The prophet Isaiah records YHWH as saying:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Is 55:8-9)
This verse is quoted to make a variety of points. Some quote it to make the point that God is unknowable. Others use it to argue that we can’t understand God’s will and way of thinking. My favorite use of this verse, however, is in a debate when someone’s position is being challenged and they don’t know how to respond. When all else fails, just claim that your point of view is too lofty to understand because it comes directly from God!
When we look at the context, it becomes clear that all of these interpretations miss the mark.
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Is 55:6-9)
The Lord’s thoughts and ways are contrasted to the thoughts and ways of the wicked, not the righteous. God is not telling believers that they can’t understand his thoughts and ways, but rather he is telling unbelievers that His thoughts and ways are superior to their evil thoughts and evil ways. He implores them to abandon their evil thoughts and ways. And to what would they turn if they abandon their own thoughts and ways? They would turn to YHWH’s thoughts and ways. So this passage is not teaching divine incomprehensibility, but rather the superiority of the righteous thoughts/ways of God to the unrighteous thoughts/ways of sinners.
It’s obvious upon a moment’s reflection that this passage cannot be teaching that God is unknowable, because God has revealed Himself to us in both word and deed. What about His will and way of thinking? While it’s true that we cannot fully know God’s will, He has revealed portions of it to us and did so with the intention that we understand it.
Keep it in context….
Thinking to Believe 
October 25, 2016 at 6:07 am
Proverbs 14:12; 16:25; 21:2.
The above three scriptures warns us not to trust and believe in our ways, because they will lead to death. Isa 55:8-9 explains why we should be believe in what God says and obey it. His ways might not make sense to us, but His ways are the only way we can be saved. It seems,people balk at every word that God says we must do to be saved: Repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Man’s ways ask: why do i need to be baptized? Nothing changes at baptism. Baptism is a work of man, not God. therefore, baptism cannoy save you, because man cannot work his way into salvation. Why do i need to speak in tongues? It is not necessary. The Bible says if we believe, then we are saved. Believing in Jesus Christ automatically fills us with the Holy Spirit. Every was that seems right in man’s eyes, leads to death. Believe what god says because His wasy are higher than ours . . .
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October 25, 2016 at 8:32 am
Thank you for your post, T.R. How many times have pastors and teachers used this passage as an excuse for not being able to explain difficult scriptural concepts, when it doesn’t even pertain to believers?
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October 25, 2016 at 10:53 pm
Don, they’ve used it that way a lot!
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October 28, 2016 at 5:07 pm
Luk 23:38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Luk 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
Luk 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Luk 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
Luk 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Naz
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June 21, 2019 at 10:56 am
Brilliant, why do so many Pastor miss this. The context is the wicked. God wants to know His ways and to think His thoughts. Isa. 26:3; Hosea 14:9; Phip. 2:5; just to name a few. Well done.
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October 14, 2019 at 5:32 am
Thank you for this post. I find people most often quote this verse when someone is sick. “Embrace your sickness,” the argument goes, “because it’s God’s way of doing good in your life.” Along with Isaiah 55:8-9, they typically point to James 1:2: “consider pure joy, brethren, whenever you suffer trials of many kinds…” But it is very hard to argue that James had sickness in mind as one of his “many kinds” of suffering when he also writes that if you’re sick you should go to the elders and get healed (James 5:14-15).
While persecution it’s to be expected and wealth is irreverent (but often warned against), sickness is never presented as a good thing in the Bible. The only good thing about sickness is the glory God receives when the sickness is removed.
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October 14, 2019 at 5:34 am
Sorry. “Wealth is irreverent” was supposed to read “wealth is irrelevant.”
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