THEOSISGregory the Great
Verse 25. All humanity perceives Him, each individual viewing Him from a distance as noted in Job 36:25. Each person, being endowed with reason, can infer that the Creator of their existence is indeed God. To see Him in this context signifies acknowledging His sovereign dominion through rational thought. However, when it states that all humanity sees Him, it correctly emphasizes: each one gazes from a distance. To observe Him from afar implies that, at this moment, we apprehend Him not in His full presence but rather contemplate Him through admiration of His creations. Even the chosen ones perceive Him from a distance; although they are near Him in love, they remain encumbered by the weight of their earthly existence.
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Despite their close communion through righteous living, they yearn for deeper engagement with His divine essence. The unrighteous behold Him, too, at the moment of judgment, but they see Him only from afar, recognizing Him not in His divine form but solely in His human manifestation, where He becomes tangible. At that moment, their sinful actions, recalled to memory, obstruct their vision, and while they perceive His humanity, they are paradoxically distanced from the vision of the divine they truly fail to grasp. When He mentions: "Remember that thou knowest not His work," he confirms that while all people perceive Him (and to perceive Him, as previously noted, means to conclude through reason His ever-present nature), it is indeed a profound miracle that we witness God and yet lack understanding of His works. We cannot doubt His essence, but we remain unsure of His judgments. The highest truths are manifested to us, while lesser matters remain concealed. His deeds are undoubtedly of lesser significance to us than His very being, and yet we perceive the Creator, while His actions remain shrouded in obscurity: the rationale behind His workings is not clear to us, but the Identity of the One who acts is openly revealed. Hence, let it be acknowledged: remember that thou knowest not His works, whom people sing; all humanity perceives Him, each observing from a distance. We perceive Him because He exists, though we cannot fully comprehend His judgments. Yet, for now, we witness Him from afar due to the veil of our frailty.