“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”
(Romans 11:33)
This passage in Romans 11:33 is a magnificent doxology of praise for our God, whose ways are indeed “past finding out!” His presence cannot be contained by the heaven of heavens. His duration stretches from everlasting to everlasting. His knowledge and understanding are infinite. Therefore, when God’s wisdom and knowledge are considered, the most fitting response is none other than admiration: “O the depths!”
Some men may be called good, wise, powerful, and moral in a limited sense, but God possesses these qualities essentially and supremely. He is the only wise God, the blessed and only Potentate, and the One who alone possesses immortality in Himself. Created goodness or wisdom may allow for some experience of these perfections, but it can never measure the degree in which they exist in God.
For this reason, the believer must never limit God by creaturely examples.[1] Whatever wisdom appears in man has been received; God’s wisdom is underived. Whatever goodness appears in man is finite; God’s goodness exceeds all created measure. Whatever holiness appears in man is communicated; God’s holiness belongs eternally and necessarily to Himself. Created excellencies offer a true but exceedingly small reflection of what in God surpasses comprehension.
His works are likewise unsearchable. Creation displays wisdom on every side, yet what can be known from it is only a glimpse of His ways. God is perfect in knowledge, and His works bear the marks of that perfection. The more closely they are considered, the more reason there is to confess that His ways extend beyond the reach of human understanding.
This is especially true in redemption. There the wisdom, mercy, grace, and love of God shine together in a manner that exceeds our understanding. Divine mercy is described as rich, and grace as possessing exceeding riches. Christ’s love has breadth, length, depth, and height, and even when believers truly know that love, it still surpasses knowledge.
God has revealed Himself to the degree that we can apprehend in Scripture, so worship is not directed toward an unknown God. Yet what He has revealed never exhausts what He is. His wisdom may be trusted where it cannot be traced. His judgments are righteous though they cannot be searched. His ways may be followed where they cannot be fully explained. The believer bows before riches that cannot be counted and before wisdom and knowledge whose depths no creature can sound.
Contemplations:
- You Far Surpass All My Understanding. I can speak of Your wisdom, goodness, holiness, power, and knowledge, yet I cannot truly understand any of them. I adore You because there is always infinitely more in You than I can comprehend.
- Every Created Excellence Is Only a Small Reflection. When I see wisdom, goodness, strength, or holiness in creatures, remind me that these are received and limited excellencies. In You they exist without dependence, defect, or boundary, for Your perfections belong to another order of greatness altogether. Let every example of created excellence cause me to think of You rather than measuring You by what You have made.
- Your Redemption Is Deeper Than My Best Thoughts. I adore the wisdom displayed in Christ and redemption. Mercy, grace, love, and wisdom meet in Christ in depths I can know but never exhaust. Keep the gospel from becoming ordinary to me simply because its truths are familiar, rather let this familiarity serve to deepen my wonder and worship.
- I Can Trust What I Cannot Trace. Your judgments are unsearchable and Your ways past finding out. There will be providences I cannot explain and purposes I cannot discover. So let Your infinite wisdom settle my heart when Your ways exceed my sight. I do not need to understand everything You do in order to know that perfect wisdom governs it.
Prayer (Adoration):
Infinite and glorious God, I adore the depth of Your wisdom and knowledge.
The heaven of heavens cannot contain You. From everlasting to everlasting, You are God. Your understanding is infinite, and there is no boundary to Your presence, duration, wisdom, or knowledge.
I worship You because every perfection belongs to You in a manner beyond comparison. Creatures may possess wisdom, goodness, holiness, power, and life in a limited and dependent measure, but in You these excellencies are underived, immeasurable, and perfect.
Keep me from measuring You by the creature. Whenever I encounter goodness or wisdom in what You have made, let it become a small window through which I look toward the infinitely greater perfection that belongs to You.
I adore You for Your unsearchable works. Creation displays only a portion of Your ways, yet everywhere it declares wisdom. Far more wonderful still is redemption, where Your hidden wisdom, rich mercy, exceeding grace, and immeasurable love shine in Jesus Christ.
Let the love of Christ never become common to me, and the riches of grace continually exceed my highest thoughts.
I praise You that You are able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask or think. Your peace passes understanding, Your joy exceeds expression, and the glory prepared for Your people surpasses present conception.
O the depth of the riches both of Your wisdom and knowledge!
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References:
Job 11:7; Eph. 3:10; Col. 2:3; Job 5:9
[1] John Tillotson, The Remaining Discourses, on the Attributes of God, (London: printed for Ri. Chiswell, at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul’s Churchyard, 1700), 383-387.
