Did Israel Patch Together God? And Why That Doesn’t Disprove His Existence

Did Israel Patch Together God? And Why That Doesn’t Disprove His Existence


Many modern readers are surprised to learn that the biblical image of Yahweh—the God of Israel—may have developed over time from earlier ancient Near Eastern (ANE) deities. Archaeology and scholarship suggest that Yahweh might have originally been a localized storm or warrior deity, later blended with aspects of El, Baal, and other gods, eventually becoming the singular, supreme Creator God of Judaism and Christianity.


But instead of seeing this as evidence that God was invented, what if we saw it for what it truly is?


A human attempt to grasp and express a God too immense to be fully captured by any one generation, story, or cultural lens.



Yahweh: A Theological Mosaic


There are many signs in the Bible that Yahweh's identity evolved:


Early texts (like Exodus and Judges) show Yahweh as a tribal, war-oriented deity.


Later prophets emphasize God’s compassion, universality, and concern for justice.


Names and roles shift: El Elyon, El Shaddai, Yahweh Sabaoth, and Elohim—each carrying different tones and historical baggage.


And yet, instead of undermining belief, these layers show us how humans wrestled with the Divine across time.



Trying to Describe the Indescribable


If God truly exists—immense, eternal, and spirit—then of course our descriptions will be flawed, fragmented, and shaped by culture.


Imagine ancient peoples trying to describe:


A force more powerful than empires, yet tender enough to hear a widow’s cry.


A being who is both just and merciful, transcendent yet immanent.


They reached for the language they had: kingship, storms, fire, sacrifice, war. They weren’t inventing God; they were doing their best to translate divine encounters into human terms.


The Bible Is the Story of Humans Responding to God


This is why the Bible isn’t a perfect, static manual—it’s a living record of people grappling with God. Sometimes they got it right. Sometimes they misunderstood. But through it all, there is a thread: a divine presence pursuing relationship with humanity. The fact that the Bible reflects cultural development and theological evolution doesn’t discredit God—it reveals that God has been patiently walking with humanity, allowing us to grow in understanding.



Evolving Revelation Is Still Revelation


Later texts—even in the Bible itself—challenge and revise earlier understandings:


The prophets rejected the blind ritualism of Leviticus.


Jesus redefined holiness, mercy, and even how we read the Law (“You have heard it said... but I say to you...”).


The apostles declared a new covenant, breaking from temple dependence and national boundaries.



Rather than discarding old ideas, God redeems and reframes them, just like He does with people.



A Complex God Requires Complex Faith


It’s not surprising that our understanding of God is layered and messy. That’s not because God is confused—it’s because we are finite creatures trying to describe the infinite. Belief doesn’t require a perfect Bible. Belief rests on the conviction that, beneath the layers of language, myth, ritual, and culture, there really is a divine presence reaching out to us. The patchwork image of Yahweh doesn't disprove God—it proves we've been reaching for Him all along.



Conclusion 


If the biblical portrait of God is a mosaic, then it is not the cracks in the tiles that destroy faith—it is the light that shines through them that keeps it alive. Let’s embrace a faith that’s honest, growing, and humble enough to admit we’ve been shaping our understanding of God all along—not to invent Him, but to draw nearer to the One who was always there.

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