Reconciling God’s omniscience—the belief that He knows everything, past, present, and future—with verses like Genesis 18:21, Genesis 22:12, and Deuteronomy 13:3, which seem to suggest God is “learning” something, requires understanding the use of anthropomorphic language in Scripture. The Bible repeatedly affirms that God possesses complete knowledge. For example, Psalm 147:5 states, “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.” Similarly, Psalm 139:4 declares, “Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely,” and Acts 15:18 (NKJV) affirms, “Known to God from eternity are all His works.” Since Scripture does not contradict itself, these passages must be understood in light of God’s omniscience.
In Genesis 18:21, God tells Abraham that He is going to Sodom to “see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me.” This does not imply that God lacked knowledge but rather that He was presenting Himself as an investigative judge, using human-like language. Just as a courtroom judge may conduct an investigation before issuing a verdict, even when already knowing the facts, God engages with human events relationally. This passage is an example of theophany—God appearing in human form—where His actions mirror human processes to help Abraham understand His justice and involvement.
In Genesis 22:12, after Abraham demonstrates his willingness to sacrifice Isaac, God says, “Now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” This does not mean God learned something new, but rather that Abraham’s obedience revealed his faith in real-time. In Hebrew thought, “knowing” often signifies experiencing or confirming something through action. Here, God’s statement shows that Abraham’s faith was proven and brought to completion, not that God was previously unaware of it, as affirmed in James 2:21-22.
In Deuteronomy 13:3, God warns Israel about false prophets and states that He allows them as a test “to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” The purpose of this test was not for God to gain knowledge but for Israel to demonstrate their faith in action. Throughout Scripture, testing is a common theme (Exodus 16:4; 2 Chronicles 32:31; James 1:3), providing people with opportunities to exhibit their trust in God. While God already knows the outcome, He allows these trials to help people grow spiritually.
These passages use anthropomorphic language to describe God’s interactions with humanity in a way that people can understand. Rather than being a distant deity, God engages relationally with human history, allowing events to unfold while still knowing their outcomes. This fits within God’s sovereign plan, where He orchestrates history while allowing people to make meaningful choices. Thus, God’s omniscience is not compromised by these passages; instead, they emphasize His relational nature and the way He interacts with humanity.
Reconciling God’s omniscience (the belief that He knows everything—past, present, and future) with verses like Genesis 18:21, Genesis 22:12, and Deuteronomy 13:3, which seem to suggest God is “learning” something, requires understanding anthropomorphic language in Scripture.
1. God’s Omniscience in Scripture
The Bible repeatedly affirms that God knows all things fully:
- “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.” (Psalm 147:5)
- “Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.” (Psalm 139:4)
- “Known to God from eternity are all His works.” (Acts 15:18 NKJV)
Since Scripture does not contradict itself, these passages must be understood in light of God’s omniscience.
2. Understanding Genesis 18:21 (“I will go down now and see…”)
Context: God tells Abraham that He is going to Sodom to “see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me.”
- This does not imply God lacked knowledge, but rather that He was presenting Himself as an investigative judge, using human-like language.
- Similar to how a courtroom judge “investigates” a case before issuing a sentence—though already knowing the facts—God engages with human events relationally.
- This is a theophany (God appearing in human form), so His actions mirror human processes for the sake of Abraham’s understanding.
3. Understanding Genesis 22:12 (“Now I know that you fear God…”)
Context: After Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, God says, “Now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
- This does not mean God learned something new but that Abraham’s obedience revealed his faith in real-time.
- In Hebrew thought, “knowing” often means experiencing or confirming something through action.
- God’s statement shows that Abraham’s faith was proven and brought to completion—not that God was ignorant of it beforehand (James 2:21-22).
4. Understanding Deuteronomy 13:3 (“For the Lord your God is testing you…”)
Context: God warns Israel about false prophets and says He allows them as a test “to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
- The purpose of the test was not for God to gain knowledge, but for Israel to prove their faith in action.
- Testing is a common biblical theme (Exodus 16:4; 2 Chronicles 32:31; James 1:3) where people are given opportunities to demonstrate their trust in God.
- God already knows the outcome but allows people to grow through these trials.
Conclusion: Why Does God Speak This Way?
These passages use anthropomorphic (human-like) language to describe God’s interactions with people in a way they can understand. Instead of being detached, God engages with history relationally, allowing events to unfold while still knowing their outcomes. This fits with God’s sovereign plan, where He orchestrates history while allowing people to make meaningful choices.
Thus, God’s omniscience is not compromised by these passages; rather, they emphasize His relational nature and the way He interacts with humanity.
Views: 0
