There are many metaphors the Bible uses to help the finite mind conceptualize an infinite God. His ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are greater than ours. With that in mind, our biblical authors often employ points of comparison so we can better understand this Being who would otherwise be completely beyond our grasp. He is our Father. That is how Jesus teaches us to address him in prayer (Mat. 6:9). The paternal image is a favorite, especially among New Testament writers. In what might be the most beloved of Psalms, God comes to us as a shepherd, who leads us by still waters and through dark shadowy places. Isaiah 64:8 presents him as a potter—a careful artist who creates with precision. Jesus calls God a vinedresser (John 15:1), pruning dead branches so the rest of the vine might bear fruit. In a bizarre mixing of metaphors, the first three chapters of Hosea picture the divine-human relationship as that of a husband and wife, while later in the book (chapter 1...