DonP
Puritan Board Junior
Jer 32:35
nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.'
NKJV
How are we to best understand and explain these statements in scripture?
In debating with scholarly men who claim to hold to nothing except what scripture teaches this often arises that they say, "scripture clearly tells us God does not know all, and though He may predestine some things this does not mean He micro manages every detail of everything that goes on. There are some things He allows to proceed from the decisions men make. Some He acts on based on people's choices, and He allowed Satan to come up and say I want to torment Job."
This seems to take place in time. Did God predestine Satan to ask to afflict Job? Or did God make a decision at that time to allow it and then order things based on Job's response?
Or how do we explain that God says He changed His mind, or tells Jonah that Ninevah will be destroyed, then changes and has mercy due to their repentance. And other such changes from His initial word, Christ not knowing the day of His 2nd coming, and incidents like the following verse
1 Sam 15:11
11 "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments."
NKJV
I don't want to get into a slightly different subject at this point: that God does not take delight in the death of the wicked ; and a couple other verses His desiring all men to come to repentance, which I can only see the word all in those verses clearly meaning all US, to whom it was written in the one, the elect. And all people of all nations not just for the JEws as many thought, and all statuses, kings, rulers even as well as common or poor, in other verses. Or discussions on distinction between His will and His feelings or desire.
So please focus on the verses pertaining to God's apparent not knowing, or changing His mind, or being sad over what happens as if He could not have done it the way He pleases if He had wanted if He predestinates all things and did it before the foundations of the world.
Obviously I have my own way of explaining these consistent with the rest of scripture and Confession but I am looking for other language.
Thanks.
nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.'
NKJV
How are we to best understand and explain these statements in scripture?
In debating with scholarly men who claim to hold to nothing except what scripture teaches this often arises that they say, "scripture clearly tells us God does not know all, and though He may predestine some things this does not mean He micro manages every detail of everything that goes on. There are some things He allows to proceed from the decisions men make. Some He acts on based on people's choices, and He allowed Satan to come up and say I want to torment Job."
This seems to take place in time. Did God predestine Satan to ask to afflict Job? Or did God make a decision at that time to allow it and then order things based on Job's response?
Or how do we explain that God says He changed His mind, or tells Jonah that Ninevah will be destroyed, then changes and has mercy due to their repentance. And other such changes from His initial word, Christ not knowing the day of His 2nd coming, and incidents like the following verse
1 Sam 15:11
11 "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments."
NKJV
I don't want to get into a slightly different subject at this point: that God does not take delight in the death of the wicked ; and a couple other verses His desiring all men to come to repentance, which I can only see the word all in those verses clearly meaning all US, to whom it was written in the one, the elect. And all people of all nations not just for the JEws as many thought, and all statuses, kings, rulers even as well as common or poor, in other verses. Or discussions on distinction between His will and His feelings or desire.
So please focus on the verses pertaining to God's apparent not knowing, or changing His mind, or being sad over what happens as if He could not have done it the way He pleases if He had wanted if He predestinates all things and did it before the foundations of the world.
Obviously I have my own way of explaining these consistent with the rest of scripture and Confession but I am looking for other language.
Thanks.