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Projecting Human Limitations onto God's Attributes in Daily Life

The biblical understanding of God emphasizes His transcendence and incomprehensibility, contrasting sharply with human limitations [11]. Scripture consistently portrays God as distinct from humanity, possessing attributes that far exceed human capacity and understanding [1, 11]. This distinction is crucial for avoiding the projection of human limitations onto divine attributes.

One fundamental aspect of this distinction is God's nature as the Creator. God formed all things from that which had no previous existence [7]. He created humanity in His image and likeness [5, 15], yet humans are still creatures, made from dust [5]. This creative act highlights God's absolute power and sovereignty, a power that humans cannot replicate or even fully grasp [7]. Jeremiah 16:20 asks, "Can a human make for himself gods? Yet they are not gods!" [3], underscoring the futility of human attempts to create or define divinity according to their own terms.

The Bible frequently uses anthropomorphisms and anthropopathisms—assigning human characteristics or emotions to God—to help human minds comprehend divine realities [9]. However, these are representational devices, not literal descriptions of God's limitations [9]. For instance, when Deuteronomy 8:2 states that God tested Israel "to know what is in your heart," it does not imply that God lacked prior knowledge of their thoughts [9]. Rather, it signifies that God wanted their character to be revealed through their actions, making their inner disposition manifest [9]. God already knows "innermost thoughts" [9]. Such language serves to communicate God's ways on a human level, without suggesting that God is actually limited in knowledge or understanding [9].

Human beings, by contrast, are inherently limited. Job 11:7 asks, "Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?" [1]. This rhetorical question highlights the vast chasm between divine and human understanding. Human minds cannot form adequate conceptions of God's infinite nature and perfections [11]. Similarly, human plans and devices are often "wavering" and "absurd," whereas God's counsels are "wise and holy, steady and uniform" [16]. Proverbs 19:21 notes that "many devices are in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord, that will stand" [16]. This demonstrates that human intentions, no matter how well-conceived, are subject to God's ultimate overruling providence [16].

The concept of human sinfulness further illustrates these limitations. Humanity was created in God's image but fell through disobedience [8]. As a result, humans are born in sin, with hearts that are evil, blind, corrupt, and depraved [8]. Job 25:4 asks, "How can a human being be just before God?" [2, 4]. This question points to the inherent inability of humans to achieve righteousness on their own terms, emphasizing the need for divine intervention. The idea that humans cannot profit God (Job 22:2) or are unworthy of His favor (Job 7:17) further underscores their creaturely dependence and inherent limitations [5].

The wisdom of God is another area where human limitations become apparent. Ecclesiastes 7:13 advises considering "the work of God," particularly His providence, which is always wisely done to achieve its purposes [10]. Humans, however, cannot fully understand God's ways [12]. Even "perfection has its limits" in the human sphere, as David observed, seeing an "end of all perfection" in worldly things [13]. This contrasts with God's perfect and eternal wisdom, which is beyond human comprehension [12, 13].

The danger of projecting human limitations onto God often manifests in theological errors. For example, some may abuse God's grace by assuming it permits immoral living [14]. This reflects a misunderstanding of God's holiness and justice, viewing His grace through a lens of human permissiveness rather than divine mercy that calls for transformation [14]. Such projections can lead to a diminished view of God, reducing Him to a being whose attributes are constrained by human logic or desires.

Flavius Josephus, in Antiquities of the Jews, suggests that a wise legislator should contemplate the divine nature and God's operations to imitate the "best of all patterns" as far as human nature allows [6]. This implies that while humans can strive to reflect God's character, they must always acknowledge the qualitative difference between the Creator and the created [6]. God is the "Father and Lord of all things" [6], a truth that should humble human understanding and prevent the reduction of divine attributes to human scale.

Sources

  1. Job “Job 11:7 (BSB) — Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?”
  2. Job “Numquid justificari potest homo comparatus Deo ? aut apparere mundus natus de muliere ? -- Job 25:4”
  3. Jeremiah “Jeremiah 16:20 (LEB) — Can a human make for himself gods? Yet they are not gods!””
  4. Job “Job 9:2 (LEB) — “Truly I know that it is so, but how can a human being be just before God?”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Man — Made for God -- Pr 16:4; Re 4:11. God's purpose in creation completed by making -- Ge 2:5,7. Cannot profit God -- Job 22:2; Ps 16:2. Unworthy of God's favour -- Job 7:17; Ps 8:4. Created By God. -- Ge 1:27; Isa 45:12. By Christ. -- Joh 1:3; Col 1:16. By the Holy Spirit. -- Job 33:4. After consultation, by the Trinity. -- Ge 1:26. On the sixth day. -- Ge 1:31. Upon the earth. -- De 4:32; Job 20:4. From the dust. -- Ge 2:7; Job 33:6. In the image of God. -- Ge 1:26,27; 1Co 11:7. After the likeness of God. -- Ge 1:26; Jas 3:9. Male and female. -- Ge 1:27; 5:2. A l”
  6. Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 11, section 4: life well, and give laws to others, in the first place should consider the Divine nature; and, upon the contemplation of God's operations, should thereby imitate the best of all patterns, so far as it is possible for human nature to do, and to endeavor to follow after it: neither could the legislator himself have a right mind without such a contemplation; nor would any thing he should write tend to the promotion of virtue in his readers; I mean, unless they be taught first of all, that God is the Father and Lord of all things, a”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Creation — The formation of things which had no previous existence -- Ro 4:17; Heb 11:3. Effected By God. -- Ge 1:1; 2:4,5; Pr 26:10. By Christ. -- Joh 1:3,10; Col 1:16. By the Holy Spirit. -- Job 26:13; Ps 104:30. By the command of God. -- Ps 33:9; Heb 11:3. In the beginning. -- Ge 1:1; Mt 24:21. In six normal days. -- Ex 20:11; 31:17. According to God's purpose. -- Ps 135:6. For God's pleasure. -- Pr 16:4; Re 4:11. For Christ. -- Col 1:16. By faith we believe, to be God's work -- Heb 11:3. Order of First day, making light and dividing it from darkness. -- Ge 1:3-5;”
  8. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Fall of Man, The — By the disobedience of Adam -- Ge 3:6,11,12; Ro 5:12,15,19. Through temptation of the devil -- Ge 3:1-5; 2Co 11:3; 1Ti 2:14. Man in consequence of Made in the image of Adam. -- Ge 5:3; 1Co 15:48,49. Born in sin. -- Job 15:14; 25:4; Ps 51:5; Isa 48:8; Joh 3:6. A child of wrath. -- Eph 2:3. Evil in heart. -- Ge 6:5; 8:21; Jer 16:12; Mt 15:19. Blinded in heart. -- Eph 4:18. Corrupt and perverse in his ways. -- Ge 6:12; Ps 10:5; Ro 3:12-16. Depraved in mind. -- Ro 8:5-7; Eph 4:17; Col 1:21; Tit 1:15. Without understanding. -- Ps 14:2,3; Ro 3:11; 1:31. ”
  9. Deuteronomy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Deuteronomy 8:2: 8:2 to prove your character (literally to know what is in your heart): God already knew the Israelites’ innermost thoughts (Pss 51:6; 139:1, 4, 23); he wanted their character to come out in their actions. • to find out whether: The Old Testament often describes God in human terms, even in ways that appear to limit God. Anthropomorphism (assigning human characteristics to God) and anthropopathism (assigning human feelings or emotions to God) are ways of representing God on a human level so the human mind can better grasp his ways, but God is not limited in his ”
  10. Ecclesiastes (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ecclesiastes 7:13: Consider the work of God,.... This is dressed to those who thought the former days better than the present, and were ready to quarrel with the providence of God, Ecc 7:10; and are therefore advised to consider the work of God; not the work of creation, but of providence; which is the effect of divine sovereignty, and is conducted and directed according to the counsel of his will, and is always wisely done to answer the best ends and purposes: everything is beautiful in its season; contemplate, adore, and admire the wisdom, power, and goodness of God, displayed t”
  11. 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”
  12. 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).”
  13. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 119:96: Here we have David's testimony from his own experience, 1. Of the vanity of the world and its insufficiency to make us happy: I have seen an end of all perfection. Poor perfection which one sees an end of! Yet such are all those things in this world which pass for perfections. David, in his time, had seen Goliath, the strongest, overcome, Asahel, the swiftest, overtaken, Ahithophel, the wisest, befooled, Absalom, the fairest, deformed; and, in short, he had seen an end of perfection, of all perfection. He saw it by faith; he saw it by observation; he saw an end ”
  14. Jude (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Jude 1:4: 1:4 Abusing God’s marvelous grace by saying that it allows us to live immoral lives is a constant temptation (cp. Rom 6).”
  15. Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 8:5: 8:5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God: Humans bear God’s image; the Lord has endowed humans with dignity and charged them to rule (Gen 1:26-27). Hebrews 2:6-8 applies these words to Jesus Christ, the ideal human who fully realized God’s purposes.”
  16. Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 19:21: Here we have, 1. Men projecting. They keep their designs to themselves, but they cannot hide them from God; he knows the many devices that are in men's hearts, - devices against his counsels (as those, Psa 2:1-3; Mic 4:11), - devices without his counsel (no regard had to his providence, as those Jam 4:13, this and the other they will do, and not take God along with them), - devices unlike God's counsels; men are wavering in their devices, and often absurd and unjust, but God's counsels are wise and holy, steady and uniform. 2. God overruling. Various men have v”
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