44. Understanding God's Knowledge

There's a world of difference between the knowledge that the creator of an object possesses about it and the knowledge that others possess regarding that same object. [III, 21] The artisan assembles his object with knowledge before it is assembled, while others acquire their knowledge by observing the finished product. When a watchmaker assembles a timepiece, he knows what every coil, gear and spring is intended to do. His knowledge precedes the assembly of the clock and is not predicated on the final product. Quite the opposite, the finished timepiece is based upon the clockmaker's knowledge.

The knowledge of others is the opposite. Their knowledge is based on observing the finished clock in action. The more one observes it, the more he will come to understand it until, eventually, he comprehends its motions and mechanisms in their entirety. There are, however, limitations. If the clock had an infinite number of motions, a person could never gain complete knowledge of its workings. Additionally, since others' knowledge of the clock comes from observation, they cannot know any motion until it occurs.

This scenario describes the difference between God's knowledge of creation and our own. We can only know the world through observation. Therefore, we cannot know things that have not yet occurred, nor can we know the infinite.

While our knowledge increases the more we observe, this is not the case with God. His knowledge is like that of the clockmaker in our metaphor. God's knowledge is not derived from things. Quite the opposite, the things themselves are created based upon His knowledge. We learn more the more we observe but everything we observe - the universe in all its intricacies - was set into motion based upon His design.

As we have previously discussed [section 3], God has no parts. His knowledge is the same as His essence. To try to understand God's knowledge would be the same as trying to understand God Himself. This is not something of which the human mind is capable.

The Rambam says that this approach is free of paradox and ascribes to God no shortcomings or limitations. Relying on this outlook will save one from heretical conclusions, such as those described in section 38.