hi everyone,
i am needing some insight/guidance from some of you who are more advanced
in their thinking than i am. i know i am just not understanding this right or looking at it with the wrong perspective....if Ray has taught on this subject,
please just point me to that.
i am having difficulty with this:
was reading the thread a couple days ago that brought up the subject of
'repentance' and did the further reading and it brought up some questions
for me. i know that God is absolutely sovereign and knows EVERYTHING
that will happen 'from the beginning.' i THINK i understand correctly that
when Ray talks about how God brings about the circumstances that will
make us do certain things, that God doesn't necessarily think to Himself
"I think I am going to make this guy molest that little girl', so he makes the
guy do it....it is more like God brings about the circumstances and He knows
what will happen....what we will choose voluntarily to do....He KNOWS
how our mind works. okay, so then we come to the scripture that says:
Jer 32:35 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.
okay, so at face value, this scripture 'sounds' like God was suprised by what they did, but as I understand, God wasn't taken by suprise, only that He
would never Himself think to do something so awful to people, right?
okay, this is where my thinking gets all messed up.....i just can't seem to reconcile in my mind how this abomination could not enter into Gods mind
with the fact of these other scriptures:
Jos 7:15 And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
Gen 19:24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
Gen 19:25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
now, i am NOT suggesting that these scriptures 'contradict' Jer 32. I am just asking for someone to explain how all these scriptures work together in harmony, as i know they should.....right now, there is no harmony or peace when i think about these scriptures. i know that the 'sum of Thy Word is Truth." thats what i am looking for.
thanks in advance for any help,
God bless you all,
lauriellen