Sunday, March 18, 2018

Our All-Knowing God


Perhaps we first heard people ask, regarding President Richard M. Nixon and Watergate, “What did he know, and when did he know it?” The implication was, if he knew it early, he may have caused it, endorsed it, or allowed it. In addition, if he knew it in advance, he could have and should have prevented it!
Now we hear these questions, not only about our current President, but about virtually everyone else in Washington! And – what about the Russians? What did they know, and when did they know it, and how did they interfere with it?” (Ha!)
Let’s ask now about God. “What did he know, and when did he know it?”
We speak of God as omnipotent (all-powerful), omnipresent (present everywhere) and omniscient (infinite in knowledge). Very comforting, yet it can be a bit confusing, too.
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Reading: Ps 139
David prayed in Ps 139:4, “Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all.” He then called such knowledge “too wonderful for me. I cannot attain to it!” Jesus said regarding prayer in Matt 5:8, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Let’s ask, “If God foreknows all things, are we really free and responsible to choose?”
Your Questions
Does God know everything? Everything?
Does He know the future? All of the future?
Does His foreknowledge cause all future events?
Does He predetermine everything that we do?
Does God make mistakes and later regret them?
Does God change His mind when we respond?
Is 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.
As we begin, let’s be perfectly clear. The Bible speaks clearly of God’s exhaustive, infinite knowledge and foreknowledge. It speaks just as clearly of man’s freedom and responsibility to choose. There is no conflict between the two. Nothing said tonight should be taken to support Calvinism or determinism. Nor shall we run and fall in the other ditch that suggests God’s knowledge is limited.
Let’s note also that, always in our Bible study, we see first what the Bible actually says, comparing Scripture with Scripture. Then we infer and draw conclusions, as best we can. When we differ in judgment, it is just that. Only the Bible is the Word of God! Let’s seek to understand it more fully!
God Knows Everything.
Heb 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
Lk 16:15 “God knows your hearts …”
Ac 1:24 “Lord, You know the hearts of all …”
John 1:47-48; 2:24-25
Jn 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
Jn 2:24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.
Matt 12:25; 22:18; Mark 2:8; Luke 6:8
Mt 12:25 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.
Mt 22:18 But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites?
Mk 2:8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?
Lk 6:8 But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” And he got up and came forward.
God Knows the Future.
Ps 139:1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. 5 You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
It’s a fact. Yahweh knew what David would say before he said it (Ps 139:4)! Did that somehow mean that God caused David to say everything David said? Of course not. The Lord foreknew it, but He did not manipulate David’s mouth and predetermine and force every word that came out of it.
We understand that. That is the primary purpose of this message.
Ps 139:16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.
Isa 44:24-45:7 Through Isaiah (740-701 BC) God named Cyrus as the one to restore Jerusalem. So Cyrus did – in 539 BC, about 200 years later! Yahweh’s foreknowledge proved His deity, in contrast with pagan idols:
Isa 42:8-9; 44:7-8; 45:20-21; 46:9-10; 48:3-7
Is 42:8 “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images. 9 “Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”
Is 44:7 ‘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. 8 ‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.’ ”
Is 45:20 “Gather yourselves and come; Draw near together, you fugitives of the nations; They have no knowledge, Who carry about their wooden idol And pray to a god who cannot save. 21 “Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.
Is 46:9 “Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
Is 48:3 “I declared the former things long ago And they went forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. 4 “Because I know that you are obstinate, And your neck is an iron sinew And your forehead bronze, 5 Therefore I declared them to you long ago, Before they took place I proclaimed them to you, So that you would not say, ‘My idol has done them, And my graven image and my molten image have commanded them.’ 6 “You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to you new things from this time, Even hidden things which you have not known. 7 “They are created now and not long ago; And before today you have not heard them, So that you will not say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
Of course the very idea of predictive prophecy presupposes and affirms God’s knowledge of the future, even of the decisions that His creatures will freely make.
God Knows, but We Choose.
Jn 12:6 Judas, a thief, stole from the moneybag.
Mt 26:14-16 Asked, “How much will you pay?”
Jn 13:21-30 Judas took the bread from Jesus.
So Judas chose his actions. But …
Jn 6:64, 71 Jesus knew from the beginning who would betray Him, what Judas would choose.
His knowing it did not cause it or force it.
Let’s use a simple analogy. Many of us parents can relate to it.
Long before your teenager reached driving age, you knew whether or not he or she would want to drive and would want a car at the appropriate age. Because you knew that in advance, you decided how you would respond when the time came.
Let’s say you saved up and set aside funds to buy them whatever brand-new SUV they might want. (I’m just using this as an example to keep our young people’s attention!)
You knew your teen would want it. You knew your teen would ask for it. You knew how you would respond.
None of that foreknowledge changed the fact that your teen was free to want to drive or not, and free to ask for a car or not. If the teen asked, you knew he would! If he did not ask, you knew that he would not ask!
If he did not ask, he did not get the car! And you knew it all along!
So with God.
God is Not Surprised or Mistaken.
Gen 6:6 Yahweh was grieved (nacham) that He had made man. Not surprised by man’s sin or ignorant that man would sin. Cf. King Saul, etc.
Gen 22:12 To Abraham re: Isaac: “Now I know that you fear God!” Was this new news to God?
No! Note His prior fear – Gen 17:1-3; 18:27, 30. Note also God’s prior promises to Abraham, which anticipated and required his fear of God.
“God did not know whether or not Abraham would actually offer Isaac.”
One may quote:
Ge 22:11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
First we note that this was the angel of the Lord speaking, but certainly as the mouthpiece of Yahweh Himself. Note, “not withheld from Me.”
So … did God not know until this point that Abraham feared Him?
Ge 17:1 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. 2 “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, 4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.
Ge 18:27 And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.
Ge 18:30 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
Of course God knew Abraham feared Him!
But through Abraham’s offering Isaac, God confirmed that fear. Now He came to “know” that fear through observation and experience.
So … was God unaware of what Abraham would do?
Did Abraham’s obedience surprise God, give Him new information?
Of course God knew Abraham feared Him!
But through Abraham’s offering Isaac, God confirmed that fear through Abraham’s specific behavior in this case.
God “Changes” Outcomes.
Jer 18:7-10 He threatens to bring the judgment that would result without the people’s repentance. (E.g., Jonah)
Yet He knows whether such will occur.
When we choose repentance, He responds as He always knew He would. He is not surprised.
When we refuse repentance, He responds as He always knew He would. He is not surprised.
You noted, “The Bible says several times that God changed His mind.”
In over 20 OT texts God is the subject of the Hebrew word nacham. In each case the KJV says that God “repented.” For example:
Ge 6:6 The Lord was sorry (KJV, “repented”) that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
Key point: nacham does not necessarily imply a change of mind based on ignorance. The fact that God was sorry (or grieved) that something happened does not mean that He was surprised that it happened. Or that He was unaware or ignorant that it would happen.
The word nacham sometimes connotes the idea of strong feelings, especially grief.
1 Sa 15:11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the Lord all night.
1 Sa 15:35 Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
The fact that God regretted making Saul king does not mean that He was ignorant of what Saul would do.
2 Sa 24:16 When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough! Now relax your hand!” And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
1 Ch 21:15 And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough; now relax your hand.” And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
The word can even refer to God’s compassion.
Jdg 2:18 When the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and afflicted them.
God Knows the Saved and Lost.
He knows who will respond and how. Who will persevere, quit, return, etc. Note Jesus’ words to Simon Peter as an example.
Lk 22:31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” 34 And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”
2 Tim 2:19 The Lord knows those who are His.
He is not surprised when one chooses to obey, chooses to sin, chooses to be saved, or chooses to fall away and be lost.
Rom 8:29 Those He foreknew He predestined.
Some have said that God does not foreknow our ultimate destination. That is unthinkable! I cannot imagine God being surprised to see someone enter heaven that He was not expecting! Can we hear God saying to anyone, “Welcome! I did not know you were coming!”
Such a response – denying God’s omniscience regarding – often results from one’s reaction against Calvinism. Such a person thinks, “If God knows it, that settles it, and we have no choice.”
Glory to Him!
Ro 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Possible hymns:
Sing to the Lord a New Song
I Stand in Awe
Oh the Depth and the Riches
How Great Thou Art
The Providence of God

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