In the book of Isaiah, the Lord repeatedly called the attention of His people to His own uniqueness as He sought to awaken their stubborn hearts in the face of coming judgment. He said, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me…” (Is. 46:9). Because there is none like God, He is our only hope.
God is transcendent. He is “above and independent of the material universe” (Amer. Her. Dict.). Apart from divine revelation, we do not know what God thinks or how He works in the world around us (Dt. 29:29). He says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways…For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9).
The transcendence of God should keep us from putting other gods before Him. “He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other” (Dt. 4:39). This is the foundation of trust. He is not bound by space and time; but can do all things consistent with His will. Concerning His promise to give Sarah a child in her old age, the Lord asked, “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” (Gen. 18:14). Even when hope had all but disappeared for God’s rebellious people, Jeremiah prayed to the Lord, saying, “Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You…”(Jer. 32:27). There is great power in believing prayer because prayer plugs us into the power of a God who transcends the material universe. James said, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (5:16).
As with other attributes, the transcendence of God has its corresponding counterbalance. While God is above and independent of the material world, He is also immanent; that is, “existing or remaining within” the universe (Wycliff Dict.). In next week’s article, we will see how these attributes blend together, inspiring us to draw near to God in loving obedience.