God Knows Everything
Bible Reading: Psalm 139; Hebrews 4:13
He who knows not, and knows not he knows not, is a fool; shun him.
He who knows not, and knows he knows not, is simple; teach him.
He who knows, and knows not he knows, is asleep; awaken him.
He who knows, and knows he knows, is wise; follow him.
Arab Proverb
The one who truly knows, knows that what he himself knows is infinitely small in comparison to the God who knows all about all.
Theologians use the term “omniscience” (the state of knowing everything) in referring to this attribute. A.W. Tozer summarized God’s omniscience this way: “God knows instantly and effortlessly all matter and all matters, all mind and every mind, all spirit and all spirits, all being and every being, all creaturehood and all creatures, every plurality and all pluralities, all law and every law, all relations, all causes, all thoughts, all mysteries, all enigmas, all feeling, all desires, every unuttered secret, all thrones and dominions, all personalities, all things visible and invisible in heaven and in earth, motion, space, time, life, death, good, evil, heaven, and hell.”
King David wrote about this truth from a startlingly personal viewpoint. He understood God knew all about him, his daily activities, his thoughts, his path, his lying down, his ways, his words (even before he spoke them). David’s conclusion? “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it” (Psalm 139:6). Indeed! It is a powerful truth. God, the maker of the Universe, knows all there is to know about each one of us!
Hebrews 4:13 puts forth the matter plainly: “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Herein lies the practical implications of this lofty truth. People who have refused the gospel have no place to hide and no defense to make before the all-knowing judge in the courtroom of divine justice. God’s omniscience is a fearful truth to them.
There is, on the other hand, great comfort to be had in this truth for those who have trusted in Jesus. My old, falling-apart copy of A.W. Tozer’s “Knowledge of the Holy” has highlighted portions throughout, but only this paragraph is highlighted in pink: “And to us who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope that is set before us in the gospel, how unutterably sweet is the knowledge that our Heavenly Father knows us completely. No talebearer can inform on us, no enemy can make an accusation stick; no forgotten skeleton can come tumbling out of some hidden closet to abash us and expose our past; no unsuspected weakness in our characters can come to light to turn God away from us, since He knew us utterly before we knew Him and called us in full knowledge of everything that was against us.” Put simply, in Christ, the God who knows all about us, loves us. And that, my friends, is a wonderful truth worth knowing (Cf. Romans 8:33-39)!
Heavenly Father. We praise You as our all-knowing God. You know everything about everything in this universe You created. You know everything about each of us. As with King David, we are overwhelmed by this lofty truth. Though you know about our sins–past, present, and future–you still sent Your Son to take our punishment. Now, in Him, we are accepted in the Beloved and kept safe in Your loving arms. Help us to walk daily in the light, even as You are in the light. Amen.
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