God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man

by Mike Ratliff

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. Psalms 139:1-5 (NASB) 

Our God is beyond our understanding. Thankfully, He has revealed Himself to us, to a degree, in His Word. Those who claim to serve Him, but treat His Word as if it was not important, or refuse to submit to the truths therein are fools. That has always puzzled me about those who take a sliver of God’s Word, misinterpret it, and then build massive doctrines around their misinformation. Have they no fear of God?

God is Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent. He knows all, is everywhere at once, and is all-powerful. Those who play games with Christianity must have no understanding of this for if they did, they would not dare trifle with God Almighty!

First, let’s look first at God’s Omniscience.

FOR THE CHOIR DIRECTOR. A PSALM OF DAVID.
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. Psalms 139:1-6 (NASB) 

David is in awe that God knows everything about him. God has searched him and knows him. Nothing can be hidden from God. Also, God hems in or hedges in those who are His to limit their actions. No matter how willful people are they cannot contend with God who knows all and will always accomplish His will. This knowledge, when it blooms in full in our hearts is too wonderful for us to grasp. When the reality of God’s Sovereignty over everything is made crystal clear to us it is a wonderful day. Before, we believed our salvation was in our own hands, but now we see clearly that God did it all. It is too wonderful for me, it is too high, I cannot attain it!

Second, let’s look at God’s Omnipresence.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You. Psalms 139:7-12 (NASB) 

No matter where we are or what we are doing or thinking, God knows it. There is nowhere we can go to be hidden from Him. As huge as the Universe is, even if we could travel to the farthest Galaxies and planets, God is there. We are sightless in the dark, but God is not. Oh Praise Him! No matter what our circumstances, He knows what is going on and will not permit anything to come between Him and us! Therefore, should we fear those who hate God and His ways?

Third, let’s look at God’s Omnipotence.

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
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.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You. Psalms 139:13-18 (NASB) 

God’s power is beyond our understanding. Look at life itself. He created it. He formed each of us individually in our mother’s wombs. Man can create things, but he cannot create the substance from which they are made. No matter how he tries, man cannot create matter from nothing. God can and did. However, life is the miracle that shows His awesome power. I pity those who demand that life evolved from nothing. How pathetic that is! That shows how far man is willing to go in his arrogance in order to not bow the knee to our Omnipotent God!

How must we respond to our Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent God?

19 O that You would slay the wicked, O God;
Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
20 For they speak against You wickedly,
And Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way. Psalms 139:19-24 (NASB) 

David had no problem expressing hatred for God’s enemies. Jesus told us to love and pray for our enemies, but David hates God’s enemies. These are not mutually exclusive. Those who hate us because of our faith are to be loved and prayed for, perhaps God will show them mercy and save them. However, the reprobates who are Satan’s seed are not in that boat. Since we are not God and do not know one from the other, we must do as Jesus said, pray for them and love them. However, the time is coming very quickly when the sheep and goats will be separated, the tares will be removed from the wheat. Then we will know those who hate God and we will hate them as God does. Yes, God does hate no matter who says differently.

9 For this is the word of promise: “AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.” 10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.” 13 Just as it is written, “JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.”
14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. Romans 9:9-16 (NASB) 

2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I have loved Jacob; 3 but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.” Malachi 1:2-3 (NASB) 

No matter what word games people try to play with these verses, the word hate in them means hate not loved less. Therefore, should we fear a God who is all-powerful, is in all places at once and knows all things who also hates those who hate Him? I suggest you do a word study through all verses in the Bible for “hate” and “God” and how He regards them.

O, Lord you know everything about us. You know who loves you and who hates you. I pray for the latter that you will have mercy on them, and by your grace, save them. However, I know that the time is coming when your judgment will come and your hand will not be stayed. I pray that until then you will give us the means and the opportunity to tell the lost the good news that there is peace between You and men available through the Son. Give us courage and help us grow unto Christlikeness until our Lord returns.

Soli Deo Gloria!