The All-Knowing God

THE ALL-KNOWING GOD
1 For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me.

2 Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up;
Thou dost understand my thought from afar.

3 Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And art intimately acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, Thou dost know it all.

5 Thou hast enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Thy hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it. (Psalms 139:1-6). This is a Psalm of David. He lived in a day when the world had been turned upside down. He came to the throne of Israel at a time when the tiny kingdom was about to collapse. Surrounded by enemies both within and without, David was under constant attack. The Philistines of David's day had the ultimate military weapon -- the secret of smelting iron. This meant that their weapons were more advanced in every way. Not only did David have to deal with those surrounding nations who were enemies of Israel, but there were also those who had supported his old archenemy Saul, the previous king. These saw David as a usurper to the throne. To make matters worse, members of David's own household eventually rose up against him, seeking to take his throne away.

What was David's point of stability in the midst of such unstable situations? How did he handle such stress without going off the deep end? How did he cope? I believe the answer is to be found in this Psalm. This is a song of praise to Yahweh, the God of Israel. It begins with a statement concerning the knowledge of God.

1 O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me.

2 Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up;
Thou dost understand my thought from afar.

3 Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And art intimately acquainted with all my ways. (Psalms 139:1-3).

Notice how David pictures God. He could have spoken about how God knows all historical events. He could say that God knows all things, both past, present and future. He could say that nothing is hidden from the knowledge of God. But instead, David makes this very personal. He says to God, “You know me.”

David didn't want to give you a lesson in systematic theology. He didn't want to give you a seven point outline that you could place into your notebook and forget. He wants to bring you face to face with the living God.

I've got news for you. If the all-knowing God knew David, then He also knows you. He has searched you and knows you. He knows when you sit down and when you rise up. He understands your thoughts from afar. He scrutinizes your path and your lying down. He is intimately acquainted with all your ways. That puts things into a slightly different light. God knows me! He knows you. He understands what you are going through. He knows your own unique situation. You aren't merely a number on a heavenly database. You aren't lost amidst the millions. The God of the universe is personally aware of your day-to-day problems. This puts a whole new emphasis upon personal prayer. God doesn't have an angelic staff who go through all of His prayer mail and who only forward the really important correspondence. God personally hears your prayers. He hears your prayers before you even pray them.

Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, Thou dost know it all. (Psalms 139:4).

God knows your thoughts. He knows your mind better than you do. He knows what you think and He knows all your needs and desires. Have you ever come to a point where you wanted to pray to the Lord, but just could not find the words to say? Don't worry, for at such a time the Holy Spirit is interceding on your behalf.

Thou hast enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Thy hand upon me. (Psalms 139:5).

What does this mean? It is couched in military terms. David was a military man. He knew the value of strong fortifications. He went on to build a whole series of fortifications to link up the tribes of Israel.

Here is the best kind of fortification. It is the fortification that God provides. David recognizes that God has set up defenses both behind him and in front of him. Nothing can come into his realm of existence without God knowing about it and taking an active part in it. The same is true for you. Nothing comes into your life that has not first come through a nail-scarred hand.

You might be thinking, “This is a bit much to take in.” Many people have a limited view of God because they cannot imagine anyone with such knowledge and such power. Do you feel that way? If so, you are not alone. Look at the next verse:

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it. (Psalms 139:6).

David is blown away by this kind of knowledge. He admits that he cannot grasp it. He cannot imagine that God could have such knowledge. And yet, he believes. This is his point of stability. He believes in a God that is beyond belief. That is because his concept of God is not dependent upon himself. David didn't dream up this kind of God. This is the God who revealed Himself. This is the God who is there.

What else does the Bible say about the knowledge of God? How far does His knowledge go? What is the extent of His knowledge? Here are a few verses that give us some insight into the knowledge of God.

There is Nothing Hidden from God.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. (Isaiah 40:27-28).

God knows all things. He doesn't get bogged down in details so that He misses some. His mind never gets overloaded. He is not like last year's computer that runs short on memory and needs an upgrade. He understands all things with an infinite understanding.

God's Knowledge Spans Every Event in the Universe.

He counts the number of the stars;
He gives names to all of them.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength;
His understanding is infinite. (Psalms 147:4-5).

Nash makes this observation: Divine omniscience means that God holds no false beliefs. Not only are all of God's beliefs true, the range of His knowledge is total; He nows all true propositions. (1983;51)

God's knowledge is not confined to planet earth. He is the supreme expert in all matters of astronomy and science. He created the universe and holds it together. At the same time, He is concerned and aware of the most insignificant of events. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31).

God knows about the tiniest details of His creation. He knows how many hairs you have on your head at any given moment. He is aware of all things. This is a message of comfort. If God is aware of sparrows and their daily problems, then He is also aware of you. He accounts you to be of much more value than a whole swarm of sparrows. He is concerned for you and is watching over you. The Unchangeableness of God's Knowledge. And who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it;
Yes, let him recount it to Me in order,
From the time that I established the ancient nation.
And let them declare to them the things that are coming
And the events that are going to take place. (Isaiah 44:7).

God issues a challenge to those who would compare His infinite knowledge with their own finite and limited knowledge. His knowledge extends to the past, to the present and to the future.

If God knows that there will be an accident at a certain intersection on a specific time and date, then that accident will take place. Nothing can happen (not even man's “free will”) that will be apart from God's foreknowledge. At the same time, God's foreknowledge is not a black box placed within your soul that moves you in a particular way despite your own intellect and will. You have a freedom of spontaneity that normally allows you to choose and act in accordance with your own choices.

God's Knowledge Includes All Possibilities.

Jesus alluded to this kind of knowledge when He compared the cities of Capernaum to the other cities that had not heard His preaching.

Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 Nevertheless I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. (Matthew 10:20-23).

Jesus claims knowledge of what would have happened in a different situation. He says that the cities of Tyre and Sidon would have reacted in a certain way if they had witnessed the miracles of Jesus. A lesson that we can draw from such a statement is that God knows all of the possibilities. He knows what could have happened if things had been different. At this point, we ought to consider the relevance of such a teaching. What difference does it make in my life to know that God is omniscient? Is this merely an academic thesis on a subject that has little or no value for day to day living? It is unfortunate that this is exactly the way in which this subject is often presented. Is this relevant? It certainly is! If you are a normal human being, then you have certain problems in your life. They might be big problems or they might be little problems that only look like big problems. I have news for you. God knew about your problems long before the creation of the universe. Not only did He know about them, but He also made provision for them.

He has built the answer to our prayers into the very structure of the universe (Dr. James Buswell, Jr).

God designed the universe with you in mind. It has been custom-built to your specifications. He knew everything about you before you were even born. And He has not forgotten. He is not senile. His knowledge is still fresh. He is the all-knowing God.