For the heavenly treasuries are indeed great: God cannot be measured in the heart, and incomprehensible is He in the mind; He who holds the earth in the hollow of His hand. Who perceives the measure of His right hand? Who knoweth His finger? Or who doth understand His hand,—that hand which measures immensity; that hand which, by its own measure, spreads out the measure of the heavens, and which comprises in its hollow the earth with the abysses; which contains in itself the breadth, and length, and the deep below, and the height above of the whole creation; which is seen, which is heard and understood, and which is invisible? And for this reason God is “above all principality, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named,” of all things which have been created and established. He it is who fills the heavens, and views the abysses,
who is also present with every one of us. For he says, “Am I a God at hand, and not a God afar off? If any man is hid in secret places, shall I not see him?” For His hand lays hold of all things, and that it is which illumines the heavens, and lightens also the things which are under the heavens, and trieth the reins and the hearts, is also present in hidden things, and in our secret [thoughts], and does openly nourish and preserve us.
Irenaeus, 125-202 AD,Against Heresies, Book VI, Chapter X1X, 2 (The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, Philip Schaff, Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2001, p. 705)
What are the implications of the greatness of God to our understanding of Him? How does this fit with His being close to us?
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When I ponder your question I think of the imagery of the new heart. A crude example might be the idea that we have a new communicator that can speak to the mother (or maybe Father) ship. At salvation we are given a communicator that we did not have before.
ReplyDeleteInteresting thought. I like it.
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