THE TRANSCENDENCE AND IMMANENCE OF GOD IN ISAIAH 40:12-31 (7)

CHAPTER 6
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The study of Isaiah 40:12-31 has shown that God is transcendence in hi nature. He is very far and incomparable to human being in his power, holiness and characters. God is infinite and He is not limited to a certain spot within nature. He is beyond nature and timeless. God does not develop or grow. His understanding and wisdom are immeasurable. His power is unlimited and He is completely free of external influences. 

Since God is transcendence and thus surpasses or excels or moves beyond the reach of human being, the implication of God’s transcendence, 1) There is something higher than man and there will always be a difference between God and man that can never be completely captured in human concepts, 2) Reverence is appropriate in our relationship with God.

However, even though God is surpasses or excels beyond the reach of human being, in the same time He is immanence also. God’s immanence refers to God’s presence in creation and how God relates to His relationship with the created world. It means He is moving and intermingling with human. He is Sustainer and Preserver as well as the Creator. He is the source of all power and all beauty for all human being. In this case, God drew near into his people or God is near and reachable.

The immanence of God is seen in His presence and activity within nature, in human history as well as in human personal life. God’s immanence is as the action of His love for human and all other creation. The implication of God’s immanence has great impacts in human life. This God’s nature enable human to have a relationship with Him as well as can depend on Him in their life.  

One can see that the transcendence and immanence of God is employed by Isaiah to communicate divine agency and they are the uniqueness of God’s nature. God is transcendence as well as immanence. They go hand-in-hand, a pair of necessary truths, which must be held together in the life of His people. On the one hand He is very far and outside of all things, but on the other hand He makes Himself very near that everyone can believe and depend on Him in their life. The understanding of God’s nature, especially His transcendence and immanence character from biblical perspectives will comfort all God’s people in their life. It is a hope  of  the  prophet Isaiah to all of his reader.