The Immensity of God
“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!”
—1 Kings 8:27
The immensity of God is His attribute by which we describe how vast, immeasurable, and free He is to do whatever He wants, whenever He wants, however He wants. He cannot be hindered or constrained by any location, time or space. He is free. As creatures, we are limited by our flesh, rooted in time, and anchored to a place, but not God. He is beyond our understanding, unlimited in what He can do.
The Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was built to be a place for God’s manifest presence; it was to house the Ark of the Covenant, the holiest object in all of Judaism. But at the dedication, King Solomon prayed, “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!” Solomon understood that God cannot be limited by location, constrained by structure, or held by time. He is God, and as God He is bigger, more grand, more spectacular, more immense, and more awesome than we can comprehend. Think of the greatest treasures of the universe and they are drops in the bucket compared to Him. The Grand Canyon, the planet, the galaxy we inhabit, are all contained with Him. Time itself is His creation. Nothing is outside of His power, sovereignty, and creative process. And yet, He, in the greatest mystery of all, sent His Son, born of a woman. His immensity was somehow contained in humanity; the timeless one, the ancient of days, is rooted and held in time. As Paul wrote, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons”—Galatians 4:4-5.
God, who has no limitations except that which He has placed upon Himself, chooses to send His Son, born of a woman, born in time, susceptible to all of the common problems, sicknesses and issues that plague humanity—even death. Why would God do that? Because of His love and His desire to make Himself known to humanity. God desires to have a relationship with us. He humbled Himself to reach down and save us. As Paul wrote to the church of Philippi,
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”—Philippians 2:5-11.
He humbled Himself by dying on the cross for us. He has now been highly exalted, and been given the name that is above every name, and because of what He has done, all of creation will bow down in homage to Him—willingly or unwillingly. God, who is rich in love, makes Himself available to hear our cries and our prayers. May we all have faith in Him, knowing that He is the God who will never lead us where we cannot follow, or give us more than we can handle. Amen.
—1 Kings 8:27
The immensity of God is His attribute by which we describe how vast, immeasurable, and free He is to do whatever He wants, whenever He wants, however He wants. He cannot be hindered or constrained by any location, time or space. He is free. As creatures, we are limited by our flesh, rooted in time, and anchored to a place, but not God. He is beyond our understanding, unlimited in what He can do.
The Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was built to be a place for God’s manifest presence; it was to house the Ark of the Covenant, the holiest object in all of Judaism. But at the dedication, King Solomon prayed, “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!” Solomon understood that God cannot be limited by location, constrained by structure, or held by time. He is God, and as God He is bigger, more grand, more spectacular, more immense, and more awesome than we can comprehend. Think of the greatest treasures of the universe and they are drops in the bucket compared to Him. The Grand Canyon, the planet, the galaxy we inhabit, are all contained with Him. Time itself is His creation. Nothing is outside of His power, sovereignty, and creative process. And yet, He, in the greatest mystery of all, sent His Son, born of a woman. His immensity was somehow contained in humanity; the timeless one, the ancient of days, is rooted and held in time. As Paul wrote, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons”—Galatians 4:4-5.
God, who has no limitations except that which He has placed upon Himself, chooses to send His Son, born of a woman, born in time, susceptible to all of the common problems, sicknesses and issues that plague humanity—even death. Why would God do that? Because of His love and His desire to make Himself known to humanity. God desires to have a relationship with us. He humbled Himself to reach down and save us. As Paul wrote to the church of Philippi,
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”—Philippians 2:5-11.
He humbled Himself by dying on the cross for us. He has now been highly exalted, and been given the name that is above every name, and because of what He has done, all of creation will bow down in homage to Him—willingly or unwillingly. God, who is rich in love, makes Himself available to hear our cries and our prayers. May we all have faith in Him, knowing that He is the God who will never lead us where we cannot follow, or give us more than we can handle. Amen.
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