RUSHWAVE: Establishing Believers in the Christian Faith

Chapter 9: God is All-Knowing

God knows what has been, is now, and will be, as well as what could have been.

God knows everything with perfect knowledge, and there is absolutely nothing He does not know.

God knows all things. 1 John 3:20

And scripture details at least five subdivisions under the “all things” that God knows.

God knows our hearts. He knows the thoughts we conceive, the imaginations we entertain, the desires in our hearts, and the motives behind every action.

You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men … Acts 1:24
You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path … and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. Psalm 139:2-4
God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
The Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. 1 Chronicles 28:9

There are also numerous places where God directly speaks of what He knows about specific people or people groups.

I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this. Genesis 20:6
I know their intent which they are developing today. Deuteronomy 31:21
I know your sitting down And your going out and your coming in And your raging against Me. Isaiah 37:28
I know that you are obstinate, And your neck is an iron sinew And your forehead bronze. Isaiah 48:4
I know their works and their thoughts. Isaiah 66:18
I know your transgressions are many and your sins are great. Amos 5:12

And in the days of Noah, when the whole world was exceedingly corrupt, God made an assessment of the heart of every person on the face of the earth.

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5

God knowing our hearts means He knows us at a level no other person can possibly know. In human interaction there are varied ways of communication: words, the intonation of words, eye movements, facial expressions, and gestures. Most of the time these reflect what is going on in our hearts, but not always. But God knows our true feelings behind every one of our outward expressions.

God knows us better than we know ourselves. Sometimes we react in a way that surprises us, and we do not understand our own actions. Our heart can also unjustly condemn us at times. But God knows all the dynamics that play into every thing we ever do. Nothing is ever a surprise to Him, and He knows all things.

God knows the future. This truth can be shown from scripture in multiple ways. First, the ability to know the future is what God Himself says is His unique, identifying trait.

I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done. Isaiah 46:9-10
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

Second, God’s ability to know the future was the basis for testing who were His prophets in the Old Testament. A genuine prophet would be able to accurately predict those future events God had revealed to him. So God gave specific instructions on how to know the true prophet from the false prophet.

You may say in your heart, “How will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. Deuteronomy 18:21–22

Third, God knowing the future is shown by actual predictions that came to pass. The Old Testament contains many such prophecies, the majority of which have already been fulfilled. God specifically told Abram what the future held for his descendants (the nation of Israel), detailing their enslavement, eventual deliverance and return to a specific land.

God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. Then in the fourth generation they will return here.” Genesis 15:13–16

And the prophecies of Daniel are also very specific, detailing the rise and fall of several empires in relation to Israel.

Behold, three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will arouse the whole empire against the realm of Greece. And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, for his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others besides them. Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will gain ascendancy over him and obtain dominion; his domain will be a great dominion indeed. After some years they will form an alliance. Daniel 11:2–6

Who but God alone could give details such as this before they come to pass? No wonder Daniel exclaimed during another vision “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Daniel 2:28).

God knows how things would have played out under different circumstances. In any situation there are an infinite number of hypotheticals; a countless number of variables that could have been changed. God’s knowledge is so vast, He knows how each and every one of those imaginary situations would have played out even though they never actually took place.

David was in the midst of making a critical life and death decision. He was on the run from those who were determined to kill him, and he needed to know what would happen if he ventured into a city named Keilah and sought refuge. David asked the Lord “Will the men of Keilah surrender me?” and the Lord replied “They will surrender you.” As a result, David never ventured into the city. God spared David’s life by telling him something that never actually took place, but would have taken place in another scenario (1 Samuel 23:9-13).

God knows our needs. When Jesus gave a teaching on prayer, He pointed out this simple and profound truth:

[God] knows what you need before you ask Him. Matthew 6:8.

This statement is not suggesting it is wrong to ask God for daily sustenance. Jesus Himself taught such a request should characterize one’s prayer life (Matthew 6:11). It is simply that our request should be made with the understanding God knows our needs. It is not as if we need to inform Him of something He does not know.

God knows Himself. He knows His thoughts, His desires, His plans, and His own nature and character. God knows Himself perfectly. Of Himself God says:

For I know the plans that I have. Jeremiah 29:11
I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Ezekiel 33:11

When God makes these statements, He makes them about what pleases Him and grieves Him. And He makes these statements with perfect knowledge of His eternal, unchanging character.

There are statements God makes that presuppose He not only knows Himself, but He necessarily knows everything about everyone else.

I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me. Isaiah 46:9

The only way God could positively say “There is no one like Me” is if He not only knew Himself, but He knew everybody else who has existed, exist now, and will exist. And in another place He says:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8–9

Once again, this verse necessitates God knowing not only Himself, but everyone else. That is why He can draw a contrast between His thoughts and ways and man’s thoughts and ways.

In another place, God related an exceedingly important trait about Himself.

Then the word of the Lord came to me saying … “At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.” Jeremiah 18:5–10

God can speak this way because He knows Himself, and how He will react to sinful men. He may be determined to destroy a sinful nation, but will relent of bringing calamity if they turn. Likewise He may be minded to bless a nation, but will relent of that blessing if they rebel.

God knows Himself so well, He knows with absolute certainty how He would react in a hypothetical situation that does not actually take place. This is clear in a message given to the prophet Ezekiel when ancient Israel was in a season of dark rebellion.

Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast, even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves,” declares the Lord God. Ezekiel 14:12–14

Noah, Daniel and Job were godly men, and here God details how He would react if they were to intercede on Israel’s behalf. Only God can speak with such certainty about Himself.

God knows every thought, imagination, desire, and motive you have ever had and will have. He knows the sorrows, injustices and pain you yourself have suffered, as well as those you have subjected others to. He knows the outcome of every conceivable decision you will ever make. He knows what your future holds. He knows where you stand in relation to Himself. He knows how He Himself will react to you in light of that standing. And He knows your immediate reaction to these facts.

from The Nature and Character of God

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