The Limits of Human Understanding and God's Sovereignty
Human understanding is inherently limited when attempting to grasp the infinite nature of God and His sovereign wisdom [1, 3]. The Bible consistently presents God's knowledge and wisdom as unsearchable and beyond full human comprehension [1, 2, 3].
The prophet Job asks, "Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?" [1]. This rhetorical question highlights the impossibility of fully comprehending God's attributes [6, 7]. Similarly, Psalm 139:6 declares, "This knowledge is beyond me. It’s lofty. I can’t attain it" [2]. This reflects the psalmist's awe at God's comprehensive knowledge, which extends to every thought, word, and action, and the recognition that the how of such knowledge is impenetrable to human minds [8].
God's wisdom is described as perfect, mighty, universal, infinite, and unsearchable [3]. It is exhibited in His works of creation and providence [5]. The apostle Paul, reflecting on God's plan for both Jews and Gentiles, exclaims, "O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" [11]. This outburst underscores the profound mystery of God's ways, which are past finding out [11].
The "decrees of God" are understood as His eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose, encompassing all things that ever were or will be [4]. These decrees determine the future certainty of events, but due to the limitations of human faculties, they are necessarily conceived by humans in partial aspects [4]. While humans cannot fully understand God's ways, the wisdom of God is also understood to be embodied in Christ, the "Almighty Word" [9]. Even though God's wisdom is unsearchable, some knowledge of God is manifest to humanity through creation, leaving people without excuse [10].
Sources
- 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”
- 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”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Unity of God — A ground for obeying him exclusively -- De 4:39,40. A ground for loving him supremely -- De 6:4,5; Mr 12:29,30. Asserted by God himself. -- Isa 44:6,8; 45:18,21. Christ. -- Mr 12:29; Joh 17:3. Moses. -- De 4:39; 6:4. Apostles. -- 1Co 8:4,6; Eph 4:6; 1Ti 2:5. Consistent with the deity of Christ and of the Holy Spirit -- Joh 10:30; 1Jo 5:7; Joh 14:9-11. Exhibited in His greatness and wonderful works. -- 2Sa 7:22; Ps 86:10. His works of creation and providence. -- Isa 44:24; 45:5-8. His being alone possessed of fore-knowledge. -- Isa 46:9-11. His exercise”
- 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 (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 139:5: Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,.... Meaning either the knowledge of himself, such as God had of him, which was vastly superior to what he had of himself; and especially the knowledge of other persons and things, whether visible or invisible, in heaven, earth, or hell; things past, present, and to come; or else the manner in which God knew all this was amazing to him, and quite impenetrable by him; that he did know him, his thoughts, his words and actions, and so those of all others, was easy of belief; but how he should know all this was past his conception, ”
- Job (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Job 28:12: Can man discover the Divine Wisdom by which the world is governed, as he can the treasures hidden in the earth? Certainly not. Divine Wisdom is conceived as a person (Job 28:12-27) distinct from God (Job 28:23; also in Pro 8:23, Pro 8:27). The Almighty Word, Jesus Christ, we know now, is that Wisdom. The order of the world was originated and is maintained by the breathing forth (Spirit) of Wisdom, unfathomable and unpurchasable by man. In Job 28:28, the only aspect of it, which relates to, and may be understood by, man, is stated. understanding--insigh”
- Romans (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Romans 1:19: In this last part of the chapter the apostle applies what he had said particularly to the Gentile world, in which we may observe, I. The means and helps they had to come to the knowledge of God. Though they had not such a knowledge of his law as Jacob and Israel had (Psa 147:20), yet among them he left not himself without witness (Act 14:17): For that which may be known, etc., Rom 1:19, Rom 1:20. Observe, 1. What discoveries they had: That which may be known of God is manifest, en autois - among them; that is, there were some even among them that had the knowledge”
- Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 11:33: O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God,.... These words are the epilogue, or conclusion of the doctrinal part of this epistle, and relate to what is said throughout the whole of it hitherto; particularly to the doctrines of salvation by Christ, justification by his righteousness, predestination, the calling of the Gentiles, the rejection of the Jews, and their restoration in the latter day; upon the whole of which, the apostle breaks forth into this pathetic exclamation; the design of which is to show, how much of the wisdom and knowledge ”