God’s character
January 24, 2021
As a parent, there are certain things that are more important when it comes to my children. If I asked you what is the first thing that comes to your mind: like aunts, uncles, grandparents or parents. . . obviously, we want them to be healthy, happy, content with life, followers of Jesus and more. When it comes to my children besides those – – it’s this. . .
I want to know where they are! You know what I want to say? One is almost 21 years old and the other 23 and lives alone. But, I still want to know where they are at almost any time of day. I want to know your school or work schedules. I always had their school schedules posted in my office.
Well, 2 weeks ago the youngest went away for a few days with some friends. He was supposed to go on a mission trip that was canceled due to covid. I said, let us know how the trip is and when you arrive. It was about a 6.5 hour drive. Which if you drive with me, it means: we’ll be there in 6 hours! No sightseeing stops, no bathroom breaks unless we need gas! You have feelings for Debbie, right?!
Well, it’s 9 o’clock and nothing — 9:30 – 10 – 10:30 – 11. NOTHING!! Do I drive to Tennessee? Did you call the police? I am worried and I admit it. . . annoyed!
Finally, he calls us telling us that he is there! It’s a very bad connection, and we lose it 4 or 5 times. He later tells us that he texted us at 9:30, but they had no cell service and he didn’t know. But, he emails me, writing – – – we have WI-FI, but no cell service, do you know what that means?
Really!?!?! I’m getting older but I understand. My point is this. . . I want to know where my children are. I don’t care if they’re 30, I want to know where they are and that they’re okay. POINT!
Well, that’s a bit of a long story, but I thought it was appropriate as we continue to look at the attributes of God. I really believe that in our world it is very important to know and understand who God is.
During the last 2 weeks, we have seen the fact that God is eternal, infinite and omnipotent (almighty). Today, with that story in mind, we were going to look at the 2 omnis about God, that God is omniscient and omnipresent. But after talking to my friend Tim, who is a pastor in Iowa, he told me to keep one a week. Therefore, he can get to lunch about 25 minutes earlier than he would have if he combined the two.
We’ll start with what it cost me last week. It was the fact that I am not omniscient. Omniscient comes from 2 words. . . OMNI = everything and if you took the original meaning of SCIENCE from the Latin, it means “to know”. So omniscience is about God being omniscient.
I think many of us would like to be omniscient. We have some acquaintances who could say that they are “know-it-alls”. But we would like that trait. It would be a blessing and a curse. If someone lied to us, we would know. Have you ever had someone say something to you and really wonder if they were being honest or exaggerating the truth? we would know We could call them. But the bad side is that we would know. We may not be too happy when someone we love is lying to us. Lots of people have told me things and sometimes you learn the truth and sometimes you know they’re full of hot air anyway.
In classical theology, the doctrine of God’s omniscience means that God knows all things. – – – past, present and future, actual and potential, and He knows them all at the same time. He not only knows what was, he knows what is, he also knows what will be.
If we were to look for examples of God’s omniscience in the Bible, it would not really be difficult to find many scriptures.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; understanding of him is beyond measure. – Psalm 147:5
Because every time our heart rebukes us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. – 1 John 3:20
And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. – Hebrews 4:13
5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I sanctified you; I appointed you prophet to the nations. – Jeremiah 1:5
“And you, Solomon, my son, know the God of your father and serve him with all your heart and with will, because the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. – 1 Chronicles 28:9
1 O Lord, you have examined me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I get up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 My way and my rest you searched, and you know all my ways.
4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know everything. – Psalm 139
I want to comment on Psalm 139 for a moment, then move on.
If you review these verses, God knows when we sit down and when we stand up. He knows when we mess with the lazy boy and when we go to the kitchen for another snack. Sitting down and getting up somehow represents our actions throughout the day. God knows every move we make.
David then added: God knows and discerns our thoughts. YUCK! That is not always good. You know what I want to say? Anyone with me on this? How many times have you asked someone what they were thinking, or a dime for your thoughts?
God doesn’t have to ask, He knows. And despite knowing our thoughts, he still loves you so much that he was willing to send his Son for you.
Jeremiah tells us this –
10 I, the Lord, seek the heart and try the mind, to give to each one according to his ways, according to the fruit of his works. – Jeremiah 17:10
In verse 3 David tells us that God knows where we are going. God knows where we are going, because He can see everything and He can discern everything.
God knows what we say even before we say it. If you’re like me, you often don’t know what’s going to come out of your mouth until you say it. God not only listens to everything we say, He knows what we are going to say, even before the thought or words fly out.
And finally, God knows what we need before we need it. And I love how David wraps up this part, because we’re going to be looking at more of Psalm 139 next week.
In verse 6, David says this:
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; Is high; I can’t reach it. – Psalm 139
As David considers the fact that God knows him completely, he is totally blown away by that understanding. He says that this knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is so high that I cannot fully comprehend it.
You can’t even begin to comprehend, much less describe, the depth of God’s personal knowledge of your every action, your every thought, your every journey, your every word, and your every need.
Isn’t it great what David is telling us about knowing God? These are really just scratching the surface. Think of the following images from other passages–
God counts the hairs on your head and knows how many you have. – Luke 12:7
He knows your words and thoughts before you speak them. – Psalm 139:4
He knows your thoughts before you think them. – Psalm 139:2
He knows your prayers before you pray them. – Matthew 6:8
He knows when you get up in the morning and when you go to bed at night. – Psalm 139:2-3
He knows everything you are going to do tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, and every moment of every day until the moment of your death. – Psalm 139:16
He knows every word you say and we will have to account for every careless comment. – Matthew 12:36
He sees everything you do in secret, both the good and the bad. – Matthew 6:4
He hears every whispered word and will shout them from the rooftops. Luke 12:3
No wonder David exclaimed when he thought of how much God knew about him, saying: “You surrounded me behind and before; you have laid your hand on me.” – Psalm 139:5
As we consider God’s knowledge and our own, there are some important contrasts to think about. First, God’s knowledge is independent, ours is dependent. No one has ever taught God anything because the knowledge of him is complete from the beginning. There was never a day when God was without complete and total knowledge. But our knowledge depends on the fact that we must learn what we know.
Second, God’s knowledge is infinite, ours is finite or partial. God knows everything that can be known, we know a small fragment of what can be known. Think of it this way. . . Have you ever had a new revelation or idea about something in life? Maybe it was something personal, work or school. Maybe it was something spiritual. Whatever it is, it doesn’t happen to God. Think of it this way – – – God has never come up with anything new. Isn’t that crazy and cool at the same time?
That may sound a bit strange, because things come up in our minds all the time. But, it is true, nothing has ever “occurred” to God. He never wakes up and says, “Hey, I have a great idea!” Understand, He never sleeps, therefore he never wakes up. And God knows all the great ideas all the time since the beginning of time. Nothing surprises God and takes him by surprise.
Have you ever walked into a room and wondered why you went in there in the first place? We retrace our steps to find out why we went in there, if we remember. That doesn’t happen to God. He is all wise and he never forgets.
Furthermore, God knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows our hearts, spirits, and minds. That is why later in Psalm 139, David prayed: 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart. – Psalm 139:23
God knows things about us that we don’t know about ourselves.
Writing over 100 years ago, the great preacher Charles Spurgeon used a powerful word to describe the knowledge of our hearts. He said that everything in the heart is “transparent” to God. Nothing is hidden, everything is clearly seen. That goes back to Hebrews 4, where the writer tells us that God can see into our hearts and spirits.
Again, consider the words in 1 Chronicles – from God –
9 The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind thoughts – 1 Chronicles 28:9
3 The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, watching the evil and the good – Proverbs 15:3
The difficult part of all this is that the next time we are tempted to think that no one can hear what we say or that no one knows what we are thinking, we are wrong. One day we will account for every careless word and unspoken thought.
God’s omniscience can be a comfort to us. If God really knows all things, then whatever is going on, good or bad, is not a surprise to God. He has everything under control, although I do not. That is a great comfort to me.
Don’t worry about 2…