When we enter a dark room, what’s the first thing we do? If we’re smart, we turn on the light. Light illuminates. It dispels darkness, and reveals what’s hidden from view. In the same way, God is an illuminating light: “He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him” (Dan. 2:22).
God’s knowledge is an inexhaustible subject. Zophar asks, “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea” (Job 11:7–9). Here, Zophar makes a comparison between our inability to measure the universe and our inability to measure God. In the time it takes me to snap my fingers, light circles the earth seven times. Traveling at that speed, it would take billions of years to reach the edge of the universe. We might be able to do the math, but the distance is beyond our comprehension. We can’t measure the heavens. How can we possibly measure God’s knowledge?
There are three things that set God’s knowledge apart from ours. First, God’s knowledge is independent. That means He doesn’t obtain His knowledge from outside of himself. We do. Our knowledge comes from parents, teachers, books, etc. But God isn’t like us: “Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?” (Isa. 40:13). Second, God’s knowledge is infallible. In other words, He doesn’t err in His knowledge. We do. There are countless things we think we know, but we don’t really. But God isn’t like us: “The LORD of hosts has sworn: ‘As I have planned, so it shall be, and as I have purposed so shall it stand’” (Isa. 14:24). Third, God’s knowledge is immutable. He doesn’t change in His knowledge. We do. Today, there are things we’ve forgotten since yesterday. Tomorrow, there will be more things we’ve forgotten. Our knowledge is in a constant state of flux. But God isn’t like us: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (Prov. 19:21). Because God is eternal (Ps. 90:2), immortal (Acts 17:24–25), and immutable (Jas. 1:17), His knowledge is an ever present. He proclaims, “Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’” (Isa. 46:9–10).
As the apostle John declares, “God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything” (1 Jn. 3:20). “God knows instantly and effortlessly,” explains A. W. Tozer, “all matter and all matters, all mind and every mind, all spirit and all spirits, all being and every being, all creature-hood and all creatures, every plurality and all pluralities, all law and every law, all relations, all causes, all thoughts, all mysteries, all enigmas, all feelings, all desires, every unuttered secret, all thrones and dominions, all personalities, all things visible and invisible in heaven and in earth, motion, space, time, life, death, good, evil, heaven, and hell.” That’s breathtaking. In our day, we’ve witnessed an explosion of information. We have an incredible amount of knowledge available to us on the Internet. It’s startling, when we compare what’s available today to what was available a mere century ago. Yet despite this information highway, our knowledge is still a proverbial drop in the ocean in comparison to God’s. He knows all things. As Daniel proclaims, “the light dwells with [God].”
As light, God is the source of all knowledge. Apart from His disclosing and enabling, there’s no knowing. In other words, knowledge is impossible apart from Him. “Truly, [our] God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries” (Daniel 2:47).
Quotable: “Wisdom among men is gained by age and experience, furthered by instruction… but the wisdom of God is his nature. As the sun cannot be without light… so neither can God be without wisdom” (Stephen Charnock).
God’s knowledge is an inexhaustible subject. Zophar asks, “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea” (Job 11:7–9). Here, Zophar makes a comparison between our inability to measure the universe and our inability to measure God. In the time it takes me to snap my fingers, light circles the earth seven times. Traveling at that speed, it would take billions of years to reach the edge of the universe. We might be able to do the math, but the distance is beyond our comprehension. We can’t measure the heavens. How can we possibly measure God’s knowledge?
There are three things that set God’s knowledge apart from ours. First, God’s knowledge is independent. That means He doesn’t obtain His knowledge from outside of himself. We do. Our knowledge comes from parents, teachers, books, etc. But God isn’t like us: “Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel?” (Isa. 40:13). Second, God’s knowledge is infallible. In other words, He doesn’t err in His knowledge. We do. There are countless things we think we know, but we don’t really. But God isn’t like us: “The LORD of hosts has sworn: ‘As I have planned, so it shall be, and as I have purposed so shall it stand’” (Isa. 14:24). Third, God’s knowledge is immutable. He doesn’t change in His knowledge. We do. Today, there are things we’ve forgotten since yesterday. Tomorrow, there will be more things we’ve forgotten. Our knowledge is in a constant state of flux. But God isn’t like us: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (Prov. 19:21). Because God is eternal (Ps. 90:2), immortal (Acts 17:24–25), and immutable (Jas. 1:17), His knowledge is an ever present. He proclaims, “Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’” (Isa. 46:9–10).
As the apostle John declares, “God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything” (1 Jn. 3:20). “God knows instantly and effortlessly,” explains A. W. Tozer, “all matter and all matters, all mind and every mind, all spirit and all spirits, all being and every being, all creature-hood and all creatures, every plurality and all pluralities, all law and every law, all relations, all causes, all thoughts, all mysteries, all enigmas, all feelings, all desires, every unuttered secret, all thrones and dominions, all personalities, all things visible and invisible in heaven and in earth, motion, space, time, life, death, good, evil, heaven, and hell.” That’s breathtaking. In our day, we’ve witnessed an explosion of information. We have an incredible amount of knowledge available to us on the Internet. It’s startling, when we compare what’s available today to what was available a mere century ago. Yet despite this information highway, our knowledge is still a proverbial drop in the ocean in comparison to God’s. He knows all things. As Daniel proclaims, “the light dwells with [God].”
As light, God is the source of all knowledge. Apart from His disclosing and enabling, there’s no knowing. In other words, knowledge is impossible apart from Him. “Truly, [our] God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries” (Daniel 2:47).
Quotable: “Wisdom among men is gained by age and experience, furthered by instruction… but the wisdom of God is his nature. As the sun cannot be without light… so neither can God be without wisdom” (Stephen Charnock).
1 comments:
I suppose you saw Stephen Hawking's claim several months ago that God is no longer necessary for explaining the creation of the universe out of nothing. Just give me gravity, he said, and a Godless creation is understandable. Most blogs I read said that if someone that smart says it, it is probably true. I've seen no refutation of his claim in mainstream or any other media. Doesn't the very definition of gravity presuppose the preexistence of matter? Let us pray for SH and those swayed by him. "...they have rejected the word of the Lord, so what wisdom is in them?" Thanks for your blog reminding us of God's true light and infinite wisdom. Bruce London
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