The Problem of Transendence

Introduction

2 Chronicles 6:18–21 KJV 1900

18 But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built! 19 Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee: 20 That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place. 21 Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive.

Body

Focus initially on V.18

This verse serves to illustrate a very real problem: God’s Transcendence vs. God’s Immanence

God is Transcendent

He’s everywhere simultaneously

Psalm 139:7-10 “7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me.”

He is above all, untouched by anything that transpires in His creation

Unaffected by time, sickness, disease, death

Unaffected by anything that happens here on earth; kings and kingdoms rise and fall, it matters not to God

He cannot receive more glory than He already possesses and this monument to His glory and majesty does not add anything to Him

He is infinite; He always was, He is, and He always will be, and He will remain as He is, unchanging, for all eternity

His thoughts are not simply higher than ours, but infinitely higher.

Another aspect of His Transcendence is God’s inherent authority over every aspect of His creation

Psalm 57:5 “5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let thy glory be above all the earth.”

Psalm 97:9 “9 For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth: Thou art exalted far above all gods.”

Ecclesiastes 5:2 “2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.”

Psalm 8:1 “1 O Lord our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.”

Psalm 113:5 “5 Who is like unto the Lord our God, Who dwelleth on high,”

Deuteronomy 4:39 “39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”

God is Immanent

He is very present in His creation, particularly with His covenant people

He is very active in His creation, and again, particularly in behalf of His covenant people

Deuteronomy 4:7 “7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?”

Deuteronomy 4:20 “20 But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.”

Deuteronomy 7:6 “6 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.”

II Corinthians 6:18 “18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

Revelation 21:7 “7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

Here Solomon acknowledges both aspects of God: His Transcendence AND His Immanence

Solomon declares that God inhabits all of His creation and will not be bound to a single location

He also declares God’s desire to dwell with His covenant people in that he boldly asks God to listen to them when they pray, and to respond to their prayers

We do the same thing when we pray

We declare that God is awesome and powerful and worthy of worship and praise

We then petition God to give us those things we have need of

God reconciles the two aspects - How does God respond to Solomon’s prayer

2 Chronicles 7:12–16 KJV 1900

12 And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. 13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. 16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

God heard Solomon’s request from heaven, and He listened to the request.

When Solomon had finished speaking, only then did God respond initially by filling the temple with His glory

Afterward God appeared to Solomon and spoke with him concerning his request

God’s ultimate reconciliation of the two aspects - Jesus Christ

Matthew 1:23 “23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

I Timothy 3:16 “16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

John 1:14 “14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

All of human history can be summed up in this verse: II Corinthians 5:19 “19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

God is not the offender here, and never has been. We are the offenders!

The Sovereign, Transcendent God is always the prime mover. The initiator

In Creation

In Salvation

In relationship

In perfection

Conclusion

The love of God is what brings these two aspects together