Limits of Human Knowledge in God's Sovereignty
Human understanding of God's sovereignty is inherently limited, a theme consistently articulated throughout biblical texts and theological traditions. The book of Job directly poses the question, "Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?" [2]. This rhetorical question underscores the idea that God's nature and actions are beyond full human comprehension [8, 9].
God's knowledge is described as infinite and unsearchable, encompassing all things that ever were or will be [1, 5, 6]. Passages like Psalm 139:6 declare, "This knowledge is beyond me. It’s lofty. I can’t attain it" [3]. This suggests that even the most profound human wisdom cannot fully grasp the divine [5]. The prophet Isaiah similarly asks, "To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness will you compare with him?" (Isaiah 40:18).
The wisdom of God is an attribute that is perfect, mighty, universal, and incomparable [5]. It is not derived from any external source, as Job 21:22 asks, "Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he himself judges high ones?" [4]. The apostle Paul, in Romans 11:33, exclaims, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and untraceable his ways!" [12]. This passage highlights that God's designs stem from infinite wisdom, and the means he employs are chosen by infinite knowledge, making both his purposes and methods beyond human scrutiny [12].
Theologians have long recognized this boundary. John Calvin, for instance, emphasized that God's will is to be sought in his word, setting aside human inventions and speculations that contradict it [7]. Matthew Henry, a Nonconformist commentator, distinguished between a "twofold wisdom": one hidden in God, which is secret and not for humanity, and another made known through revelation, which is accessible [11]. Even perfection, in human terms, has its limits when attempting to understand God's ways [10]. The decrees of God, as defined in Easton's Bible Dictionary, are his eternal, unchangeable purpose, which, due to the limitations of human faculties, can only be conceived in partial aspects [6].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Foreknowledge of God — Acts 2:23; Rom. 8:29; 11:2; 1 Pet. 1:2), one of those high attributes essentially appertaining to him the full import of which we cannot comprehend. In the most absolute sense his knowledge is infinite (1 Sam. 23:9-13; Jer. 38:17-23; 42:9-22, Matt. 11:21, 23; Acts 15:18).”
- Job “Job 11:7 (BSB) — Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?”
- Psalms “This knowledge is beyond me. It’s lofty. I can’t attain it. -- Psalms 139:6”
- Job “Job 21:22 (LEB) — Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he himself judges high ones?”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Wisdom of God, The — Is one of his attributes -- 1Sa 2:3; Job 9:4. Described as Perfect. -- Job 36:4; 37:16. Mighty. -- Job 36:5. Universal. -- Job 28:24; Da 2:22; Ac 15:18. Infinite. -- Ps 147:5; Ro 11:33. Unsearchable. -- Isa 40:28; Ro 11:33. Wonderful. -- Ps 139:6. Beyond human comprehension. -- Ps 139:6. Incomparable. -- Isa 44:7; Jer 10:7. Underived. -- Job 21:22; Isa 40:14. The gospel contains treasures of -- 1Co 2:7. Wisdom of saints is derived from -- Ezr 7:25. All human wisdom derived from -- Da 2:1. Saints ascribe to him -- Da 2:20. Exhibited in His works. ”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Decrees of God — "The decrees of God are his eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose, comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be in their causes, conditions, successions, and relations, and determining their certain futurition. The several contents of this one eternal purpose are, because of the limitation of our faculties, necessarily conceived of by us in partial aspects, and in logical relations, and are therefore styled Decrees." The decree being the act of an infinite, absolute, eternal, unchangeable, and sovereign Person, compre”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, section 25.2: be a hinderance in the way of their cheerfully making progress, and allowing what had been begun in them to receive an additional polish. But what knowledge does he desire in their behalf? The knowledge of the divine will , by which expression he sets aside all inventions of men, and all speculations that are at variance with the word of God. For his will is not to be sought anywhere else than in his word. He adds — in all wisdom; by which he intimates that the will of God, of which he had made mention, was the onl”
- Job (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Job 11:7: Zophar here speaks very good things concerning God and his greatness and glory, concerning man and his vanity and folly: these two compared together, and duly considered, will have a powerful influence upon our submission to all the dispensations of the divine Providence. I. See here what God is, and let him be adored. 1. He is an incomprehensible Being, infinite and immense, whose nature and perfections our finite understandings cannot possibly form any adequate conceptions of, and whose counsels and actings we cannot therefore, without the greatest presumption, pas”
- Job (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Job 11:7: 11:7 No one can discover everything about the Almighty (literally find out the limits of the Almighty), who is beyond the limits of the heavens, underworld, land, and sea (11:8-9).”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 119:96: 119:96 Even perfection has its limits: Humans cannot fully understand God’s ways (see Eccl 3:11).”
- Job (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Job 28:20: The question which Job had asked (Job 28:12) he asks again here; for it is too worthy, too weighty, to be let fall, until we speed in the enquiry. Concerning this we must seek till we find, till we get some satisfactory account of it. By a diligent prosecution of this enquiry he brings it, at length, to this issue, that there is a twofold wisdom, one hidden in God, which is secret and belongs not to us, the other made known by him and revealed to man, which belongs to us and to our children. I. The knowledge of God's secret will, the will of his providence, is out o”
- Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Romans 11:33: O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! - This is a very proper conclusion of the whole preceding discourse. Wisdom may here refer to the designs of God; knowledge, to the means which he employs to accomplish these designs. The designs are the offspring of infinite wisdom, and therefore they are all right; the means are the most proper, as being the choice of an infinite knowledge that cannot err; we may safely credit the goodness of the design, founded in infinite wisdom; we may rely on the due accomplishment of the end, because the mean”