explain why God was sorry he made man?

[godrulz]

I appreciate our dialogue.

We all claim to base on views on the Bible.

Time is not a created thing nor is it a place ('in the future', 'in the past'). Time is simply sequence, duration, succession, a concept. It is a concept in the triune relations of God, even before creation, since will, intellect, emotions, creation, etc. take duration and occur in succession. Our unique measure of time (sun, moon, stars) had a beginning, but fundamental time is an aspect of God's personal nature (see J.R. Lucas' 'A Treatise on Time and Space'). The Bible teaches endless time (duration), not timelessness (Ps. 90:2; Rev. 1:4= tensed expressions; several verses in Revelation about eternity use time references; Ps. 102:27 his years are without end= endless time vs timelessness).

Libertarian free will recognizes that it is genuine, but finite. Influence/direction is not causative. The will is the seat of moral choice, not nature. Free will theists also agree that God initiates and provides salvation and that He draws/influences/woos/persuades, but does not cause faith or unbelief. Wesley talked about prevenient grace while Calvin talks about irresistible grace (an oxymoron).

Time is not a limitation on God like it is for us. He is omnipresent and omnipotent and from everlasting to everlasting, unlike us. A-theory of time (presentism) vs B-theory of time (eternalism...your view) is biblically and philosophically defensible (see IVP "God and Time: 4 views" I think Nicholas Wolterstorff's view is the most biblical).

Prophecy and Revelation can be explained from an Open perspective. God determines some of the future (First and Second Coming of Christ, future judgments, etc.), but leaves some unsettled and open (and thus known as such). Revelation is under God's control, but it does not mean we can extrapolate omnicausality or exhaustive definite foreknowledge from this (two motifs cf. Isaiah 46 and 48). Revelation does not give a list of who will be saved or not, it does not tell us where every dog or cat will be in the future, etc. Much of it is general, predictable, or under God's ability to bring to pass without negating free will and elements of uncertainty in the future.

[godrulz]

the foreknowledge of God knew that man would sin in the Garden or Eden..wonder why he later repented that he has made man...when he

new before had he would become a sinner..just a thought if anyone has any things that might shed some light on this?

Where does it say he repenteds that he made man?..scripture please...thanks.

A Hebrew word study is in order. In the classic view, God is absolutely immutable, so He cannot repent, relent, change His mind. Yet, about 40 x God does claim to change His mind in response to changing contingencies. There is no reason to make this figurative except to retain a wrong idea.

Gen. 6:6-7 see other versions

[Guest shiloh357]

the foreknowledge of God knew that man would sin in the Garden or Eden..wonder why he later repented that he has made man...when he

new before had he would become a sinner..just a thought if anyone has any things that might shed some light on this?

Where does it say he repenteds that he made man?..scripture please...thanks.

A Hebrew word study is in order. In the classic view, God is absolutely immutable, so He cannot repent, relent, change His mind. Yet, about 40 x God does claim to change His mind in response to changing contingencies. There is no reason to make this figurative except to retain a wrong idea.

Gen. 6:6-7 see other versions

That is not true. God never changes His mind. The word resent is never used to mean that God suddenly realized He made a bad decision and decided that He was previosly wrong (which is what changing the mind means) and changed His mode of thinking. The Bible NEVER presents God in that light.

[HAZARD]

the foreknowledge of God knew that man would sin in the Garden or Eden..wonder why he later repented that he has made man...when he

new before had he would become a sinner..just a thought if anyone has any things that might shed some light on this?

God Himself said that He was sorry He created man because man had become so evil; "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." (Genesis 6:5-7)

God said it never even entered into His mind that man would offer their children on the altar of fire of Molech; "And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin" (Jer. 32:35).

Within God's realm He is omnipotent, but there are certain spheres in which He does not and cannot operate, and there are certain things He cannot do. We must therefore be sensible when we consider omnipotence, universal and unlimited power and authority within a certain sphere, or of a certain kind. God is Almighty and omnipotent in His own right of creation and redemption, and in His plan for man and all creations; but He has limited Himself in His dealings with free moral agents. He respects their will power and He gives them absolute right to act of their own free choice to conform to His will and consecrate themselves to the highest goo of being and of the universe. God has laid down laws whereby they should conduct themselves, and has made penalties for all sin and rewards for all acts of obedience. In these matters God is omnipotent, but there are certain things God cannot do.

For instance, God cannot lie " Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:" (Hebrews 6:17-19).

God cannot deny Himself or act contrary to His own eternal truth, " If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." (2 Tim. 2:13).

God cannot be a respector of persons, "For there is no respect of persons with God." (Rom. 2:11); "But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons" (Col. 3:25).

God cannot save a soul apart from faith and grace in Christ, " Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God" (Rom. 3:25); For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16); "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9).

God cannot save rebels who persist in rebellion, refusing to meet His terms, "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil" (Pr. 1:22-33); " He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy" (Pr. 29:1).

God cannot forgive unconfessed sin, " There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. (And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:1-5); "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

God cannot keep one saved who turns back into sin and continuesto live in rebellion, " But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die"(Gen. 2:7); "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul" (Ezek. 3:17-19); "Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Exek 18:4). "But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die" (Ezek. 18:24) and (Mark 7:19-21; Rom. 1:21-32; 6:16-23; 8:12-13; Gal. 5:19-21; 6:7-8.

God's compassion and love can be considered infinate and all-comprehensive, yet, He naturally has to limit the exercise of His Love to those that will not conform to His plan, " Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments" (Ex. 20:5-6).

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:16-18).

God has had to punish people whom He one time had love and compassion for. His faithfulness can be spoken of as infinate, but he must limit it according to His Plan for those who merit it (Ex. 32:7-14; 30-35).

God's plan will never fail and it is known by Him from the beginning to the end and what He plans to bring to bring to pass on Earth He has power to do, and he will do it, but concerning the free moral actions of free moral agents He does not know from all eternity what they will do before they are in existence and are here to have a part in His plan. He does not know which ones will be saved and which ones will be lost. He has made a plan for all to be saved alike and all who conform to His plan are blessed with God's predestined blessings. Those who wilfully rebel will be cursed with God's predestined punishments according to His plan.

It is His own entire plan for man and for the good of all in the universe that is known from beginning to the end by Him, not the individual conformity to it by all free moral agents. Godleaves it up to each person to freely choose their own destiny.

God definately wills that all men be saved but if man does not freel choose to be saved that is his own responsibility (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9; John 3:16; Rev. 22:17).

These Scriptures teach that God wills that all men be saved and God made this possible by sending His only Son who died in mans place to pay mans penalty for sin, but unless men do freely choose to be saved that is their own responsibility (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9; John 3:16; Rev. 22:17).

Scripture also teaches that God chose certain people to carry out and be involved in parts of His predestained plan throughout the ages, and if these people obeyed God and were true to Him they were rewarded with predestained blessings.

One example of many.

God chose Abraham to have a part in God's plan and if Abraham remained true to God, God promised Him and his seed certain blessings. How did God find out if Abraham would be true and obey Him? Why God tested Abraham.

If God knew before hand that Abraham would obey and remain true to Him, why did God have to test him?

God tested Abraham because God did not know whether Abraham would obey and remain true to God in all things. When did God know that Abraham would obey God and remain true to Him forever?

God tested Abraham by asking Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering, something Abraham knew was a terrible sin, a sin that only the pagans and heatherns did.

"And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." (Gen. 22:1-2).

Abraham obeyed God and took his son to Moriah and built an altar and laid his son upon it and;

"And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son" (Gen. 22:10).

As much as it pained Abraham he was going to obey God even to the point of killing his own son. It was at that exact moment just as Abraman was about to thrust the knife into his sons heart that God knew Abraham would remain true and obey Him in all things

"And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me" (Gen. 22:12).

When did God know?? Then, "for now I know."

And the result of God being pleased with Abraham and his loyalty and obedience God gave Abraham and his seed all the predestined blessings of His plan for man.

"And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." (Gen. 22:16-18).

Had Abraham, being a created free moral agent with the power to choose which way to go, as we all have, and refused to offer his son as God asked God would have left Abraham and God would surely have found another to take his place, as He has done with those who failed to remain true to Him.

[Guest shiloh357]

God said it never even entered into His mind that man would offer their children on the altar of fire of Molech; "And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin" (Jer. 32:35).

Jeremiah 32:35 is basically a repeat of Jeremiah 7: 31:

And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

(Jeremiah 7:31)

What God is not saying is, "I had no idea that they would do this." When God says "it did not enter my heart," it means that it was not his desire. In Hebrew the "mind" and "heart" are used interchanbably. Ancient Hebrews saw the mind and heart as the same thing. God is saying it was not commanded nor did He even desire that they should do those things.

God Himself said that He was sorry He created man because man had become so evil; "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." (Genesis 6:5-7)

"Repent" as used in this passage means that God grieved that He had made man. It does not mean that God changed His mind. If God had truly changed His mind, He would not have even spared Noah and his family. God would have simply destroyed the human race.

The fact is, God made a promise to Adam and Eve about a coming deliverer. In Genesis three we have the direct reference to Jesus in the Bible. Had God truly changed His mind about man, He would have gone back on His promise made to Adam of a coming deliverer.

Within God's realm He is omnipotent, but there are certain spheres in which He does not and cannot operate, and there are certain things He cannot do.

Then He is not omnipotent at all. There is no such thing as selective omnipotence. Either God is absolutely omnipotent in any sphere or He is not omnipotent at all. To say God is omnipotent buty only in certain places, is an internal contradiction.

It would be like saying, "Shiloh357 is world famous... in Missouri."

The Bible does not limit God's power to certain realms.

God is Almighty and omnipotent in His own right of creation and redemption, and in His plan for man and all creations; but He has limited Himself in His dealings with free moral agents. He respects their will power and He gives them absolute right to act of their own free choice to conform to His will and consecrate themselves to the highest goo of being and of the universe.

But that is not a limitation on God's power. You clearly do not have a grasp on the meaning of "omnipotence."

In these matters God is omnipotent, but there are certain things God cannot do.

Yes, God cannot do anything that is outside of His character and nature like lying, breaking a promise or committing any type of sin. However, that is not what the issue of omnipotence pertains to. Omnipotence is the power and authority to do all things that are consistent with his character/nature. God is not limited to any realm or what not. God in both heaven and earth as the power to do ANY THING He purposes to do according to His good pleasure.

concerning the free moral actions of free moral agents He does not know from all eternity what they will do before they are in existence and are here to have a part in His plan. He does not know which ones will be saved and which ones will be lost.

You do not have biblical basis for such an erroneous position. Your position denies the omnipotence of God.

[BlindSeeker]

God said it never even entered into His mind that man would offer their children on the altar of fire of Molech; "And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin" (Jer. 32:35).

Jeremiah 32:35 is basically a repeat of Jeremiah 7: 31:

And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

(Jeremiah 7:31)

What God is not saying is, "I had no idea that they would do this." When God says "it did not enter my heart," it means that it was not his desire. In Hebrew the "mind" and "heart" are used interchanbably. Ancient Hebrews saw the mind and heart as the same thing. God is saying it was not commanded nor did He even desire that they should do those things.

God Himself said that He was sorry He created man because man had become so evil; "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." (Genesis 6:5-7)

"Repent" as used in this passage means that God grieved that He had made man. It does not mean that God changed His mind. If God had truly changed His mind, He would not have even spared Noah and his family. God would have simply destroyed the human race.

The fact is, God made a promise to Adam and Eve about a coming deliverer. In Genesis three we have the direct reference to Jesus in the Bible. Had God truly changed His mind about man, He would have gone back on His promise made to Adam of a coming deliverer.

Within God's realm He is omnipotent, but there are certain spheres in which He does not and cannot operate, and there are certain things He cannot do.

Then He is not omnipotent at all. There is no such thing as selective omnipotence. Either God is absolutely omnipotent in any sphere or He is not omnipotent at all. To say God is omnipotent buty only in certain places, is an internal contradiction.

It would be like saying, "Shiloh357 is world famous... in Missouri."

The Bible does not limit God's power to certain realms.

God is Almighty and omnipotent in His own right of creation and redemption, and in His plan for man and all creations; but He has limited Himself in His dealings with free moral agents. He respects their will power and He gives them absolute right to act of their own free choice to conform to His will and consecrate themselves to the highest goo of being and of the universe.

But that is not a limitation on God's power. You clearly do not have a grasp on the meaning of "omnipotence."

In these matters God is omnipotent, but there are certain things God cannot do.

Yes, God cannot do anything that is outside of His character and nature like lying, breaking a promise or committing any type of sin. However, that is not what the issue of omnipotence pertains to. Omnipotence is the power and authority to do all things that are consistent with his character/nature. God is not limited to any realm or what not. God in both heaven and earth as the power to do ANY THING He purposes to do according to His good pleasure.

concerning the free moral actions of free moral agents He does not know from all eternity what they will do before they are in existence and are here to have a part in His plan. He does not know which ones will be saved and which ones will be lost.

You do not have biblical basis for such an erroneous position. Your position denies the omnipotence of God.

[BlindSeeker]

the foreknowledge of God knew that man would sin in the Garden or Eden..wonder why he later repented that he has made man...when he

new before had he would become a sinner..just a thought if anyone has any things that might shed some light on this?

Where does it say he repenteds that he made man?..scripture please...thanks.

A Hebrew word study is in order. In the classic view, God is absolutely immutable, so He cannot repent, relent, change His mind. Yet, about 40 x God does claim to change His mind in response to changing contingencies. There is no reason to make this figurative except to retain a wrong idea.

Gen. 6:6-7 see other versions

That is not true. God never changes His mind. The word resent is never used to mean that God suddenly realized He made a bad decision and decided that He was previosly wrong (which is what changing the mind means) and changed His mode of thinking. The Bible NEVER presents God in that light.

[Floatingaxe]

And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

(Jeremiah 7:31)

Does that mean God didn't even think that thought???? Thoughts unthought attributed to God Almighty! Figure that!

[Guest shiloh357]

And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

(Jeremiah 7:31)

Does that mean God didn't even think that thought???? Thoughts unthought attributed to God Almighty! Figure that!

What it means, as I previously indicated is that He did not desire it. My point was being made to someone claiming that God did not know that they would do something so evil.

No "unthought thoughts" are being attributed to God.

[Fraught]

the foreknowledge of God knew that man would sin in the Garden or Eden..wonder why he later repented that he has made man...when he

new before had he would become a sinner..just a thought if anyone has any things that might shed some light on this?

Where does it say he repenteds that he made man?..scripture please...thanks.

A Hebrew word study is in order. In the classic view, God is absolutely immutable, so He cannot repent, relent, change His mind. Yet, about 40 x God does claim to change His mind in response to changing contingencies. There is no reason to make this figurative except to retain a wrong idea.

Gen. 6:6-7 see other versions

That is not true. God never changes His mind. The word resent is never used to mean that God suddenly realized He made a bad decision and decided that He was previosly wrong (which is what changing the mind means) and changed His mode of thinking. The Bible NEVER presents God in that light.

not so, what about sodom and gomorrah - God said He would change his mind if 1 righteous man could be found? is God facetious? i don't think so.

also, most of the prophets, speaking God's words, warn of an if/then situation. i can think of many instances in scripture of God stating either "I will repent", or "I will not repent". another one that comes to mind besides sodom is the prophet jonah at whatever town that was. God changed his mind then.

another time God relented is when the people wanted more than 1 wife. another time when God relented is when the people wanted a king.

in response to changing contingencies. i can see your point, too, of course. you're correct in saying that God didn't suddenly realize he had made a bad decision but had already announced in advance what he would or wouldn't do based on what the people decided.

what i'd like to know, considering these examples is why is that the classic view when it is clear that God has repented, has relented and has changed his mind based on contingencies?