Balancing Desire for God's Glory with Incomprehensibility Theologically
The Bible presents a tension between humanity's desire to understand God's glory and the inherent incomprehensibility of the divine. Proverbs 25:2 states, "The glory of God is to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter" [1]. This verse highlights that God's glory is partly revealed in His mysterious nature, which sets Him apart from human rulers whose glory is found in discovery and knowledge [6].
The incomprehensibility of God is a recurring theme. Job 11:7 asks, "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 being and ways are beyond full human comprehension. John Gill, in his commentary on Proverbs 25:2, explains that while God reveals many things, the "modus" or manner of them often remains hidden, such as the Trinity or the incarnation of Christ [9]. Similarly, Gill notes that the knowledge God possesses is "too wonderful" for humans to fully grasp, particularly how God knows all things [11].
Despite this incomprehensibility, believers are called to seek and glorify God. The "glory of God" is manifested in various aspects, including Christ (John 1:14), His name (Deuteronomy 28:58), His majesty (Psalm 93:1), His power (Exodus 15:1), His works (Psalm 19:1), and His holiness (Exodus 15:11) [3]. God is worthy of praise due to His majesty, glory, excellency, greatness, holiness, wisdom, power, goodness, and mercy [4]. Saints are described as desiring to behold God's glory (Psalm 63:2) [3] and are called to zeal for His glory (Numbers 25:11) [5].
The pursuit of understanding God, while acknowledging His mystery, is a central aspect of faith. Calvin, in his commentary on Genesis, acknowledges that human capacity is "too contracted to comprehend things of such magnitude" as the creation of the world, yet he praises those who "with modesty and reverence, applies himself to the consideration of the works of God" [7]. The apostle Paul prayed that believers might "be fully able" to grasp the "breadth and length and depth and height" of Christ's love, which J.F.B. Commentary interprets as the dimensions of the spiritual temple corresponding to "the fulness of God" [10]. This suggests a continuous, though never exhaustive, exploration of God's character and works. While God's glory is incomprehensible in its fullness, it is also visibly and strikingly displayed, to be perceived by faith rather than solely by the bodily senses [8].
Sources
- Proverbs “Proverbs 25:2 (LITV) — The glory of God is to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”
- Job “Job 11:7 (BSB) — Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Glory of God, The — Exhibited in Christ -- Joh 1:14; 2Co 4:6; Heb 1:3. Exhibited in His name. -- De 28:58; Ne 9:5. His majesty. -- Job 37:22; Ps 93:1; 104:1; 145:5,12; Isa 2:10. His power. -- Ex 15:1,6; Ro 6:4. His works. -- Ps 19:1; 111:3. His holiness. -- Ex 15:11. Described as Great. -- Ps 138:5. Eternal. -- Ps 104:31. Rich. -- Eph 3:16. Highly exalted. -- Ps 8:1; 113:4. Exhibited to Moses. -- Ex 34:5-7; 33:18-23. Stephen. -- Ac 7:55. His Church. -- De 5:24; Ps 102:16. Enlightens the Church -- Isa 60:1,2; Re 21:11,23. Saints desire to behold -- Ps 63:2; 90:16. God”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Praise — God is worthy of -- 2Sa 22:4. Christ is worthy of -- Re 5:12. God is glorified by -- Ps 22:23; 50:23. Offered to Christ -- Joh 12:13. Acceptable through Christ -- Heb 13:15. Is due to God on account of His majesty. -- Ps 96:1,6; Isa 24:14. His glory. -- Ps 138:5; Eze 3:12. His excellency. -- Ex 15:7; Ps 148:13. His greatness. -- 1Ch 16:25; Ps 145:3. His holiness. -- Ex 15:11; Isa 6:3. His wisdom. -- Da 2:20; Jude 1:25. His power. -- Ps 21:13. His goodness. -- Ps 107:8; 118:1; 136:1; Jer 33:11. His mercy. -- 2Ch 20:21; Ps 89:1; 118:1-4; 136:1-26. His loving-k”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Zeal — Christ an example of -- Ps 69:9; Joh 2:17. Godly sorrow leads to -- 2Co 7:10,11. Of saints, ardent -- Ps 119:139. Provokes others to do good -- 2Co 9:2. Should be exhibited In spirit. -- Ro 12:11. In well-doing. -- Ga 4:18; Tit 2:14. In desiring the salvation of others. -- Ac 26:29; Ro 10:1. In contending for the faith. -- Jude 1:3. In missionary labours. -- Ro 15:19,23. For the glory of God. -- Nu 25:11,13. For the welfare of saints. -- Col 4:13. Against idolatry. -- 2Ki 23:4-14. Sometimes wrongly directed -- 2Sa 21:2; Ac 22:3,4; Php 3:6. Sometimes not accord”
- Proverbs (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 25:2: It is characteristic of the purpose of the book that it begins with proverbs of the king: It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; And the glory of the king to search out a matter. That which is the glory of God and the glory of the king in itself, and that by which they acquire glory, stand here contrasted. The glory of God consists in this, to conceal a matter, i.e., to place before men mystery upon mystery, in which they become conscious of the limitation and insufficiency of their knowledge, so that they are constrained to acknowledge, Deu 29:28, that "”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 4.1: Argument. Since the infinite wisdom of God is displayed in the admirable structure of heaven and earth, it is absolutely impossible to unfold The History of the Creation of the World in terms equal to its dignity. For while the measure of our capacity is too contracted to comprehend things of such magnitude, our tongue is equally incapable of giving a full and substantial account of them. As he, however, deserves praise, who, with modesty and reverence, applies himself to the consideration of the works of God, although he attain le”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Isaiah, Vol. 2, section 12.26: reason did he use the phrase, “and before his elders,” that the Jews might know that the power of God would be visibly and strikingly displayed; not that it can be perceived by the bodily senses, but by faith. He reigns in such a manner, that we feel that he is present with us; and if we did not comprehend this, it would yield us no consolation. Glory. 135 135 {Bogus footnote} Instead of “glory” some read “gloriously,” and others, “glorious.” I prefer to take it simply as a substantive, though there is little difference in the meaning. He sh”
- Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 25:2: It is the glory of God to conceal a thing,.... Secret things belong unto him, and they are kept so by him: many things which he does reveal, yet the "modus" or manner of them remains hidden; as what relates to his own being, and manner of subsisting; the trinity of Persons in the Godhead; the filiation or the Son, and the procession of the Spirit; the incarnation of Christ, and the like: the predestination of men to life and death, though that there is such a thing is certain, yet who they are is not known; the purposes and decrees of God, all that he determines to ”
- Ephesians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ephesians 3:18: May be able--even still further. Greek, "May be fully able." breadth . . . length . . . depth . . . height--namely, the full dimensions of the spiritual temple, answering to "the fulness of God" (Eph 3:19), to which the Church, according to its capacity, ought to correspond (compare Eph 4:10, Eph 4:13) as to "the fulness of Christ." The "breadth" implies Christ's world-wide love, embracing all men: the "length," its being extended through all ages (Eph 3:21); the "depth," its profound wisdom which no creature can fathom (Rom 11:33); the "height," ”
- 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, ”