In J.I. Packer's book Knowing God he talks a bit about the second commandment and how this commandment speaks against all images of God. "Images dishonour God, for they obscure His glory (40)." He means to say that not just images of other gods are wrong, but that the expression of God in the form of an image is wrong. The truth of this is obvious from the start. How could a picture express the fullness of the glory of God? It is much like how words fail to express their images of theological truths falling much short of the immensity of God. Wouldn't this also mean that words are a problem?
Imagine a book on the glory of God. The very first chapter of this book starts with the statement, "God is glorious" and goes on to expound on this subject. The first proof is the most obvious, God is creator. The majesty of mountains, the grandeur of the heavens, the complexity of cells and the beauties of science all express in wonderful simplicity the glory of God in creation. The next proof is that God's love is glorious. The writer then expounds on the subjects of justification, sanctification and adoption. Next, he moves to God's longevity, power and knowledge. He describes in intimate detail all these subjects, he quotes every word ever spoken by church fathers and theologians on the subject and brings thought and reason together to provide the reader with the most complete definition on the subject ever written. But, at the very end of the book, in conclusion of all this work, the writer could only end with this: "God is glorious." The writer's lengthy paragraphs, exquisite explanations and precise descriptions always carry with them the essence of futility.
Such a great book does not share glory with God and will always fall short of what glory really means. However, it is with this understanding that we read such books with awe. The God so wonderfully described exceeds words and our imagination's rendering of them. It is in this enamored stupor that we get a taste of what glory really is. Likewise, great art tells us not verbatim God's qualities, but inspires awe by telling us God is far more beautiful than anything we have ever seen.
We must be careful of the images we craft whether they be in language or art. If we say that what we have created is God then we have committed the sin of idolatry. This idea is very easily seen in bowing down to idols, but it is less clearly seen in words. In writing about glory if we say we have captured glory we have sinned. Therefore, in all our doings we must understand our limitations as humans and the inability to express adequately the glory of God.
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