Perfect discernment is displayed by God and Jesus Christ. Evil spirits also have discernment, about the person and work of Christ. Discernment has been evident in the rulers and spiritual leaders of God's people, but Israel, like children and the foolish who lack judgment, failed to discern God's purpose and truth.
God's discernment
Psalm 139:1–4 See also Job 31:4, Job 34:21; Hebrews 4:13; 1 John 3:20; Psalm 19:12 God alone knows our hidden faults.
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, O LORD.
Jesus Christ's discernment
John 2:25 See also Matthew 9:4 parallels Mark 2:8, Luke 5:22 Jesus Christ discerns the thoughts of the teachers of the law; Matthew 16:23 parallel Mark 8:33 Jesus Christ discerns the source of Peter's words; Matthew 22:18 parallels Mark 12:15, Luke 20:23 Jesus Christ discerns the true motive of his questioners; John 1:47 Jesus Christ sees into the heart of Nathaniel; John 8:16 Jesus Christ has perfect discernment of right and wrong.
He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.
Evil spirits' discernment
Mark 1:23–24 parallel Luke 4:33–34 See also Mark 1:34 parallel Luke 4:41; Acts 16:17
Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cried out in the synagogue: “What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are — the Holy One of God!”
Discernment in those who govern
Joseph: Genesis 41:39; Acts 7:10; 1 Kings 3:12; 2 Chronicles 2:12; Job 12:20 elders
Examples of spiritual discernment
2 Kings 4:9 See also John 4:19, John 4:421 Kings 22:19–23 parallel 2 Chronicles 18:18–22 Micaiah discerns that a lying spirit is responsible for false prophecy. See also Jeremiah 23:16–22 Jeremiah knows that the false prophets' message is not from God; Acts 5:3 Peter is aware of the deception of Ananias and Sapphira; Acts 8:23 Peter discerns the true condition of Simon's heart; Acts 16:18 Paul discerns the spiritual source of a girl's fortune-telling ability.
Then the woman said to her husband, “Behold, now I know that the one who often comes our way is a holy man of God.
Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that. Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’ So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”
Futher examples of discernment
2 Samuel 14:18–20 David sees through Joab's ruse; 1 Kings 3:24–28 Solomon discerns a child's true mother; Nehemiah 6:12–13 Nehemiah sees through the plot against him.
Lack of discernment
Young children lack discernment
Deuteronomy 1:39 See also Isaiah 7:15–16; Jonah 4:11
And the little ones you said would become captives — your children who on that day did not know good from evil — will enter the land that I will give them, and they will possess it.
Israel's lack of discernment
Deuteronomy 32:28; Luke 12:54–56 See also Isaiah 1:3, Isaiah 5:13, Isaiah 44:18–19; Ezekiel 12:2; Acts 28:27; Isaiah 6:9–10
Israel is a nation devoid of counsel, with no understanding among them.
Then Jesus said to the crowds, “As soon as you see a cloud rising in the west, you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and that is what happens. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It will be hot,’ and it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you know how to interpret the present time?
Those who lack judgment
Proverbs 6:32, Proverbs 10:21 See also Proverbs 7:7, Proverbs 9:4, Proverbs 12:11, Proverbs 18:1, Proverbs 24:30
He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.
The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of judgment.
Other examples of lack of discernment
Psalm 82:5 the “gods” in the heavenly assembly; Micah 4:12 the nations who fail to discern God's plan
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.