The Omniscience of God

by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

"Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite." (Psalm 147:5)

Consider the great rhetorical question asked by the apostle Paul: "For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?" (Romans 11:34). The most learned scholars of every age are mere infants in knowledge compared to Him. "There is no searching of his understanding" (Isaiah 40:28).

Everyone who believes in God acknowledges that God, by definition, is omniscient. He created all things and upholds all things, and thus understands all things. He even knows all the future, for He is "the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity" (Isaiah 57:15), and He created time itself.

Now, while every believer acknowledges this, few really live as if they believe it. Most of the time, we live and speak and choose just as though God neither knows nor cares what we do. But He does know! "Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, . . . and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether" (Psalm 139:2-4).

Furthermore, as our text reminds us, He is not only omniscient, but omnipotent. He is "of great power." He has created all things, and because "he is strong in power; not one faileth" (Isaiah 40:26). Because He is omniscient, He knew how all things should be made, and because He is omnipotent, He made them that way. There would, obviously, be no thought whatever of a trial-and-error, random-mutation, survival-of-the-fittest, extinction-and-redevelopment sort of creative process with such a God.

Just as He made His creation "very good" (Genesis 1:31), so we, also, as believers saved by His grace, are "his workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10). He does know, and does care, and does work, in all our ways. HMM

This article was originally published February, 2010. "The Omniscience of God", Institute for Creation Research, https://www.icr.org/article/5085/ (accessed November 18, 2024).