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The Attributes of God: Transcendence

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“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'”
(Isaiah 55:8-9)

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.'”
(Isaiah 57:15)

“Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?”
(Psalm 113:5-6)

“He said to them, ‘You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.'”
(John 8:23)

Transcendence refers to the fact that God is unlike any other being in our experience and so no analogy or comparison can come close to perfectly describing Him. There’s a practical effect of acknowledging God’s transcendence: humility!

His ways are so unlike our ways that we cannot predict Him, categorize Him, or comprehend Him with any sort of accuracy. All that we truly know of God comes solely through what He has chosen to reveal about Himself to us through His Word. As peculiar as this might seem at first blush, this is really a comfort to the Christian for if God were comparable to us, He would likely have the same problems rectifying the seeming chaos and injustice that is now so rampant on our earth; but thankfully, we know and trust that He will eventually make all things right and pay back every iniquity and reward all righteousness.

[This post is adapted from Blue Letter Bible’s Theological FAQs page.]

Comments

  1. Praise the Lord for His Transcendent nature! Considering this thought not only promotes humility, but also comfort. Comfort in the fact that God always has the “big picture” in mind. I was caught in flood waters that were released in NY last weekend. Outside my door it was raining quite heavily, nevertheless determined to get to church, I drove onto the Belt Parkway. If I had the “big picture” I would have known that cars were getting stranded left and right. By the grace of God I was able to get off the expressway by myself without the assistance of a tow truck. God always has the “big picture” because he is high and above all. When things don’t turn out like we planned, let us give thanks instead of complaining because He is high and lifted up! Thank God that He is transcendent!

  2. There is an old parable of the 6 blind men who encountered an elephant and each described the piece of the elephant that they were touching: the one who had a hold of a leg said it felt like a tree. the one who held the tail said it felt like a rope, and so on. Such is God and all the scriptures that are all about Him. A God of judgement, yet of mercy. One who gives the commandment not to kill, yet tells Joshua to kill all, and so on. It is all true, and each describes a piece of God. This is why we should not argue in Bible studies but each appreciate the great transcendance of God.

    • actually the 6th commandment would read “you shall not “murder”. . . There is a big difference between murdering and killing. Murder is premeditated, but killing could be unintentional or in defense. Ecc 3 says there is a time to kill . . . Murder has the death sentence. shalom

  3. His transcendency seems to over lap with his holiness. Holy means unique, separate, etc.
    Thanks for posting this

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