Tag: God’s Attributes

Immortal, Invisible

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17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen. – 1 Timothy 1:17

Back to the Beginning

Today, we come full circle.  We have spent some time looking at some of the attributes of God and this is the verse we started with.  Being no theologian I had to look at the attributes through a layman’s eyes and using layman terms.  That is not only a disclaimer, it is also my apology to any theologians out there.  I am not smart enough to impress you with my knowledge, but I have tried to impress you with our God.  In the process, we have looked at His immortality, immutability, eternality, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, wisdom and holiness.  Theological words which simply mean, we are not God.  And it is best to remind ourselves of such.

Point Taken

In early 2000, I was involved in a meeting for the Pregnancy Center our church supported.  We were joined by a special guest whose life has been devoted to pro-life ministry.  Typical of meetings, we got off on a rabbit trail.  Somehow we ended up in a discussion about contemporary Christian music.  I told you it was a rabbit trail.  Our special guest let us know his opposition to much that is called Christian music when he stated, “You can take many of the songs written today and replace God with your girlfriend’s name and it would still make sense.”  And for punctuation, he added, “I would like to see you try that with Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise.”  End of the rabbit trail.  Naturally, I had to look him in the eye and ask, “How do you really feel about the subject?”  Just kidding!  He made his point loud and clear; my wife is not God!!  And she has a lot of company, which includes you and me.

Sorry Rich, No Ritz

In his famous song, Awesome God, the late Rich Mullins begins with this line, “When He rolls up His sleeves, He ain’t just putting on the ritz.”  No offense to Rich, the tune may be catchy, but I’ve always struggled with that line.  I think it is representative of what our special guest was referring to.  Despite the title, there seems to be a lack of reverence or awe.  But let’s be honest with ourselves, music writers and music label companies are putting out what sells.  Their business, like any other, is based on supply and demand principles.  Hard to point a self-righteous finger at them when they are only reflecting the “Christian” market.  Instead of having a lofty view of God, too many of us want to bring Him down to our level and assign our attributes to Him.  But when we study His incommunicable attributes, such tendencies should diminish.

Wired to Worship

Forgive me for repeating myself, but God created those of us that belong to the human race with very unique needs.  Created in His image, we were knitted in the womb hard-wired to need fellowship with the Eternal.  Our hearts beat for the stability of a God that doesn’t change.  Our minds seek a God that is all-knowing.  Our souls need an anchor who is omnipresent.  Our hope rests in a God who is all-powerful.  We are made to worship a God who is perfectly Holy.  We have to agree with Rich Mullins, He is an awesome God.  We just need to recognize how much above us He is and approach Him with reverence.

Again, I know this is repetitive, but a proper perspective of God is paramount.  Without it, we don’t have a proper perspective of ourselves, sin, and the work of redemption.  To diminish any of these perspectives is to “rob” God of the glory He deserves.  If we make God like us, we cheapen the cross.  Bringing God down to our level waters down the plan of salvation, the greatest display of God’s wisdom.  When we properly see the attributes of God, we see Him as we should, High and Lifted up; but with loving eyes cast down on us and arms extended wanting to lift us up.

Up or Down?

Rather than bringing God down to our level, we need to recognize that part of the way we bring glory to Him is by being conformed to the image of His Son.  In other words, an improper view of God is not only unfair to Him but unfair to us as well.  Our Immortal, Invisible, Only Wise God wants to conform us to the image of Christ.  Think about that.

Would you rather pull God down to earth, or have Him lift you up into the heavenlies?  Why do we insult God by attributing to Him finite knowledge, when in actuality He wants to give us the mind of Christ?  Why do we shorten the arm of God by limiting His power, when in actuality He wants to give us access to Resurrection power?  I realize that we are limited and can never become God.  But more importantly, I recognize that I can never limit God and make him like man.  In thought or in song.  I don’t want to be guilty of denying Him His honor and glory.  As the great hymn says, “Thy great Name we praise… O help us to see”

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, thy great Name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life thou givest — to both great and small;
In all life thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but nought changeth thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render: O help us to see
’Tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

The Holiness of God

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15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy. – Isaiah 57:15

Holy Holy, Holy

When we think of the holiness of God, we think of His purity.  The fact that He is morally perfect.  God is distinct or set apart.  Sin cannot touch Him and He cannot sin.  Habakkuk tells us that God’s eyes are too pure to look on evil (Hab. 1:13) and Job tells us that God cannot do evil or wrong (Job 34:10).  And then there is Isaiah’s classic account:

6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!” – Isaiah 6:1-3

In his classic, The Existence and Attributes of God, the Puritan Stephen Charnock devoted over a hundred pages to the holiness of God.  Fine print by the way!  Quite a daunting task, but how does one know when he has exhausted the topic?  More importantly, how do sinful men living in a fallen world begin to grasp the concept of holiness?  We were conceived in sin.  The moment we took our first breath our lungs were filled with contaminated air.  Purity is beyond the realm of our existence and experience.  God’s holiness places Him so far from us that comprehension of His holiness seems unattainable.  When it comes to understanding it, what hope do we have?  Christmas!!

Silent Night.  Holy Night.

In His humility, Christ exchanged His heavenly throne for a dirty manger.  The “exact representation” of the nature of God brought divine holiness to earth.  He was not conceived in sin as we are, rather He was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  Although sinless, in baptism He identified with lost sinners.  The angels that adored Him in Heaven, announced His birth on earth.  The shepherds left their post to worship the Lamb.  At His consecration, righteous Simeon held his Salvation and was content to die in peace, while faithful Anna beheld the redemption of Israel.   The three wise men traveled far to pay reverence to the King.  As instructed, Mary named Him Jesus, but Isaiah told us His name is Holy.

Holy Encounters

Holy encountered Evil in the desert, and although tempted, He never sinned.  He called sinful men to follow Him, but He never entered into their sin.  When the scribes and Pharisees brought the adulteress woman to Him, the stones they held in their hands were no match for His holiness.  Their hypocrisy was exposed and the woman was forgiven.  Jesus would dine with sinners and tax collectors (a special class of sinners apparently) but would always remain pure.  The great Physician came to call the morally sick, but He was immune to their disease.  Christ’s flesh may have veiled His holiness for a season to prevent humanity from being consumed, but His nature was always pure.  On the Mount of Transfiguration, His inner circle got a glimpse of what Christ’s flesh was covering.  A purity that no launderer could duplicate.

Holy Works

Jesus touched and healed lepers.  He commanded and raised the dead.  He rebuked and cast out demons.  He restored the sight of the blind.  He opened the ears of the deaf and loosened the tongue of the mute.  The Truth had come to set men free.  Heaven’s Light came to dispel Hell’s darkness.  Holiness came to earth so we could relate to it.  We may not completely comprehend it, but Christ has revealed it to us nonetheless.  Holiness wore our flesh.  He breathed our air.  Human blood flowed through His veins.  He made weddings and ruined funerals.  He walked with us.  He talked with us.  He slept with us.  He shook our hands.  He kissed us.  He held our babies.  He shared our laughter.  He cried with us.  He was tempted like us.

He NEVER sinned.  Holiness never can.

Christ shared in our humanity, but He did not share in our sin.  Instead, he went to the cross and took the punishment for our sin.  Even in His “trial”, the verdict was always the same, “I find no fault in this man.”  No one ever could.  He was holy, holy, holy.  And forever will be.

Holy Lesson

Jesus was prepared for His death with perfume.  His body was cleansed and covered with myrrh, aloes, and spices.  He was laid to rest in an unused tomb.  It is good to be clean, but it is better to be pure.  As Jesus taught His disciples, holiness is not external.

20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” – Mark 7:20-23

Defilement comes from within, not without.  Jesus was never defiled because unlike us, He had no evil within.  There is an old adage that says, whatever is at the bottom of the well will eventually come up in the pail.  Jesus’ well was pure.  Nothing but holiness ever came up in the pail.  His thoughts, words, and actions always revealed His holiness.  How can sinful man possibly grasp the holiness of God?  Because of Christmas.

Beholding Holy

Cling to the cross.  For our Holy One is high and lifted up.  He inhabits eternity, and His glory fills the earth. O Holy Night.  O night when Christ was born.

Who could have guessed the baby in Bethlehem’s manger could reveal the holiness of the Creator of the universe?  This Christmas take time like Simeon to behold your Salvation and join the angels in singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
    O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations!
4 Who will not fear, O Lord,
    and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
    All nations will come
    and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.” – Revelation 15:3b-4

The Wisdom of God

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20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. – 1 Corinthians 1:20-25

Christ Crucified

It’s that simple.  It is often said that the death of Christ on a Roman cross is both the greatest manifestation of the wrath and the love of God.  I certainly cannot argue either point.  But Paul adds to the wonder of the cross.  Not only is it where the wrath and love of God collided, but the cross also wonderfully displays the power and wisdom of God.

The Messiah dying on a cross was unthinkable to many Jews.  God on a cross being mocked during His execution was utter foolishness to many Gentiles.  Scriptures seem so obvious in pointing to the death of Christ as man’s only hope for salvation.  But many are too intelligent or logical (in their own eyes) to accept this truth.  We know that in reality they are blinded.  Their pride does not allow them to embrace a humble God.  Man’s unmet expectations don’t alter the Truth.  Christ crucified, though not the sign the Jews demanded or the wisdom the Greeks sought, is evidence of God’s infinite wisdom.

The Fall

We are all familiar with Genesis chapter three; when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, desiring to know what God knows.  We refer to their sin as the Fall, but do we really understand the depths to which humanity plummeted because of their disobedience?  Can we grasp the fellowship with God that was foregone because of their lust for the fruit?  As their descendants, are we really aware just how dangerous the enemy of our souls is when he begins to appeal to our pride?

Satan may be the great deceiver, but he is not the only one practicing the art.  Take an honest look in a mirror.  We share not only in the sin of Adam and Eve, but in their faults and weaknesses as well.  The family resemblance is strong.  The quest for wisdom apart from God is not only futile, it is foolish.  A foolishness with great consequences.

Clothed

How can fallen man be reconciled with God?  How can sin and perfect Holiness commune?  How can pure light look on tainted darkness?  By covering them!  Along with their deed, Adam and Eve were exposed.  Beauty became shame.  Innocence became death.  The innocent died so the guilty could be covered.  Unable to help themselves, God had to intervene.

21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. – Genesis 3:21

Eternal Wisdom

God was not surprised by the Fall.  He knows the weakness of men.  He knows the consequences of giving men the will to choose.  Before He had Adam name the animals, He knew Adam would need to be covered by their skins.  And He knew the sacrifice that would be necessary; and who would have to make it.  The wisdom of God preceded the Fall, and it preceded creation.

7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. – 1 Corinthians 2:7

As Paul discusses the wisdom of God, he tells us that God’s wisdom is eternal.  It is unlimited.  It lifts people from darkness to light.  It is the source of salvation and glory.  Those who deemed themselves to be wise in their own eyes merely carried out the plan of God for salvation by crucifying Christ.

8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. – 1 Corinthians 2:8

Christ Crucified

How else could God’s wrath be appeased?  How else could the law be fulfilled?  How else could God’s holiness be uncrompromised?  How else could the pride of man be circumvented?  How else could man’s weakness become moot?  Who but God, would decree before the ages, the crucifixion of the Lord of glory for our glory?  A God who knew that the only way for man to be lifted from his Fall was to come down and lift him up.  With a cross.  Christ crucified.  The Innocent died so the guilty could be covered.  With His righteousness.

Revealed Wisdom

Who can embrace the wisdom of God?  As Paul points out, the worldly wise, the scribes and the debaters of this age never will.  At least; not on their own.  The wisdom of God is not only eternal and limitless; it is also a secret; a mystery.  In other words, left to ourselves we would never discover or discern it.  Rather, God must reveal it to us.  And He does so through the Holy Spirit.

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. – 1 Corinthians 2:10-13

Worldly wisdom feeds the flesh.  It appeals to our pride.  It leads to self promotion.  It is foolish.  It belongs to a realm God has rescued us from by lifting us out.  Thank God we can now share in His wisdom.  True wisdom.

God Alone

Only God can comprehend His holiness.  Only God can truly understand the consequences of the Fall.  Only God in His infinite wisdom had a perfect plan of salvation.  He alone knew before the ages the sacrifice that would have to be made.  He alone knew who would have to make it.  To Him alone belongs all the glory.  God, in His wisdom, has given us His Spirit.  God in His mercy, has given us the mind of Christ. May we, like Paul, promote the wisdom of our Father.

2 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

The Omnipotence of God

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2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”- Job 42:2

Job’s Perspective

If only we all had the same perspective of God that Job did after his confrontation with his Creator.  Despite the creation account of Genesis and the “redemption” account of Exodus, followed by numerous other displays of the mighty power of God, His power is often questioned.  When a natural catastrophe occurs, many assume that God, if He exists at all, was powerless to stop it.  Certainly, we are told, He is no match for Mother Nature.  When a loved one succumbs to a terrible disease, the same charges are leveled.  If we see “innocent” young children suffering, God is accused of being either unloving or unable to intervene.  Does the fact that God is all powerful obligate Him to exercise His power according to our desires?

God’s Power & Character

God is able to “do all things”, provided those “all things” are consistent with who He is.  His power is tempered by His holiness, wisdom, perfect love, etc.  In other words, the only limitation on the power of God is His perfect character.  He can create the heavens and earth and fill them with men and beasts, stars and planets; but He cannot sin.  He can mold the mountains, carve out the canyons, and set the boundaries for the oceans and seas; but He cannot change.  Speaking light into darkness; no problem.  Bringing vegetation out of the soil; no sweat.  Breaking a promise; impossible.  God can do all things that are in accordance with His will.

Man & Creation

It was the will of God to have fellowship with man.  Accordingly, God spoke creation into existence in six days.  The light and the vegetation and the gases in the atmosphere are all in accordance with the requirements for His apex of creation to thrive.  The intricacy of the human body, the complexity of the eyes and brain, the marvel of the data in DNA, all reflect the wisdom of the Creator.  And He started with dust (in Adam’s case).  Amazing how He shapes such clay, only to have the clay question and doubt Him.

Seeing that it was not good for man to be alone, God created a helpmate out of a rib.  When sin became rampant, God flooded the entire world.  When He promised never to do so again, He put the rainbow in the sky.  He confused the plans of tower builders, He destroyed wicked cities with fire and brimstone, and He opened old and barren wombs.  He turned a sea to dry ground, brought water from a rock, and brought dry bones to life.  This is just a sampling of the power of God, a power whose evidence speaks to us every day.

24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
    who formed you from the womb:
“I am the Lord, who made all things,
    who alone stretched out the heavens,
    who spread out the earth by myself. – Isaiah 44:24

Mountain Peaks & Ocean Bottoms

Both the stars on a clear night and the clouds on an overcast day reveal the power of God.  We look up and see either in the sky above and take them for granted, but a study of the composition of either would give us a new appreciation.  Consider the size and heat of a star and try not to be impressed the next time you lift your eyes to heaven and see the sky filled with them.  As the clouds drift over us blocking out the light of the sun stop and consider how God has taken water and suspended it in space only to tell it where to drop its rain.  As God “spread out the earth by Himself”, He chose to give us majestic mountains and rolling hills.  He gave us oceans of salt water and lakes and streams of fresh water.  He made the mountain goats to ascend to the mountain peaks, and the lanternfish to plumb the depth of the sea.  He adorned the mountains with edelweiss and the seas with a giant plumose anemone.  The next time you stop to smell a rose, consider who gave it its beauty and fragrance.

A Newborn

As awe-inspiring as nature is, nothing compares with a newborn child in my book.  The same God who suspends great burning balls of gases in space and floats masses of condensed water vapors in the atmosphere knits human life in the womb.  What does He start with?  One cell from dust and one from the rib of dust.  God takes these two cells and makes a new creation.  One bearing His image.  As we hold a newborn baby and look into its eyes, we see a reflection of the incredible “power” of God.  Don’t let the little fingers and toes deceive you.  Despite its size, the child in our arms is not only special, it is extremely intricate.  The stars and oceans may remind us of the majesty of their Creator, but only the offspring of Adam and Eve, formed in the womb, can bear His image, and house His Spirit.  In fact, God Himself,  became a newborn, to show us His greatest power.

Man & Recreation

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. -Romans 1:16

I don’t understand all of the details of stars or clouds.  I have not had the vantage point of the mountain goat or lanternfish.  The human body is too complex for my comprehension.  But I have experienced the power of God for salvation, and someday will experience His resurrection power.  Not because of my intelligence, understanding or comprehension, but because of my belief.  I believe I am a sinner in need of a Savior.  I believe that Christ, as the second person of the Trinity, became a baby in a manger.  I believe that Jesus lived a perfect life; fulfilling the Law.  Further, I believe He died for my sins on the cross and three days later rose from the dead according to Scriptures.  In short, I believe the Gospel; the power of God for salvation.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. – 1 Corinthians 14:3-4

Abundant in Power

God used a star to lead the wise men to the Christ child.  He used the clouds to hide the sun when Christ hung on the cross.  He used an earthquake to release the saints from their tombs and to accompany an angel to roll away the stone.  God’s power is in accordance with His will.  His will is that all might be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).  God’s power is still being displayed on a daily basis.  God may not stop every catastrophe or every “premature” death according to our wishes, but He does offer hope for our greatest need.  And only He has the power to secure it.  Instead of questioning the power of God, why don’t you put your faith in it and experience it for yourself?  The cross and the empty tomb beckon you.

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save. – Isaiah 59;1 

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

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. – Jude verses 24 & 25

Omniscient

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139 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. – Psalm 139:1-4

Daunting Task

It is rather daunting for the finite to write about the infinite, for the sinful to write about the sinless, and the ignorant to write about the all knowing, but such is the case when men try to communicate the attributes of God.  As I try to work my way through (some of) the attributes of God, I have found this attempt to express God’s omniscience, pushed to the back burner.  I touched on the subject briefly when we looked at the fact that the “secret things” belong to God, yet there is so much more to say.  Obviously it is a topic we could never exhaust.  Fortunately that is not my goal.  Rather, my hope in writing about the attributes of God is to remove any frames you might have in your mental pictures of God.  None can contain Him.  Any delusions that we can comprehend God is not only a path down the trail of idolatry, it is flirting with blasphemy.  Such is an attempt to reduce God to the level of man.

All Knowing

When we look at today’s text, we see that David did not attribute human limitations to God or His knowledge.  According to David, God not only knew every move he made but also every thought he had.  Before a word could even cross David’s lips God already knew it.  Do we believe the same things?  Is David wrong or is he not to be taken literally?

39 Then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind) – 1 Kings 8:39

So prayed Solomon, the son of David.  According to Solomon, God, and only God, knows the hearts of all the children of mankind.  Is this possible? Jeremiah writes that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick, who can understand it?  God, Himself, answers the question, 10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17:10).  The greatest enigma is no challenge for an all-knowing God.  The heart of man may be deceitful, but God sees it clearly.

Like Father, Like Son

This ability to know every action and thought of man was also evident in Christ.  Before He ever met Philip, Jesus saw him under the fig tree.  Before He ever conversed with the woman at the well, He knew about her life history.  Furthermore, Jesus knew of the death of Lazarus before the news could reach Him.  Before the last supper, He described to His disciples in detail the person they were to meet to make arrangements.  When His audience had evil thoughts (Matthew 9:4), Jesus confronted them.  When the Pharisees had blasphemous thoughts (Matthew 12:25), He challenged them with a parable.  When the scribes entertained thoughts that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy (Mark 2:6-8), He corrected them.  When the scribes and Pharisees vindictively thought that they might be able to level an accusation against Jesus (Luke 6:6-11), He exposed their hypocrisy.

Number of Stars

Not impressed?  Let’s look at another Psalm.  4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. 5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;  his understanding is beyond measure. (Psalm 147:4-5).  From what I have read, an Australian study claims that the number of stars we can see is 70,000 million, million, million (70 followed by 22 zeros).  I have not verified that number due to a shortage of fingers and toes, but the number is not staggering to God.  He has not only created the stars, but has named each one.  God knows the way to the dwelling of light, and the place of darkness (Job 38:19).  He knows when the mountain goats give birth (Job 39:1) and when a sparrow falls (Matthew 10:29). 

Before Creation

Before Adam and Eve were created, much less ate from the forbidden fruit, God had a plan of redemption (1 Peter 1:20).  A plan which God revealed years before it’s fruition (Isaiah 7:14).   God also revealed to Isaiah His plans for Cyrus, a century before Cyrus was even born.  Likewise, Christ could see into the future.  Events such as Peter’s denial and Judas’ betrayal were known in advance to Jesus.  Same with the destruction of the Temple.  God’s knowledge has no limits.  He knows every detail of His creation, He knows our every move and thought, and He knows the future.  

Do I understand the omniscience of God?  Absolutely not.  When God challenged Job, Job’s response was classic.  He repented and covered his mouth.  The attributes of God should have the same effect on us.  God is so much above us, that all we can do is to be amazed.  While we can not grasp the knowledge of God, we can find comfort in it.

He Knows & Cares

Our omniscient God not only knows about every detail of your life; He is concerned about them.  He cares about you.  He knitted you in your mother’s womb and is cognizant of every breath you take and every beat of your heart.  Not because you are great, but because He is.  Christ tells us that our Heavenly Father knows the number of the hairs on our head to impress upon us just how intimately God knows each and every one of His children.  God is not just some piece of automation that stores a lot of information; rather, He is the intimate Being who created us for a personal relationship with Himself.  Rather than being intimidated by God’s perfect knowledge of us, we should recognize that we can approach Him just as we are.  We can have confidence that He understands our struggles and weaknesses.  He knows our cares and our doubts.  God knows we are finite, sinful and ignorant, but He loves us regardless.  He knows our deceitful hearts and offers us new ones.

I concur with Elihu.

“He does great things that we cannot comprehend.” – Job 37:5b