The Omniscience of the King

‘There is no matter hid from the king.’—2 Sam. xviii. 13.

HE very attributes which are full of terror to
i- ‘the King’s enemies,’5 are full of comfort to the King’s friends. Thus His omniscience is like the pillar, which was ‘a cloud and darkness’ to the Egyptians, but ‘gave light by night’ to the Israelites.*
The king’s own General complained of a man who did not act precisely as he himself would have acted. In his reply he uses these words, ‘There is no matter hid from the king.’ The appeal was final, and Joab had no more to say. When others say, like Joab, ‘” Why didst thou not” do so and so?’ and we know or find that full reasons cannot be given or cannot be understood, what rest it is to fall back upon the certainty that our King knows

1 I Sam. XXV. 35. 2 Eph. i. 6. 3 Col.i. 28.
?* Col. ii. 10. S Ps. xlv. 5. 6 Ex, xiv. 20.

all about it 1 When we are wearied out with trying to make people understand, how restful it is that no explanations are wanted when we come to speak to Him !1 ‘All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do;’3 and the more we have to do with Him, the more glad and thankful we shall be that there is ‘not anything’ hid from the King.3
In perplexities,—when we cannot understand what is going on around us—cannot tell whither events are tending—cannot tell what to do, because we cannot see into or through the matter before us, —let us be calmed and steadied and made patient by the thought that what is hidden from us is not hidden from Him. If He chooses to guide us blindfold, let Him do it!4 It will not make the least difference to the reality and Tightness of the guidance. 5
In mysteries,—when we see no clue—when we cannot at all understand God’s partial revelation— when we cannot lift the veil that hangs before His secret counsel—when we cannot pierce the holy darkness that enshrouds His ways, or tread the great deep of His judgments where His footsteps are not known,6—is it not enough that even these matters are not hid from our King? ‘My father will do nothing, either great or small, but he will show it me.’7 ‘For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things that Himself doeth.’8
Our King could so easily reveal everything to us,;

1 Job xxiii. lo. 2 Heb. iv. 13. 3 i Kings x. 3.
4 Isa. xlii. 16. 5 Ps. cvii. 7.
^ Ps. xcvii. 2; ib. xxxvi. 6; ib. Ixxvii. iQ, ‘ i Sam. xx. 2,
8 John V. 20.

and make everything so clear! It would be nothing to Him to tell us all our questions. When he does not, cannot we trust Him, and just be satisfied that He knows, and would tell us if it were best? He has ‘ many things to say’ unto us, but He waits till we can bear them.1
May we be glad that even our sins are ‘ not hid’ from Him? Yes, surely, for He who knows all can and will cleanse all. He has searched us and known us,’ as we should shrink from knowing ourselves, and yet He has pardoned, and yet He loves 1 *