Psalm 139—God’s Omniscience (4)

The ways of Saul

The asses of Kish were lost, so he sent out his son Saul with a young servant: “Arise, go seek the asses” (1 Samuel 9:3). After three days of continuous searching, Saul wanted to give up. He and his servant had ended up far from home; farther searching would be in vain. Moreover, those at home would be more worried about their being away than about the missing asses, by which their misery would only increase. No, in the whole matter there was not the least benefit. All their efforts were in vain; only loss remained.

Yes, so it seemed, yet Saul was led by God, step by step. To him it seemed but searching and wandering; meanwhile, he went straight to where God wanted him to be. Saul was aware that God knows and guides everything. He did not turn down his young servant’s proposal: “Behold now, there is in this city a man of God…all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go” (1 Samuel 9:6).

They did not know the asses were found. Samuel would say, “As for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found” (verse 20a). Nor did Saul suspect that the Lord had made known to Samuel the previous day that he was coming: “To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over My people Israel, that he may save My people out of the hand of the Philistines…” (1 Samuel 9:16).

It started with asses that had run away. Then Saul went off to look for them. Finally, only the omniscience of God remained, and the way to Samuel was taken. Thus, God sent Saul to Samuel, and a day later he was anointed with oil from a vial: “Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over His inheritance?” (1 Samuel 10:1).

Saul realized that God knew everything; otherwise, he would not have gone to the prophet of the Lord to seek counsel. Undoubtedly, after his anointing he contemplated the whole event with deep impressions. Everything had happened in a miraculous manner, also on the way back— what Samuel had foretold him had perfectly come true. Yet, Saul never truly believed: “The ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He pondereth all his goings” (Proverbs 5:21). Never did he confess in childlike fear, “O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising…” Oh, if only he would have experienced it sincerely! He would have exclaimed, “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). How different his ways would have been. However, now his way was more and more without God and against God, which finally cast him into eternal death.

The ways of Judas Iscariot

Man can experience much; he can have experienced the clearest proofs of God’s omniscience and yet be a stranger to the saving knowledge of God. This was revealed in a poignant way with Saul and has proved equally poignant in the life of Judas Iscariot.

When Jesus sent Peter and John to Jerusalem to prepare the Passover, they asked Him, “Where wilt Thou that we prepare?” (Luke 22:9). It is grace when we turn to Him in dependence with a commission received. It is grace to know that we can do nothing in our own strength.

What wilt Thou?

How wilt Thou?

When and where wilt Thou?

“And He said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in… there make ready” (Luke 22:10&12b).

In the midst of His deep humiliation, Jesus showed the glory of His divine omniscience: When you will have come into the city, look for a man coming toward you who carries a pitcher on his shoulder. You need only follow him; you need to be in the house where he will enter. Jesus knew where that man would walk and what he would say to the disciples.

Jesus knows all things—not just half an hour in advance, but from eternity—also things which are ordinary to us. Is not His knowledge wonderful? He sees our ways and counts our steps (Job 31:4)—of the mother when she is busy in her home, when she goes to the store carrying a bag in her hand, whatever she does; of boys and girls on their way to school; of a maintenance worker who rings the doorbell.

Why did Jesus not tell Peter and John in what street they should be and what the intended house looked like? Why did He not mention the name of the owner but spoke of a man? (The original uses a word with a meaning similar to nomen nescio [abbreviated as N.N.], that is: a certain man, unknown to you.) It was because He also counted the steps of Judas and knew about the counsel of the wicked. Their hidden discussions were not hidden from Him. He knew that Judas was lurking for a suitable opportunity and time to have Him captured without an uproar. Therefore, Jesus did not speak freely. Was it not obvious that He could have avoided His capture? However, He did not want to. He well knew that His time was near, that His hour had not yet come—first He would eat the Passover with His disciples and institute the Lord’s Supper as a visible preaching that the Lamb would be slaughtered for the life of a people that is guilty unto death. Would Judas or anyone else prevent that? Hell is subject to heaven and the counsel of the wicked to God’s counsel.

Judas, did you hear what Jesus said and how He said it? Did you not understand that He was warning you severely? Jesus knew that this man carrying a pitcher would meet Peter and John in half an hour. Would He then not know that you had been gone and what you had discussed with the chief priests and captains?

What had Judas seen and heard in the past years? Did he still have no sense of Jesus’ omniscience? Was he hardening himself so much that he did not understand or take this warning to heart? For three years Jesus endured him, knowing he was a devil, and He still spent labor on him. Yet, Judas continued.

Certainly, the Scriptures had to be fulfilled, also what David had spoken centuries before: “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9). However, God’s secret counsel is executed without secret coercion. What Judas did, he did boldly and willingly. He brought his sin to maturity, quickly fulfilling the measure of his iniquity (John 13:27).

Not long after, he went in the dead of night at the head of a gang to overthrow Jesus. Jesus said to His disciples, “Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray Me” (Matthew 26:46), and before Jesus was led away to Calvary bearing His cross, Judas had hanged himself, going to his own place (Matthew 27:5; Acts 1:18&25).

Woe to the man who has never believed that Jesus is true and omniscient God.

(To be continued)

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Terug naar resultaten Printen