U.N. Statue

[David1701]

12 hours ago, Sower said:

I have heard similar statements before. I have also read throughout the scriptures where it is quoted many times  that God was pleased or God was angered, grieved, and even God had repented. Yet some say that he cannot repent, or change His mind. There are at least eleven instances He repented in scripture. How can God be angered/pleased with events He already planed/decided? If I turn on a light switch, why would I be angry that it came on? Would that be considered a 'God' thing, or, God's way's vs man's ways?   Perhaps you care to explain that to me.

 

So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—

and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—

for I regret that I have made them.”
 

And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.    Genesis 6:6

The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.

Gen 6, 6-7
 

God's pleasure or anger are with people, based primarily on their hearts.  God works all events according the pleasure of his own will.

An example would be when Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery.  This was with wicked intention, on the part of the brothers; yet, God also intended it to happen, for good purposes.

Gen. 50:20 (WEB) As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Regarding Gen. 6:6,7: a little thought should make it obvious that God can never regret anything, since this would mean that he had made a mistake in the first place.

Gen. 6:6,7 (WEB)

6 The LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart.
  7 The LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground—man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky—for I am sorry that I have made them.”

---The word translated "sorry", in the WEB, has the following definitions.

[*StrongsHebrew*]

5162 nacham naw-kham' a primitive root; properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly; by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself)

---Since this is clearly being used in an unfavourable sense, in these verses, the meaning is something like, "The LORD wanted to avenge himself on man whom he had made on the earth...".  This is more a righteous alteration of God's providential dealings with man and not what we would think of as repentance or regret.

[Sower]

2 hours ago, David1701 said:

God's pleasure or anger are with people, based primarily on their hearts.  God works all events according the pleasure of his own will.

An example would be when Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery.  This was with wicked intention, on the part of the brothers; yet, God also intended it to happen, for good purposes.

Gen. 50:20 (WEB) As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.

Regarding Gen. 6:6,7: a little thought should make it obvious that God can never regret anything, since this would mean that he had made a mistake in the first place.

Gen. 6:6,7 (WEB)

6 The LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart.
  7 The LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground—man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky—for I am sorry that I have made them.”

---The word translated "sorry", in the WEB, has the following definitions.

[*StrongsHebrew*]

5162 nacham naw-kham' a primitive root; properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly; by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself)

---Since this is clearly being used in an unfavourable sense, in these verses, the meaning is something like, "The LORD wanted to avenge himself on man whom he had made on the earth...".  This is more a righteous alteration of God's providential dealings with man and not what we would think of as repentance or regret.

Thanks David. Appreciate your reply.

I try to read scripture in the most simple understanding as I believed God intended, considering the majority of those hearing at that time, being uneducated, without the bible, concordances, or google.
I grow suspicious when some one corrects me by saying, "Well, what that really means is.....". I do use my concordance and interlinear Greek and Heb, and over the years have yet to find the meaning change after researching. From your reply I discovered 'more' of how that word 'repent' is described; Strong's H5162

• (Niphal)

  to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion

  1. to be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent
     to comfort oneself, be comforted
     to comfort oneself, ease oneself
     to comfort, console
     to be comforted, be consoled

• (Hithpael)

  1. to be sorry, have compassion
     to rue, repent of
     to comfort oneself, be com

 

This I can understand better if that was God's intentional meaning. These are human emotions described in above descriptions, to be sorry (for what?) to console/comfort oneself (for something going wrong?) to repent of (really sounds to me like changing His mind about what He had done, and consoling and comforting Himself) Yes, I know God is sovereign. All knowing. The I Am.
Repent used in other places then can cause confusion, as in ( change ones thinking, or repent of previous understanding (false doctrinal understanding) and receive scriptural truth necessary for faith/salvation.

Act 3:19  Repent (G3340) ye therefore, and be converted,, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Repent (G3340) metanoeó: to change one's mind or purpose.

Then God was grieved with what He had done, or at the least, the scriptures say He was.

grieved (H6087) him

• to hurt, pain, grieve, displease, vex, wrest

  1. (Qal) to hurt, pain

  2. (Niphal) to be in pain, be pained, be grieved

  3. (Piel) to vex, torture

  4. (Hiphil) to cause pain

  5. (Hithpael) to feel grieved, be vexed

'vexed'  feeling or showing irritation, annoyance, or distress

To be 'hurt, pain, grieve, displease, vex, wrest' or to be pleased indicates to me, my thinking, that the final outcome was unknown. Like I said, what causes anger, or pleasure, or a change of mind if the outcome is already known? Was God implying something not possible? (God forbid)

 

Again I thank you for your reply, David, and it helped. I suppose I'll have to wait till I'll know as I'm known in the not to distant future to fully understand...

 

 

[David1701]

3 hours ago, Sower said:

Thanks David. Appreciate your reply.

I try to read scripture in the most simple understanding as I believed God intended, considering the majority of those hearing at that time, being uneducated, without the bible, concordances, or google.
I grow suspicious when some one corrects me by saying, "Well, what that really means is.....". I do use my concordance and interlinear Greek and Heb, and over the years have yet to find the meaning change after researching. From your reply I discovered 'more' of how that word 'repent' is described; Strong's H5162

• (Niphal)

  to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion

  1. to be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent
     to comfort oneself, be comforted
     to comfort oneself, ease oneself
     to comfort, console
     to be comforted, be consoled

• (Hithpael)

  1. to be sorry, have compassion
     to rue, repent of
     to comfort oneself, be com

 

This I can understand better if that was God's intentional meaning. These are human emotions described in above descriptions, to be sorry (for what?) to console/comfort oneself (for something going wrong?) to repent of (really sounds to me like changing His mind about what He had done, and consoling and comforting Himself) Yes, I know God is sovereign. All knowing. The I Am.
Repent used in other places then can cause confusion, as in ( change ones thinking, or repent of previous understanding (false doctrinal understanding) and receive scriptural truth necessary for faith/salvation.

Act 3:19  Repent (G3340) ye therefore, and be converted,, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Repent (G3340) metanoeó: to change one's mind or purpose.

Then God was grieved with what He had done, or at the least, the scriptures say He was.

grieved (H6087) him

• to hurt, pain, grieve, displease, vex, wrest

  1. (Qal) to hurt, pain

  2. (Niphal) to be in pain, be pained, be grieved

  3. (Piel) to vex, torture

  4. (Hiphil) to cause pain

  5. (Hithpael) to feel grieved, be vexed

'vexed'  feeling or showing irritation, annoyance, or distress

To be 'hurt, pain, grieve, displease, vex, wrest' or to be pleased indicates to me, my thinking, that the final outcome was unknown. Like I said, what causes anger, or pleasure, or a change of mind if the outcome is already known? Was God implying something not possible? (God forbid)

 

Again I thank you for your reply, David, and it helped. I suppose I'll have to wait till I'll know as I'm known in the not to distant future to fully understand...

 

 

God is omniscient.  He knows the end from the beginning. 

God cannot change his mind, because he is immutable.

What God can, and does, do, is to change his providential dealings with man, based on what is righteous to do, given man's heart and deeds.

[Thornbird]

I don't think we can claim we know God is Omniscient and then say he changes what he has predetermined for humanity based on their hearts and deeds.

Because Omniscience knows hearts and deeds from beginning to end. We are all that God purposed. 

[Sower]

4 hours ago, David1701 said:

God is omniscient.  He knows the end from the beginning. 

God cannot change his mind, because he is immutable.

What God can, and does, do, is to change his providential dealings with man, based on what is righteous to do, given man's heart and deeds.

 

4 hours ago, Thornbird said:

I don't think we can claim we know God is Omniscient and then say he changes what he has predetermined for humanity based on their hearts and deeds.

Because Omniscience knows hearts and deeds from beginning to end. We are all that God purposed. 

 

"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter"
Proverbs 25:2

Still searching...

Thank you for the reply's...

 

 

 

[Marathoner]

4 hours ago, Thornbird said:

I don't think we can claim we know God is Omniscient and then say he changes what he has predetermined for humanity based on their hearts and deeds.

Because Omniscience knows hearts and deeds from beginning to end. We are all that God purposed. 

Well said, my friend. The Lord knows this can be a hard thing for man in his estate and so the prophet writes, 

But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.
(Psalm 115:3)

And the Lord declares, 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts."
(Isaiah 55:8-9)

All things serve the Lord. 

[Mama Etna]

I took some time to actually look at the photo of the sculpture and I am not seeing the beast described.  I am seeing a jaguar or cougar with wings.  At any rate it is ugly - like the UN.

[Thornbird]

6 hours ago, Marathoner said:

Well said, my friend. The Lord knows this can be a hard thing for man in his estate and so the prophet writes, 

But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.
(Psalm 115:3)

And the Lord declares, 

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts."
(Isaiah 55:8-9)

All things serve the Lord. 

Waiting for the response," Oh yeah? Do 60 million babies being aborted serve the Lord?"

You're right. " Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven."

[Thornbird]

6 hours ago, Mama Etna said:

I took some time to actually look at the photo of the sculpture and I am not seeing the beast described.  I am seeing a jaguar or cougar with wings.  At any rate it is ugly - like the UN.

Maybe so. However, there is no real reason for that monstrosity to be errected on UN property.

[teddyv]

9 hours ago, Mama Etna said:

I took some time to actually look at the photo of the sculpture and I am not seeing the beast described.  I am seeing a jaguar or cougar with wings.  At any rate it is ugly - like the UN.

What is this? An on topic post?

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