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What do we mean when we say "God
knows all things?"
Omniscience — God fully and perfectly knows
all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal
act (Ps. 139).
Biblical Teaching
God’s knowledge is:
- Incomparable and beyond our capability, Is. 40:13-14;
55:8-9; Rom. 11:33
- Infallible (cannot err), inerrant (does not err),
and without limit, 2 Chr. 16:9; Ps. 147:5; 31:5;
Jn. 14:6
- Comprehensive Ps. 33:13, 14; Pr. 5:21; 15:3
Divine omniscience is the presupposition of all trustworthy
prophecy, Is. 42:9; 46:9-10.
Jesus selectively chooses how He will use His knowledge
of future events by accurately foretelling:
- His suffering, death, and resurrection, Mk. 8:31;
9:31; 10:32-34
- That Peter would find a coin in the mouth of a
fish to pay the temple tax, Mt. 17:27
- Specific events surrounding his final Passover
meal, Mk. 14:13-15
- His betrayal by Judas Iscariot, Mk. 14:18-20
- The disciples’ abandonment of him before
his crucifixion, Mk. 14:27-30
When we claim that God’s knowledge is comprehensive,
we mean that it not only includes actualities, but potentialities;
not only what will occur, but what may occur under certain
circumstances.
- God demonstrates his knowledge of mere possibilities,
1 Sam. 23:7-13
- God has complete knowledge of all future contingencies,
Jer. 38:17-18
- Jesus knows how people would have responded under
different circumstances, Mt. 11:21-24
Difficulties
Does God really "forget" our sins? Read Is.
43:25; Jer. 31:34
If God knows in advance what choices we will make,
then in what sense are our choices free? Consider
Peter’s denial.
Three important facts regarding God’s knowledge:
- God holds only and all true beliefs; He cannot
hold a false belief.
- God has perfect knowledge of the actual world
which he has created
- God knows all possibilities
God's Knowledge and Our Prayers
Even though we are not smart enough to know all the
facts or wise enough to process them, God will not grant
something that is not good for us, Mt. 6:8; Is. 65:24.
God knows not only what we need, when we need it, but
why we are asking for it, Jm. 4:3, comp. Mt. 6:9-10.
Because God knows all things actual/possible, He
never makes mistakes in answering our prayers, never
fails to plan ahead, or take into account all the
possibilities that may occur and the eventualities
that do occur.
Practical Implications
Because God knows all things actual and possible He:
- is not caught off guard by world events
- knows our thoughts and motives, Pr. 24:12
- knows our "secret sins," Ps. 90:8
- knows our hurts and anxieties, Ps. 56:8
- knows our unspoken words, Ps. 139:4
- knows the exact number of days we will live this life,
Ps. 139:16
- even knows the worst about us, but loves us nevertheless,
Rom. 5:8; 1 Jn. 3:19-20; 4:19
- is able to judge perfectly, Heb. 4:13
Knowing that God knows all things actual and possible,
we can:
- Anticipate each day with the confidence that God
understands the challenges we face.
- Be renewed by confession and repentance at the end
of our day, because he knows all that we have done.
- Rely on his clear vision of all our circumstances,
regardless of how dark and cloudy they may seem.
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