Majesty of God Beyond Finite Human Concepts
The majesty of God is understood as being beyond finite human comprehension, a concept articulated in various biblical texts and theological traditions. Zophar asks Job, "Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?" [1]. This rhetorical question underscores the idea that God's nature and perfections are infinite and immense, making it impossible for human understanding to form adequate conceptions of them [3].
This incomprehensibility extends to God's wisdom and power. What might appear as "foolishness of God" to human observers is, in fact, infinitely wiser than the highest human wisdom, and what seems weak surpasses all human power [6]. The means God has appointed for salvation, for instance, are described as so wisely imagined and powerfully effective that they infallibly lead to their intended end [6].
The glory and greatness of God are subjects of solemn meditation and admiration in scripture [7]. The psalmist, for example, begins and ends Psalm 8 with an acknowledgment of the transcendent excellency of God's name [7]. This divine glory is not merely an abstract concept but is demonstrated through God's goodness to humanity [7].
Despite God's infinite majesty, humanity holds a unique position in creation. Man is placed next in dignity to angels, "a little lower," and crowned with dominion over the world [2]. This distinction is rooted in the creation account, where God states, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" [8]. This "image of God" is a peculiar distinction, signifying humanity's role as God's representative and visible head of the world [8]. Even in a fallen state, humanity retains some remnants of this original dominion [2].
The concept of divine glory also applies to Christ. Jesus prays to the Father to "glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was" [4]. This refers not to Christ's inherent divine perfections, which he already possessed, but to his glorification as Mediator, being set at God's right hand and crowned with glory and honor [4]. The beauty of Christ is described as surpassing that of humanity, not merely in his divine nature but also in his human nature, which was a direct product of the Holy Spirit [9].
The vastness of God's being ensures that nothing in the created universe can separate believers from "the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" [5]. This emphasizes the all-encompassing nature of God's love and power, which transcends all created things [5]. The inability of finite human minds to fully grasp God's majesty serves to encourage humility and submission to divine Providence [3].
Sources
- Job “Job 11:7 (BSB) — Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?”
- Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 8:5: God has placed man next in dignity to angels, and but a little lower, and has crowned him with the empire of the world. glory and honour--are the attributes of royal dignity (Psa 21:5; Psa 45:3). The position assigned man is that described (Gen 1:26-28) as belonging to Adam, in his original condition, the terms employed in detailing the subjects of man's dominion corresponding with those there used. In a modified sense, in his present fallen state, man is still invested with some remains of this original dominion. It is very evident, however, by the a”
- 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”
- John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 17:5: And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self,.... Not with his perfections, these he had, they dwelt bodily in him; or with his nature, in which he was one with him; but as Mediator, with his glorious presence in heaven, by setting him at his right hand, and crowning him with glory and honour. The Jews have a notion that God will give to the King Messiah, , "of the supreme glory" (g): the glory Christ prays for is, as he says, the glory which I had with thee before the world was; the same phrase with or , used by the Jews (h). This is not to be understood of”
- Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 8:39: nor any other creature--rather, "created thing"--any other thing in the whole created universe of God shall be able to separate us, &c.--"All the terms here are to be taken in their most general sense, and need no closer definition. The indefinite expressions are meant to denote all that can be thought of, and are only a rhetorical paraphrase of the conception of allness" [OLSHAUSEN]. from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord--Thus does this wonderful chapter, with which the argument of the Epistle properly closes, leave us who are "j”
- 1 Corinthians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 1:25: The foolishness of God is wiser, etc. - The meaning of these strong expressions is, that the things of God's appointment, which seem to men foolishness, are infinitely beyond the highest degree of human wisdom; and those works of God, which appear to superficial observers weak and contemptible, surpass all the efforts of human power. The means which God has appointed for the salvation of men are so wisely imagined and so energetically powerful, that all who properly use them shall be infallibly brought to the end - final blessedness, which he has promised to ”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 8 (introduction): This psalm is a solemn meditation on, and admiration of, the glory and greatness of God, of which we are all concerned to think highly and honourably. It begins and ends with the same acknowledgment of the transcendent excellency of God's name. It is proposed for proof (Psa 8:1) that God's name is excellent in all the earth, and then it is repeated as proved (with a "quod erat demonstrandum" - which was to be demonstrated) in the last verse. For the proof of God's glory the psalmist gives instances of his goodness to man; for God's goodness is his glor”
- Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 1:26: The last stage in the progress of creation being now reached--God said, Let us make man--words which show the peculiar importance of the work to be done, the formation of a creature, who was to be God's representative, clothed with authority and rule as visible head and monarch of the world. In our image, after our likeness--This was a peculiar distinction, the value attached to which appears in the words being twice mentioned. And in what did this image of God consist? Not in the erect form or features of man, not in his intellect, for the devil a”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 45:2: Thou art fairer than the children of men,.... Here begins the psalm, and this is an address to the King Messiah, the subject of it, commending him for his beauty and comeliness; which is not to be understood of his divine beauty or his glory, as the only begotten of the Father, in which he is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person; for this admits of no comparison, nor is the beauty of angels and men to be mentioned with it; but of the beauty of his human nature, both in body and soul, which being the immediate produce of the Holy Spirit, and”