DOES God know all things, or CAN God know all things?

Question

I've often wondered about this question. I lean toward the idea that God can know all things at any given moment if He so chooses to. But I don't think He just automatically knows all things. Several places in the Bible give me this impression. First, when he tested Abraham, asking him to sacrifice his son. There is argument that God knew Abraham would do so, but wanted to do this for Abraham's sake...but what about Isaac? If my dad told me he was going to kill me because God told him to, I'd have been scarred for life, even if it didn't happen. Second, God asked Adam in the Garden of Eden, "where are you?" after Adam had hid because he knew he was naked. With this, there is argument that God was asking Adam to take account of his standing with God, but does that mean God just messes with us to see us squirm? Third, in Genesis 5:6, it says "The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain." If he knew before he even created...

mankind that they would be so wicked, isn't it his own fault for continuing to create them? And if he created them anyway, does he have the right to regret doing this? Fourth, in Genesis 18 (verses 20-21), regarding Sodom and Gomorrah: 20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."

DOES God know all things, or does he have the power and authority to know all things if he so chooses? Could he maybe work on a physical level some of the time? Could it be that he doesn't want to just look into our minds and see what we think, but would rather us pray and learn about what is going on in our lives that way? Maybe?

Answer 1

A very astute observation.

Scripture assures as that God can know all things, but being all powerful certainly he has the ability to refrain from knowing certain things if he so chooses.

Thus, at Genesis 11:5-8 God is described as directing his attention earthward, surveying the situation at Babel, and, at that time, determining the action to be taken to break up the unrighteous project there. After wickedness developed at Sodom and Gomorrah, Jehovah advised Abraham of his decision to investigate (by means of his angels) to “see whether they act altogether according to the outcry over it that has come to me, and, if not, I can get to know it.” (Genesis 18:20-22; 19:1) God spoke of ‘becoming acquainted with Abraham,’ and after Abraham went to the point of attempting to sacrifice Isaac, Jehovah said, “For now I do know that you are God-fearing in that you have not withheld your son, your only one, from me.”—Genesis 18:19; 22:11, 12; compare Nehemiah 9:7, 8; Galatians 4:9.

Selective foreknowledge means that God could choose not to foreknow indiscriminately all the future acts of his creatures. This would mean that, rather than all history from creation onward being a mere rerun of what had already been foreseen and foreordained, God could with all sincerity set before the first human pair the prospect of everlasting life in an earth free from wickedness. His instructions to his first human son and daughter to act as his perfect and sinless agents in filling the earth with their offspring and making it a paradise, as well as exercising control over the animal creation, could thus be expressed as the grant of a truly loving privilege and as his genuine desire toward them—not merely as the giving of a commission that, on their part, was foredoomed to failure. God’s arranging for a test by means of “the tree of the knowledge of good and bad” and his creation of “the tree of life” in the garden of Eden also would not be meaningless or cynical acts, made so by his foreknowing that the human pair would sin and never be able to eat of “the tree of life.”—Genesis 1:28; 2:7-9, 15-17; 3:22-24.

Answer 2

You must understand that there are two parts of the bible. The old testemant and the new. The new testement was told due to how much the old testement didn't bring people to peace if they acted that way. GOD knows everything about all of his children. Now, this doesn't mean that every single person on this earth is one of his due to how many people turn against GOD. You need to read the entire bible and see for yourself why GOD is doing what he is doing. You also might try praying with your heart and I know you will get the answers you seek. Of course, if you truely don't believe in GOD then none of this is going to matter to you either way. Good luck and GOD bless you.

Answer 3

an hassle-free argument from atheists and skeptics is that if all issues prefer a reason, then God might desire to additionally prefer a reason. the tip is that if God needed a reason, then God isn't God (and if God isn't God, then of course there is not any God). that's a extremely greater state-of-the-artwork form of the hassle-free question “Who made God?” all of us know that something does not come from no longer something. So, if God is a “something,” then He might desire to have a reason, precise? The question is tough with the aid of fact it sneaks contained in the fake assumption that God got here from someplace and then asks the place that could desire to be. the respond is that the question does not even make experience. that's like asking, “What does blue scent like?” Blue isn't contained in the class of issues that have a scent, so the question itself is unsuitable. contained in the comparable way, God isn't contained in the class of issues that are created or brought about. God is uncaused and uncreated—He only exists. How do all of us recognize this? all of us recognize that from no longer something, no longer something comes. So, if there have been ever a time while there became into easily no longer something in existence, then no longer something might have ever come into existence. yet issues do exist. as a result, when you consider that there might desire to in no way have been easily no longer something, something had to have constantly been in existence. That ever-modern-day element is what we call God. God is the uncaused Being that brought about each and every thing else to return into existence. God is the uncreated author who created the universe and each thing in it.

Answer 4

Maybe Isaac still too young to know what is going on at his age. But that is my guess.. sorry..

Why does God ask questions? Why do people ask questions? 2 reasons: to get information or to simulate thought. Since God knows everything, it must be the later. This I heard from a Preacher a few months ago.

Answer 5

So, your answer to obvious contradictions to omnisicience is that there's a choice factor to omniscience? That doesn't solve the problem though - why would god choose *not* to know? I've been asking the thing about the garden for the longest time - does god make small talk? Would it not be easier (arguably better) for god to choose to know, thus save the obvious wasted time of asking Adam where he is and if they ate the apple? When does god choose to know something that he wouldn't know previously? How would god know the choice to know? (Slightly confusing, but I think you get it).

Adding choice to omniscience doesn't solve any of your problems because you'd have to explain how god would know that there's a choice to know more, and you'd have to explain why it'd be better for god to sometimes choose not to know.

Answer 6

Trying to understand God is a futile assignment. He says, "My thoughts are completely different from yours, and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55

In one passage, the bible says that before the foundations of the earth were laid, Christ was prepared to die for the sins of mankind...

What an awsome God he is!

Answer 7

Perhaps God IS all things.

Answer 8

DOES