Some verses teach that God knows and sees everything: for instance, Job 42:2; Psalm 44:21; 139:7-8; Proverbs 15:3; Jeremiah 16:17; 23:24; Acts 1:24; and I John 3:20. However, other verses teach that there are some things which God does not either know or see: for instance, Genesis 3:8; 4:14-16; 11:5; 18:9, 17-21; 22:12; 32:27; Numbers 22:9; Deuteronomy 8:2; 13:3; II Chronicles 32:31; Job 1:7; 2:2; Hosea 8:4; and Jonah 1:3, 10.
Response
Yes, God sees and knows everything.
Genesis 3:8 simply says that Adam and Eve hid from the presence of the LORD, but God knew exactly where they were “hiding.” Other verses speak of people hiding from the “face” or “presence” of God (Genesis 3:8 again, Genesis 4:14-16, and Jonah 1:3, 10). This does not mean that God does not know where these people are: but His special presence is not there since He does not approve, and His face is not toward them. He is still fully aware of their evil actions.
Other verses cite God asking a question (Genesis 18:9; 18:17-21; 32:27; Numbers 22:9; and Job 1:7; 2:2.). However, just because God asks a question does not mean that He does not know the answer. We often ask questions for which we know the answer. For instance, we may ask someone who is recovering from sickness, “How are you feeling?” We know that they do not feel well, but we want to hear their feelings and let them know that we care. A prosecuting lawyer may ask a criminal where he was on a certain hour of a certain day, knowing full well the answer, but wanting to hear it from the criminal.. Other examples exist, but God can ask a question while already knowing the answer.
Other verses speak of God wanting to “try,” “prove,” or check on something (Genesis 11:5; 22:12; Deuteronomy 8:2; 13:3; and II Chronicles 32:31). God already knows the heart of man, but He wants to bring it out into the open. For instance, a miner of gold may know that a particular ore contains a significant amount of gold, but in order to prove this to everyone, he must “try” the gold in a furnace so what is on the inside comes out. Likewise, God tests and proves people to show everyone what is inside, though He already knows. Furthermore, the fact that God closely scrutinizes something at a particular time does not mean that He was unaware of it. It just means that the time of judgment is come.
Hosea 8:4 says, “… they have made princes, and I knew it not.” However, in this verse the idea is that they did not consult the LORD, not that He had no knowledge of what they did. The phrase before says, “They have set up kings, but not by me…” Of course God had knowledge, but He was not consulted in the matter or even considered in what these people did—these people left God out of their lives.
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