OMNISCIENCE-Psalm 139

Old Testament, Psalms, Sermons

Psalm 139 video recording, 3/17/2024.

Ps139God-sees-and-knows-everything powerpoint.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me” (Ps 139:1). “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps 139:23-24).

  • Is it scary that God knows everything about you?
  • Do you want your children, parents, spouse or friends to know your every thought and desire just like God?

Psalm 139 is a combination of high spirituality, serious theological thought and strict moral application, as it tells us that no one can ever escape from God, yet the psalmist finds nothing to fear or regret from such a “scary” truth. Outline:

  1. God is omniscient [knows all] (1-6). The all-seeing.
  2. God is omnipresent [present everywhere] (7-12). The all-present.
  3. God is omnipotent [all powerful] (13-18). The all-creative. Too Wonderful for Me.
  4. God is holy (19-24). The all-holy.
This is not just solid theology, but is intensely personal. The psalmist expresses his awe that God knows him to the minutest detail (1 Sam 16:7)!
  1. Omniscience is God’s complete knowledge of him (1-6).
  2. Omnipresence is God with him in every place (7-12).
  3. Omnopotence as the Creator is God’s sovereign ownership of every part of him (13-18).
  4. Holiness (19-24) is God’s impecability and God’s will for him to be like God (Lev 19:1-2).

God is omniscient [knows everything] (1-6) and omnipresent  [everywhere at once] (7-12). Is this a threat (Ps 139:5) that makes us feel that we need to hide from God (Gen 3:7)? Or a comfort (Ps 139:10)? When we know that we are clothed in Christ’s righteousness (Phil 3:9) we can bear to let God expose us and to overcome our distorted self-deceived self-views, which are confused and biased. God’s love enables us to accept the unpleasant truth.

Because of God’s omniscience (139:1-6), his knowledge is

  1. immeasurable.
  2. instructional (“you” 9x in vs. 1-5).
  3. individual (13 personal pronouns in vs. 1-6).
  4. inspirational (Ps 139:5-6, 17, 23-24). Since God’s ability transcends my reality it’s best to bow to his immensity.

God never says, “Wow!” or “Huh?” or “Really?” or “I never knew that.” God never has to learn or research anything. History is the same as prophecy (300 predictions about Christ in the OT).

  • “Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?” (Isa 40:13-14)
  • “…he [God] knows everything” (1 Jn 3:20).
  • “For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths” (Pro 5:21).
  • “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:13).

Since God knows everything about you…

  1. God knows the worst about you (Ps 51:3-4).
  2. God knows the best about you (Jn 21:15-17). “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 Jn 3:20).
  3. God knows the potential in you (Eph 2:10; Rom 8:28-30).

Why does God (the OT) give us prophesies? “I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe” (Jn 14:29). No other religious books has predictive propheccy.

  1. Longman III, Garland. 2008. The Lord Knows Me! A. The Lord’s discernment of individuals (1-6). B. God’s perception of individuals (7-12). C. God’s purpose for individuals (13-18). D. Prayer for Vindication (13-24).
  2. Keller. 2015. You discern (1-12). When I awake (13-24).
  3. Kidner. 1975. 1. The all-seeing (Ps 139:1-6). 2. The all-present (Ps 139:7-12). 3. The all-creative (Ps 139:13-18). 4. The all-holy (Ps 139:19-24).
  4. Motyer. Psalms. 2016. No escape. No regrets. No hiding place.
  5. Stott. 1988. The All-seeing Eye of God.

Omniscience:

  1. “God’s knowledge is so profound that it encompasses even the hidden things of the human heart.” – Augustine of Hippo
  2. “In God’s omniscience, there is comfort for the believer, for it means that nothing takes God by surprise. He knows our struggles, our joys, and our deepest thoughts.” “To say that God is omniscient is to say that He possesses perfect knowledge and therefore has no need to learn. But it is more: it is to say that God has never learned and cannot learn.”― A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy
  3. “God’s knowledge encompasses not only what has happened and what will happen, but also what could have happened under different circumstances. This is the depth of His wisdom.” – C.S. Lewis
  4. “The fact that God knows everything does not negate human free will; rather, it means that God’s knowledge includes our choices and their consequences.” “God knows not only what has happened, but what would have happened if it had happened differently.” – J.I. Packer
  5. “God’s omniscience means that He is never surprised by our actions, our thoughts, or our words. He knows us intimately and completely.” “To believe in God’s omniscience is to trust in His sovereignty. He knows what is best for us, even when we cannot see the bigger picture.” – Max Lucado
  6. “God’s omniscience is not just about knowing facts; it’s about understanding the depths of our hearts, our motivations, and our desires.” “God’s omniscience is not simply knowledge of the past, present, and future; it is also knowledge of all possible worlds and all possible outcomes.” – Timothy J. Keller
  7. “God’s knowledge is not static; it is dynamic, continuously interacting with the unfolding of history and the choices of His creation.” – John Frame
  8. “God’s omniscience is not a cold, distant knowledge, but a loving, personal awareness of every detail of our lives.” “In God’s omniscience, there is both mystery and assurance. We may not understand everything, but we can trust in His perfect knowledge and wisdom.” – Charles H. Spurgeon
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