"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
and His greatness is unsearchable"
First of all, we need to see the difference between the generic word Lord, which means master, and this all capitalized version, LORD. This is the rendering most Bible versions give to the Sacred Name, or the memorial Name by which God revealed Himself to Moses, in English pronounced Yahweh or Jehovah. In this passage, David is not speaking about himself as King, nor the promise that he would be in the line of the Messiah, but speaking of the character and nature of the one true God, the ever living one, the Creator and Sustainer, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The term is very significant and yet often missed by English speakers as most translations don't render the Name, but replace it with LORD. From here on in this post, we will use "Yahweh" where the text says The LORD, as we are talking about a personal God and so using a generic term that people often don't understand hopefully will become more clear.
With this knowledge that the being talked about here is so great, exceedingly great, greater than our minds can comprehend, it makes sense to follow with this greatness of Yahweh/Jehovah as being unsearchable. This does not mean that it is not in the heart or mind, even the ability, to search out truths about God, to know Him personally and correctly as revealed in the Holy Bible, the Word of God. However, it does mean that we can never plumb the fullness of the depths of the wisdom, knowledge, power, authority, and vastness of our great God. Let's consider some examples from other passages of Scripture to see more about this God.
The book of Job begins with an interaction between God and Satan, where God points out a righteous man named Job and allows Satan to torment him and afflict him with myriad trials, death of his children, his flocks and herds, sickness and boils all over his body, and more. The first chapter ends with a rather shocking response by Job in the midst of such chaos.
Job 1:20-22" Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell
on the ground and WORSHIPPED. And he said, " Naked I came from
my mother's womb, and naked shall I return.
Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away; blessed be the name of Yahweh."
This is a good beginning on Job's part, but as we read further in his story, the counsel of his wife and friends seems to expose a weakness in Job's thinking about God which develops over many chapters of this book. For now, we will skip forward to chapter 38:1-7 where we see a bit more of the longsuffering, patience, and mercy toward men.
"Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
"Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements- surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"
I don't know about you, but if I were Job, I would be laying face down in the dirt and begging God to stop this revelation of His work in Creation and sustaining power over it all. Even now, in the 21st century, man has concocted all kinds of outlandish means of the origins of the universe, our planet, and life. They deny what is revealed by the Creator, and willingly suppress the truth which they know in their unrighteousness. We could go on for many verses, even chapters, discussing Yahweh's creative acts, power over the environment, knowledge of when animals give birth, the counting of every hair on our heads, and so much more. So, is the greatness of God unsearchable? Yes.
Another passage from God's Word, also in the Psalms, that speaks of the differences between the one true God and the idols/gods of the people is Psalm 135. Consider your own view of God, and see if there is anything in your life that you have put in the place of God. Then read this psalm and consider whether you know and love and worship the one true God, or some god cobbled together from various things people have said that may or may not agree with what God has revealed about Himself in Holy Scripture.
Psalm 135: 15-18
"The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
they have eyes but do not see;
they have ears, but do not hear,
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
Those who make them become like them,
so do all who trust in them."
It is easy to look at Moloch/Molech or Artemis or Buddha, or any of a host of other idols and see that these are inanimate objects with no power except over the minds of deluded people. Yahweh created the heavens and the earth, the birds and fish, people and animals. He made all the stars and knows them by name, but these idols crafted by human hands cannot save your soul, give you eternal life, reconciled you to the God against whom you have sinned. They are worthless, and to meditate on them is to rob from the true God time and resources that He gives us to use for His glory.
The idolater is not only the one who bows and gives fruit to a statue, but the one who places anything before God in priority. I would venture a guess to say that we all are guilty of that one far more often than we would care to admit. Let us consider a recent example where Christians who generally attend multiple services at church each Lord's day. However, their commitment to worship of God can be replaced at times with sporting events. Others leave right after church and miss the time of fellowship , prayer, and counsel that often occurs at these times when Christians gather together. Why do they leave? Because the race is on, the game is on, or they really haven't had any time to go fishing, so they do their duty to the church as they see it, but in reality are prioritizing fun and entertainment over the fellowship of the saints.
Now that I have gotten off track a little, let's look at one last passage in regard to the unsearchable nature of God. Deuteronomy 29:29 was a passage I had skimmed over a few times until it was brought to my attention by a dear brother named Earl from Key West. Here, after God renews His covenant with the people of Israel after they disregarded His commands, leaving them outside the Promised Land, curses promised for disobedience had been imposed by God, and then this: "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."
God here reminds His people, who He chose to love not due to anything in them, but because He chose to set His love upon them, that they are blessed if they keep the covenant, but cursed if they break the covenant He made with them. I find here and in other passages that we can't cover here that God chooses to reveal much of His character and nature through His laws, His ordinances in the church, but that in the Old Testament these exist in shadows and don't reveal the fullness of God's plan for redemption and salvation of sinners through the penal substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
God here reminds His people, who He chose to love not due to anything in them, but because He chose to set His love upon them, that they are blessed if they keep the covenant, but cursed if they break the covenant He made with them. I find here and in other passages that we can't cover here that God chooses to reveal much of His character and nature through His laws, His ordinances in the church, but that in the Old Testament these exist in shadows and don't reveal the fullness of God's plan for redemption and salvation of sinners through the penal substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
Even now, with the canon of Scripture closed, the fullness of God's plan revealed in Christ Jesus, even seeing the future through the apocalyptic writing of John in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we cannot search the depths and heights, the wonder and awesome power, the beauty and glory of Yahweh, the God who is. We cannot truly fathom eternity, singing songs that speak of "when we've been there 10,000 years....we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun" as these still limit us to days and years rather than the lack of time, the eternal nature of God, and His unfathomable mercy to send His only begotten Son to die in the place of His people.
The greatest computer in the world cannot reveal His thoughts. The greatest philosopher can only know what God has revealed. The greatest theologian can only go as far in knowing God as the Scripture and the Holy Spirit express. The most eloquent poem and the greatest melody cannot capture the beauty and grace of His character. Truly, God is unsearchable. However, that does not mean that we should not pursue Him, study what is revealed, pray and meditate on Him and feel His leading and loving in our lives. We have been given much that assists us in seeing what God has created, and Christians take seriously the exploration and understanding of His works, but in the end those that I know of, many men with doctorate degrees in math, science, astronomy, physics, geology, cosmology, medicine, researchers and professors at universities who seek God through His Word and as revealed in His works continue to press on for truth, for wisdom, starting with the Word of God and going from there, as the revealed Word of God, the God-breathed Scriptures must be the necessary starting point of all knowledge. These men and women, such as Dr. Jason Lisle, Dr. Jake Hebert, Dr. Danny Faulkner, Dr. Andrew Snelling, Dr. Randy Guliuzza and many more working with Answers in Genesis and Institute for Creation Research along with many other ministries dedicate their lives to knowing that which God reveals in Creation with the guidance and authority of the Bible leading their hearts and minds. Can we fully know God, or is He truly unsearchable? The Scriptures reveal very much about God so that we can know Him, but in the end He truly is unsearchable.
- What are you doing today to get to know the unsearchable God?
- How much time do you spend in prayer and study of His Word?
- What is getting in the way of searching the Scriptures to know God and learning to walk in His ways?
- Do you you use the things God has revealed about Himself to share with others their need for the God who reconciles sinners to Himself?
- Do you know Him at all?
These are questions that will challenge us all, as they have challenged me as I have studied Psalm 145 and considered its ramifications in all of life. May God richly bless you with knowledge and wisdom of Him, and leave you in awe and wonder, marveling over the God who is unsearchable.
Humbled in His presence,
Mark
