What Does God Know?
June 13, 2017
Share This Post:
Many of us have questions about God—who He is, where He is, and what He does. Currently at Shepherd Church, we are in a series studying God’s nature. The series is called “YHWH,” which is the sacred Hebrew name for God, appearing some 6800 times in the Old Testament. (You can view all past sermons in this series here.)
One of the things we’ve learned so far is that God is omniscient. The word “omni” means “all,” and the word “science” means knowledge. This means that God is all knowing. He knows everything. Psalm 147:5 declares, “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.”
Throughout the Bible, it is clear that God has an incredible view from above. He sees our past, present, and future. Jeremiah 1:5 indicates that God knew you before He even formed you in your mother’s womb. Isaiah 40:28 says, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” Even if we were to say that God’s vision is like a satellite in space, a high-powered microscope, an MRI machine, and the Central Intelligence Agency, it would not even begin to capture His manifold knowledge and wisdom!
You and I, on the other hand, have a limited view from below. As a pastor, I get asked deep and important questions all the time. But as much as I have studied the Bible and sought wisdom from the Lord, my understanding is limited. There are some things I cannot fully fathom. They are too awesome, too marvelous for me. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than mine, as Isaiah 55:8-9 states unequivocally.
And the biggest thing I fail to understand is why God—the almighty, all powerful, omnipresent, omniscient Creator of the universe—is interested in me. I relate to David when he asks the question in Psalm 8:4:
“What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”
And yet Jesus says in Matthew 10:30 that “even the very hairs on your head are all numbered.” Psalm 56:8 reveals that God keeps track of our tears, and Psalm 139:1-4 tells us that God knows when we get up and when we lie down, and He knows everything we say.
So what should we do with this wonderful information about God’s omniscience? I believe it shows us that our best decision is to follow God and to trust Him because he knows what’s best for us. He knows our needs (Isaiah 65:24). God is the One who knows you the most and who loves you the most (John 3:16-17).
And most importantly, of all the amazing things God’s knowledge comprises, He knows that you need a savior. He knows that you and I are sinners and that our sin separates us from Him because He is holy. So, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). God raised Jesus from the grave on the third day. In doing so, our Heavenly Father “canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:14-16).
Turn, today, to the One who knows all. Give him your cares and worries because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). There is one thing I know for certain in this world, and it is this: God is an awesome, holy, loving, and merciful God, and He wants us to trust and obey Him.
