews and Samaritans had no dealings at that time. But that notwithstanding, Jesus had a soft spot for her and all Samaritans, just as He did for everyone else who was in need of salvation.

     His choosing a Samaritan to be the hero in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), besides healing a leprous Samaritan man and pointing out the fact that he was the only one who returned to give thanks (Luke 17:11-19), can vouch for that. However, the woman, being heavily prejudiced against Jews, neither knew the gift of God nor the One who asked her for a drink. Had she known, she would have asked Him and He would have given her living water, which signified the Holy Spirit. 
 

      Right from the start, Jesus' conversation with the woman revolved around spiritual things, and this she did not grasp. When Jesus promised that the water He had would be, in the recipient, a well of water springing up into everlasting life, she right away asked for it as it would permanently end her trips to the well to draw water. She was completely taken aback by Jesus' knowledge of her past and present life, and perceived Him to be a Prophet. While responding to her statement regarding where people ought to worship, Jesus said unto her:

      “...Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to

worship him. God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-24, KJV).

God being a Spirit means He is incorporeal – He does not have a body or form. Simply, He has none of the physical

constraints associated with matter – He can neither perish, decay or be killed nor can He be detected by our senses. When Jesus arose from the dead and stood in the midst of His disciples as they discussed events that followed His death,

      “...they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them [his] hands and [his] feet.” (Luke 24:37-40, KJV).

     As a Spirit therefore, God is invisible (Colossians 1:15) and immortal (1 Timothy 1:17; 6:15-16). Furthermore, He is not limited to any particular geographical place or spatial location (Acts 17:24). Apostle Paul describes Him in Hebrews 12:9 as a “Father of Spirits.”

In the same breath however, numerous Scriptural texts seem to indicate that God has a physical body:

      “...Thus saith the LORD, The heaven [is] my throne,and the earth [is] my footstool: where [is] the house that ye

build unto me? and where [is] the place of my rest?” (Isaiah 66:1-2, KJV).

      “...Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.”(Isaiah 66:1-2, KJV).

      “...And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which [are] in Egypt, and have

heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.” (Exodus 3:7, KJV).

     It is imperative to understand that there is no contradiction. Such statements are anthropomorphic (they treat God as if He had human qualities) and only occur when God is interacting with His creation. They are symbolic representations used to make God's actions more understandable to our finite mind.