I still don't get this,
how is it that God can change His mind? It came up last night, that in the book of Jonah, God once again seems to have changed his mind. " Jonah 3:10: “…He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.”
Hmmmhhgh? Hold on just one second. He threatened them, but then didn't destroy the Ninivites? If He knew that He wasn't going to destroy them to begin with, then why would He have threatened them? To coerce them to reject their evil ways? Is that alright?
To seek a random second opinion, I here lift a quote from a certain gotquestions.org .
"The Scriptures that are interpreted as God seeming to change His mind are human attempts to explain the actions of God. God was going to do something, but instead did something else. To us, that sounds like a change. But to God, who is omniscient and sovereign, it is not a change. God always knew what He was going to do."
This was quoted from what could be called the concluding statements of the article. This is what it all boils down to... and we make one big circle back to were we began. We go from Original Question -> The Bit we're specifically questioning. -> Weak Rebuttal -> To the bit from which my original question was spurred.
If God always knows what He as going to do (because He's already done it... because He's transcendent of time), then there can be no changing of mind. Unless it has been specifically calculated to bring about a specific outcome. Which would mean that God is manipulative. At which point the question becomes, are righteousness and "manipulation" mutually exclusive?
Read Rom 11:33-36. At some point we must grasp that we are not capable of fully comprehending the mind of God with our puny brains. So Do we love God, trust Him? Then we step out in FAITH in those areas that are unexplainable...Anath
ReplyDeleteI do trust Him. I'd like to think that there is a healthy balance between trusting someone because you don't know any better, and trusting them because you do. I'd like to think I am developing into the former.
ReplyDeleteI feel there are definitely areas that are important to consider, though, and by simply accepting your statement, it's glossing over the issue rather than adequately addressing it.
The implications of questions such as those that I've raised are fairly significant, I feel. And to simply ignore them are to say that there are, in fact, questions that shouldn't be asked. At least, that's the impression conveyed by pat answers.
Maybe it is Love. A Father threatening a spanking to keep us from running in the street. The "threat" of punishment is not manipulation in this case. God knows that He will not have to punish us. Sometimes He just needs to be a little dramatic to get our attention.
ReplyDeleteLove is the key. Asking any and all questions, seeking answers and researching in the scriptures are all important. I am not suggesting that you ignore any questions; keep seeking, keep asking, but when you come to the brick wall where you cannot sort out the answer, that is when the Rom 11 scriptures offer a 'rock' to hold to.
ReplyDeleteThreats are a promise of discipline. One definition of manipulation is "to manage or work with ones hands, with dexterity or skill". If a personal God loves me enough to work with His hands to direct me from harm is that a bad thing?....Anath
I like that. Alright. I can see what Kearny is saying...and that gets at exactly what I was wondering! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAnd that additional deffininition of manipulation is good. Some would say that, regardless of the intent, He caused people to believe He would do one thing, but then turn around and not carry through. And this is bad.
For now, I will disagree with that notion. Manipulation can be good. Skillful... God being dramatic. Getting our attention. Hmmm...
I read this today. A W Tozer writes of God being all-knowing: " Because God knows all things perfectly,He knows no thing better than any other thing, but all things equally well. He never discovers anything. He is never surprised, never amazed. He never wonders about anything nor (except when drrawing men out for their own good) does He seek information or ask questions." ( The Knowledge of the Holy, pp 61-62)
ReplyDeleteSomething else for us to ponder....Anath