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Author Topic: How does God know what evil is??  (Read 5958 times)

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Morten

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How does God know what evil is??
« on: October 12, 2009, 03:52:36 PM »

Because God is love, and know what love is, does that mean he have experienced evil? Like us, if we don't know what evil is, then we neither know what love is.
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Jennie

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Re: How does God know what evil is??
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2009, 04:54:56 PM »

As for me... that one will take some thinking on!
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Kat

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Re: How does God know what evil is??
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2009, 07:09:45 PM »


Hi Morten,

Ray went into this a little bit at the '07 Nashville conference 'Who and What is Jesus? & Who is His Father?'  Here is a excerpt from that transcript.

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,4472.msg37591.html#msg37591 ---------

Gen 3:22  “And the Lord God said, now the man is become as one of Us, to know good and evil;”

When there was only God, no creation, no star systems, just God.  What did He know about evil?  What evil? 

Now He creates man and He said, “now he can become like one of Us, to know…”  and of course you can say good, because God is good.  But evil?  How did God know evil?  What in the universe... well there wasn’t a universe, well what in God then was there that was evil?  How did He know evil?  He created evil, but where did it come from?  Where did the idea come from?  When it was only God, who is righteous and good and Holy and just and all of that, where was the evil?  God was evil? 

What I’m saying is He knew evil, how did He know evil?  Now man understands evil.  They are going to be banished from the garden and they die.  This is an evil that has come upon them, because they disobeyed.  Which is another evil you see.  But God said “We understand good and evil,”( Gen. 3: 22)  Before there was a creation, God understood evil.  From where?  From what? 

[A question to Ray]  His reply; He’s just thinking ahead that He is going to create something called evil?  But where would that concept come from?  If He’s thinking ahead, He’s going to create a Son, who was going to live righteous and good.  But that comes from Him, that is what He is.  God is love, God is spirit, He’s invisible, this is what He is.  God is not evil.  How did He know evil?  I have some ideas about that.  What I’m saying is you can all see that it was there.  We’re going to go a little deeper then these other people go. 

God is all wise, all knowing, all powerful and He does not change.  Did He ever?  That’s what He is now, but did He have to go through something to become what He is.  Hmm, wow maybe there is more glory in that then you could ever conceive of.  Well why doesn’t He change?  ’What are you trying to say Ray, are you trying to insinuate that He’s learning?’  No, He knows it all.  When you reach perfection, you don’t change.  Once you reach total perfection, you do not change! Jesus Christ is the express, very absolute, image of God.  Guess what?  He doesn’t change.  You don’t change when you are perfect.  Total perfection!  Well you think about that.
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mercy, peace and love
Kat

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CrossoverManiac

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Re: How does God know what evil is??
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2009, 11:20:18 PM »

God has infinite knowledge.  He made all things in existence.  He knows what is right and wrong by His omniscience.
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legoman

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Re: How does God know what evil is??
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2009, 01:35:42 PM »

Look at 1 Cor 13, it defines love.  God is love, so it would also define God.


One of the qualities of love is this:  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  (from verse 6 in the NIV).


So, how can one NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL if you don't know what evil is?

Thus the reason why God has knowledge of evil, and why He is giving us this experience of evil.  So we will know what love is and so we can be made into His image.

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Morten

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Re: How does God know what evil is??
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2009, 02:24:02 PM »

Thanks for the answers:) but of course he have the knowledge, "So, how can one NOT DELIGHT IN EVIL if you don't know what evil is?"


The closest thing i got to the answer was from Kat, but that made me think more questions:P Its not a big deal tho, just a thought.

What i maybe meant, was closer to what ray said, "When you reach perfection, you don't change". So how can you reach perfection? And if you have always been perfect, why cant the 1 who are perfect, create something that is perfect? I know its perfect in Gods image, but then he want us to go through something (evil). So did God have to go through something, to reach total perfection? But like Ray said, "In the beginning..."

I know its  almost a impossible question to answer, but like i said, its just a thought:)

Love you all
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Astrapho

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Re: How does God know what evil is??
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2009, 09:40:38 AM »

Hmm, I think this answers your question, though not entirely sure.

A long excerpt from

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,8831.0.html

Nashville conference 2008
audio #10, last half
video #7




                           Where Did God Get Knowledge ?


...
                                   The Principal Thing

I said that Onkelos translated Genesis 1:1 not “In the beginning,”  but “In wisdom.”  “In wisdom God created the heaven and the earth.”  I couldn’t understand that, so I looked it up in Strong’s and I got all the words for wisdom and I looked them up and it didn’t make sense.  But then I did find Scriptures in the Psalms and so on, that said “In wisdom God created the heaven and the earth.”  It’s not Genesis 1:1, but it’s the same, “In wisdom God created the heavens and the earth and there are several of them.  But is that the way Genesis 1:1 could be translated?  Well apparently so.  When you look and Strong’s definition there is one word at the end of the definition.

“In the beginning” H7225  rê'shîyth
The first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically a firstfruit): - beginning, chief (-est), first (-fruits, part, time), principal thing.

He says firstfruit, beginning and then at the end it says the “principal thing.”  The principal that, what is that?  The principal thing…  and Onkelos translates “In wisdom God created the heavens and the earth.”  I just couldn’t get it and finally it hit me.  Some place the Bible must tell us what the “principal thing” is.

Proverbs 4:7  Wisdom is the principal thing;

WISDOM

There it is.  “Wisdom is the principal thing.”  Now go over to chapter 8, it talks about wisdom personified.

Pro 8:1  Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?

Pro 8:6  Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

Pro 8:12  I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
Pro 8:13  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogance, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
Pro 8:14  Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.
Pro 8:15  By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
Pro 8:16  By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
Pro 8:17  I (wisdom) love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
Pro 8:18  Riches and honor are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.
Pro 8:19  My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
Pro 8:20  I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:

Pro 8:22  The LORD possessed me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old.
Pro 8:23  I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever (before) the earth was.

Wisdom is speaking in the first person, “I” wisdom.  “I” was with the Lord in the beginning before there ever was any works.  “I”  was set up… ever the earth was”  before there was an earth.

Pro 8:24  When there was no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with waters, 
v. 25  Before mountains were settled, Before the hills was, I  brought forth. 
v. 26  While as yet He had not made the earth, or the fields or the highest parts of the dusts of the world.
v. 27  When He prepared the heavens I was there, when He set a compass upon the face of the earth,
v. 28   When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:

Who was there with God?  [Wisdom]  Wisdom!  Before anything was made, who was there with God?  [Wisdom]  Wisdom!  Where did it come from?  It took a little digging to get this out. 

Verse 24  “When there was no depths, I was brought forth.” 

Now before I get into that, understand that terms that applied to us are applied to God.  The Bible talks about men of power… does God have power?  [Yes]  Is the power that God possesses greater or lesser than the power men possesses?  [Greater]  Much greater, considerably greater, infinitesimally more greater. 

Does God have mercy?  [Yes]  Does He have more mercy than men?  [Yes]  Does God have love?  [Yes]  Same love that we have, right, same amount?  [No]  You cannot compare the love that God has with the love that we have.  Yes we have love and we kind of know what it means.  But it can not be compared with the love that God has.

Therefore whatever words are applied to us, when they are applied to Him it’s infinitesimally more greater and more profound.  Agreed?  [Yes]  Okay. 

The word there “brought forth” is H2342 chûl (khool, kheel) A primitive root; properly to twist or to dance (in some contexts, but there is only one application of it), to writhe in pain… 

Not just to hurt…  you know ‘writhing’ in pain, when you can’t even think straight. 

- bear, bring forth, calve, great, grieve, grievous, be in pain, sore, sorrow, travail (with pain).

Those are powerful words aren’t they.  If you went through all that you would think you were in childbirth.  Guess what this word means here, “I was broth forth”?  Travailed - birthed.  Can this mean what it says? 

Before God could create us and the universe and creatures in His own likeness, He had to know how to do it.  How hard was that?  ‘Oh but nothing is too hard for God.’  There is nothing too hard for God.   Too hard, that means impossible, but how close to that does it come?  Are things very very hard for God at times?  Did God ever do a honest days work?  Did God ever suffer?  Was God ever longsuffering?  Did He have to have patience? 

He could not build this universe until He possessed the wisdom to do it.  Before the creation came the master plan and the wisdom to do it.  How did He get that wisdom?  He birthed it!  Under the travail and pain and agony, that He passed on to women to experience a minute little insignificant part of what it is like to bring about children that are going to be in the image of God. 

He travailed with pain and agony, until wisdom was birthed out of Him, so that He could now build the universe.  It says so!  Well you can say, ‘I don’t see it.’  I don’t care, this wisdom was with Him before the heavens and the earth, it was with Him.  But where did it come from?  He birthed it with great pain, travail and sorrow.  It was difficult for God!  So don’t think that God hasn’t done anything for us.
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daywalker

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Re: How does God know what evil is??
« Reply #7 on: October 19, 2009, 03:23:21 PM »

Hey Morten,

I meditate on this topic quite often myself. I would imagine that once a person discovers the complete answer to this question.. he/she probably has the answers to all questions by then...


Psalms 139:6 Such knowledge is marvelous beyond me; It is impregnable; I cannot reach to it.

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of Elohim [God] to conceal a matter, And the glory of kings to investigate a matter."

Romans 11:34 For, who knew the mind of the Lord? or, who became His adviser?
35 or, who gives to Him first, and it will be repaid Him?
36 seeing that out of Him and through Him and for Him is all: to Him be the glory for the eons! Amen!



Just a few Scriptures to meditate on...

Daywalker  8)
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Marky Mark

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Re: How does God know what evil is??
« Reply #8 on: October 19, 2009, 03:43:52 PM »

Quote
Just a few Scriptures to meditate on...

Daywalker 



Christopher,great answer and Scripture. A few more if you don't mind :).


Isaiah 40:13 Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him?

1 Corinthians 2:16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.

Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.
 
Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 
 

 
 
Peace...Mark
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musicman

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Re: How does God know what evil is??
« Reply #9 on: October 19, 2009, 10:28:12 PM »

Even I know what evil is.  If it pisses off the MusicMan, then it's evil.
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Morten

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Re: How does God know what evil is??
« Reply #10 on: October 20, 2009, 06:16:44 PM »

Then i hope iam not pissing you off ;)

Verry great answers, and good scriptures. Thanks to all.

I liked psalms 139:6. It said everything.
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