Too Wonderful for Me

In the midst of a soaring description of the greatness of God, David pauses to remark, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it” (Psalm 139:6, ESV). A hallmark of humanity is our capacity to contemplate our incapacity. Animals don’t do that. No herd of cattle in the pasture has conversed about the inequality in comparing cattle to humans. Cattle do not wonder why they’ve not developed written language, why they don’t do algebra, why they don’t study medicine. No cow has watched a rancher drive through the gate and wondered to itself why cattle can’t build trucks. Like all other animals, cattle cannot be astonished at what humans can do compared to animals. But, people can be astonished at what we cannot do in comparison with God. He made our minds big enough to think about how small we are. If we’re honest, we can admit our limitations (which are severe, if we’re thinking about God). Seeing ourselves as we are is essential to humility and penitence. We can reflect with David, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4). We can say with the prophet, “I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Unlike animals, humans can be impressed with our own unimpressiveness. That, itself, is impressive. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” (Psalm 139:14).