The Scriptures are very clear that God’s knowledge is not limited. This fact is expressed in a number of ways. The different facets of God’s particular knowledge are described in some detail throughout scripture. For instance, God knows the number of hairs on our head (Matt. 10:30; Luke 12: 7). He knows when a sparrow falls to the earth or is sold. He remembers them all (Luke 12:6; Matt. 10:29). He knows all the fowls of the mountain and the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10,11). God knows the number of the stars and calls them all by name (Psalm 147:4). God knows all our deeds and thoughts because we will be judged by those things in the Day of Judgment (Rev. 20:12-15). He knows our best kept secrets (Rom. 2:16).

David describes God’s intimate knowledge of every human being:

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them (Psalm 139:1-16).

The Scriptures especially make note of the fact that while man can only judge by the outward appearance, God knows the very heart of man. “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (I Samuel 16:7). Again, “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins” (Jer. 17:10). And again, “Thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men” (I Kings 8:39). There is no thought that we can hide from God. “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13).

Job said at the conclusion of his interview with the Lord that “no thought can be withholden from Thee” (Job. 42:2). No thought is beyond God’s knowledge. There is not a single thing that God does not already know. God looks to the end of the earth and sees under the whole heaven (Job 28:24). While men are limited in their knowledge to the here and now in a very limited scope with which their lives come into contact, and, maybe, a few things about the past, God sees all time (our past, present and future) more clearly than we see what is presently before us. John affirmed by inspiration, “God knows all things” ( I John 3:20). He knows all things because He is everywhere, in some sense (Jer. 23:24).

This means, first of all, that God knows the truth value of every precisely stated proposition. God knows the truth value of the statement that “Eric L. Padgett (me) was born with six fingers.” It’s impossible for God to know this is true because it is false. God only knows the truth. But this should not be considered a limitation on God’s knowledge for He knows the truth value of the statement is false. It would be a limitation of God to say that He knows something as true when, indeed, it was false. So, God knows the truth value of every precisely stated proposition and God knows all propositions and there are endless propositions.

It is also the case that God does not have to learn the truth value of any given proposition. God knows immediately and ultimately every thing. God’s mind is infinite in its grasp. It does not need to learn or come up to speed on anything. There is no “Aha! moment” for God. Nothing surprises Him, nothing catches Him off guard. As Isaiah teaches (40:13,14) “Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?” These are rhetorical questions and the answer is obvious: No one has taught God. He needs no teacher. He already knows.

Finally, God’s omniscience also means that His knowledge knows no bounds. There is not a limited body of knowledge that God knows or has grasped. His knowledge is limitless, endless. He is infinite in every attribute, including His knowledge. Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering (Job 26:6). God’s knowledge extends to the height of heaven and to the depths of hell (Psalm 139:8). There is no searching of His understanding (Is. 40:28). “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Romans 11:33). God’s understanding is simply infinite (Psalm 147:5)!

It is simply impossible for finite minds such as ours to grasp infinite Mind and Knowledge. David was correct when he said, “It is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” (Psalm 139:6). While we may not be able to comprehend it, we can at least appreciate it and be humbled by it.

Eric L. Padgett