by Steve Higginbotham
Is it possible to be familiar with the words of a passage, but fail to grasp the proper application of that passage? I believe it is, and want you to consider the possibility of our missing the proper application of a passage I believe you will find familiar.
Remember what God said through his prophet, Isaiah? “`For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,’ says the Lord. `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).'”
While I believe most of us are familiar with the words of this passage, we may not properly understand what the Lord was saying.
Typically, these verses are understood as a declaration of God’s infinite wisdom surpassing the finite wisdom of humans. An example would be Job’s foolish questioning of God’s activity (Job 38:1-3ff). Job quickly learned that his limited understanding was inadequate to grasp the wisdom of God.
Likewise, Paul once wrote of the unsearchable wisdom and knowledge of God, and that God’s ways are past finding out (Romans 11:33).
While it is true that some of God’s thoughts and actions are far beyond our ability to understand, it is also true that God expects us to understand the things that he has chosen to reveal to us (Deuteronomy 29:29).
The passage under consideration is not a passage intended to remind us of God’s great wisdom, but should rather be seen as a rebuke to God’s people for not thinking and doing as God revealed.
In other words, this passage is rebuking God’s people because of their disobedience. Their thoughts were not God’s thoughts (though they should have been), and their ways were not God’s ways (though they should have been).
Instead of Isaiah 55:8-9 being a declaration of God’s greatness, I believe it is better understood to be a rebuke for man’s disobedience in failing to make God’s thoughts his thoughts and God’s ways his ways. Give it some thought.