God's Omniscience Series

God’s Character

January 24, 2021

As a parent there are certain things that are most important when it comes to my children. If I asked you about what comes to mind first - as aunts, uncles, grandparents or parents . . . obviously, we want them to be healthy, happy, content with life, a Jesus follower and more. When it comes to my boys besides those - - is this . . .

I want to know where they are! You know what I mean? One is almost 21 and the other is 23 and living on his own. But, I still want to know where they are at almost anytime of the day. I want to know their school or work schedules. I always had their school schedules posted in my office.

Well, 2 weeks ago the younger one went away for a few days with some friends. He was supposed to go on a mission trip which was cancelled due to covid. I said, let us know how the drive is and when you arrive. It was about a 6.5 hour drive. Which if you drive with me, means - we will arrive in 6 hours! No stopping for sight seeing, no bathroom breaks unless we need gas! You feel for Debbie don’t you?!

Well, it’s 9 and nothing --- 9:30 - 10 - 10:30 - 11. NOTHING!! Do I drive to Tennessee? Do I call the police? I’m worried and admittedly . . . angry!

Finally, he calls telling us he’s there! It’s a really bad connection, and we lose him 4 or 5 times. Later he tells us he texted us at 9:30, but they had no cell service and he didn’t know that. 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 get it. My point is this . . . I want to know where my kids are. I don’t care if they are 30, I want to know where they are and that they are well. PERIOD!

Well, that’s kind of a long story, but I thought appropriate as we continue to look at the attributes of God. I really believe in our world it is so important to know and understand who God is.

For the past 2 weeks, we’ve looked at the fact that God is eternal, infinite and omnipotent (all powerful). 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’s a pastor in Iowa, he said just stick with one per week. So, you can get to lunch about 25 minutes earlier than you would have if I combined them both.

We’re going to start with where I was struggling the other week. It was the fact that I’m not omniscient. Omniscient comes from 2 words . . . OMNI = all and if you took the original meaning of SCIENCE from the Latin, it means “to know.” So, omniscience is about God being all-knowing.

I think many of us would like to be all knowing. We have some acquaintances who might say are “know it all.” But we would like that trait. It would be a blessing and a curse. If someone was lying to us we’d know. Haven’t you ever had someone tell you something and you really wondered if they were being honest or if they were stretching the truth. We would know it. We could call them on it. But the bad side is we would know it. We might not be too happy about someone we love lying to us. I’ve had lots of people tell me things, and sometimes you learn the truth, and sometimes you know they are full of hot air anyways.

In classical theology the doctrine of God’s omniscience means God knows all things - - - past, present and future, real 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 instances of God’s omniscience in the Bible, it’s not really hard to find many scriptures.

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. - Psalm 147:5

For whenever our heart condemns 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 account. - Hebrews 4:13

5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. - Jeremiah 1:5