Originally posted 8/26/25
Have you ever tried to explain God? Do we really know and understand who God is? We are going to look at some of the attributes of God over the next few weeks. This is no means an exhaustive list of God’s attributes.
According to dictionary.com, infinite means immeasurable great, indefinitely or exceedingly great. It also means unlimited, unmeasurable, boundless or endless. It makes sense on the surface. God is limitless, but do we fully absorb what that actually means?
The phrase “the sky’s the limit” is often used as encouragement to do the impossible. My mom always told me I could do anything I set my mind to. These imply that there are no limits and that anything is possible. However, there are limits to what we can do and achieve.
I vaguely remember infinite and finite numbers from high school math. The only thing I element is that “infinite” goes on forever. You are unable to count infinite numbers. They do not end.
Accoring to www.Gotquestions.org, Got questions “Because God is infinite, He is also said to be transcendent, which simply means that God is exceedingly far above creation and is both greater than creation and independent of it. What this means is that God is so infinitely above and beyond us and our ability to fully comprehend that, had He not revealed Himself, we would not know or understand what He is like. But, thankfully, God has not left us ignorant about Himself. Instead, He has revealed Himself to us through both general revelation (creation and our conscience) and special revelation (the written Word of God, the Bible, and the living Word of God, Jesus Christ). Therefore, we can know God, and we can know how to be reconciled to Him and how to live according to His will. Despite the fact that we are finite and God is infinite, we can know and understand God as He has revealed Himself to us.”
According to Jen Wilkin in her book, None Like Him, “To the human mind, preoccupied with quantifying creation and its inhabitants, seeking control by measurement and validation by comparison, the Godhead presents a conundrum. The God of the Bible is infinite–immeasurable, unquantifiable, uncontainable, unbound, utterly without limit. We cannot take the full measure of him no matter how hard we may try. We cannot confine him to a physical or mental boundary. We cannot control him, and we can never stack up favorable beside him. Job’s companion Zophar expresses our dilemma:
Can you find out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
It is higher than heaven–what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol–what can you know?
Its measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea. (Job 11:7-9)” p. 19
Let’s take a second to let this all absorb. God has no limits, no boundaries. Scripture confirms this is several places:
- 1 Kings 8:27: “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!”
- Psalm 119:96: “I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.”
- Isaiah 40:12-13 “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?”
- Romans 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
I find it interesting that the God who has no limits, always sets limits for us. In his creation, everything has a limit or boundary. The seas which seem to go on forever, actually do not. He gave intricate detail in the way the ark was to be built. He was pretty explicit in the building of the tabernacle.
What can we learn from this? First and foremost, we are not God. When we try to compare ourselves to God, we are trying to be God. It is impossible for our finite mind to understand an infinite God. The following two passages say it all:
- Exodus 15:11 “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
- Psalm 113:5-6 “Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?”
The answer is very simple–no one is like the LORD and I find that comforting.
Father God,
You are the God of the universe. There are so many things that we do not understand about you. Your Word tells us that you are beyond the things we can understand. There is no one like you and for that I am grateful. One day we will be with you and fully understand your ways. We long to know you more deeply. Reveal things to us that will allow us to deepen our relationship with you. We will be careful to listen and respond.
In your name,
Amen
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