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Genesis 6:6?????

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newgene87:
I don't believe in free will anymore and I accept the sovereignty of God fully, but the one verse that stumps me how God doesn't change his mind is Genesis 6:6 - "and it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart".... Even when I pay attention to the words as well as the text; it confuses me.... Why and how would the Lord repent that he made man?? Has Ray ever explained this "perceived" contradiction of the "unchangeableness" of Gods character?? (Numbers 23:19 - "God is not....a son of Adam, that he should repent...")

And why the distinction in verse 2, that "the SONS of God saw the DAUGHTERS OF MEN...."? Commentaries I come across always seem to mention angels or something to that nature? Just a little confused and I'm definitely not trying to turn to a pastor or church for an answer. Thanks :)

Dave in Tenn:
It's a good question and very foundational to understanding the Scripture.

Here's the full text of the article which I am excerting below.  http://bible-truths.com/twelve.htm


To the carnal mind, the above Scriptures are contradictions, and therefore proof that the Word of God is not consistently true.

Even the greatest theologians in the world deny this truth that "All is of God," because they cannot distinguish the relative from man’s doings from the absolute which is God’s doing.

In the first example man is told to seek but is also told that no man seeks. Which is it? They are both true. No man does seek God except and until God brings about circumstances wherein he does seek God. But He only does seek God because "All is of God" who brings about the circumstances whereby someone who would not seek God, now does seek God.

In the second example we are told that God changes His mind [repents], but are also told that God is not a man who repents or changes His mind. The answers are all the same. Where it appears to many that God felt sorry for ever having created mankind, He is in reality doing only that which He had determined to do from the beginning. It is only from man’s perspective that God repented or changed His mind. God always knows the "end from the beginning," and therefore is never surprised or never thwarted or frustrated requiring a change in course or a change of plans.

A few years ago someone tried to trip me up with this verse:

"They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spoke it neither came it into My mind" (Jer. 19:5).

Here, I was told, is absolute proof that God learns new things that He didn’t know before. Nonsense.

This is a simple problem of translating. The word translated "mind" in this verse is the Hebrew word leb, and it means the "heart with its feelings," not the mind. The King James very often confuses heart with mind and mind with soul, as if they were one and the same thing even though there are different words for each.

God’s plan and purpose for humanity consists of many, many things which are not after God’s own heart, but that are, nonetheless, absolutely essential for the completion of His plan:

"Say unto them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezek. 33:11).

This is God’s HEART speaking in this verse. But in the MIND of God, the death of the wicked was absolutely necessary, and a prophesied fact that could not be avoided:

"For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease, and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through" (Ver. 28).

This is but another of countless examples in Scripture that show God’s mind and His heart. God takes no pleasure or delight in His heart over the horrible things that continually happen to humanity, but nonetheless, these things are absolutely essential to the fulfillment of the plan that God has devised in His mind.

It is absolute blasphemy to think or teach that God is the Creator of all that is, but then takes zero responsibility for all the evils of that creation—ALL is of God.

JohnMichael:

--- Quote ---I don't believe in free will anymore and I accept the sovereignty of God fully, but the one verse that stumps me how God doesn't change his mind is Genesis 6:6 - "and it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart".... Even when I pay attention to the words as well as the text; it confuses me.... Why and how would the Lord repent that he made man?? Has Ray ever explained this "perceived" contradiction of the "unchangeableness" of Gods character?? (Numbers 23:19 - "God is not....a son of Adam, that he should repent...")
--- End quote ---

Dave's post hit the nail on the head where he quoted Ray's explanation of this.

The Lord didn't repent like man repents in that man turns from his wicked ways. It is the HEART of the Lord that is speaking. The word that is translated "repent" also means to pity, to be grieved, to be sorry. From man's perspective, and in man's experience, these emotions are what one feels when one has done something wrong. From God's perspective, it grieved His HEART that man would have to go through this experience of evil (because He LOVES us), but His MIND knows that this MUST happen in accord with His plan and purpose - for OUR own good.

Think of it from the position of a parent. When a parent disciplines his/her child, it grieves the parent's heart that he/she has to discipline the child, but the parent knows that the discipline is necessary for the child's own good. Love knows that the pain/discipline is necessary, but it still hurts the parent to have to do it because he/she loves the child and doesn't want to see the child hurt - much less to be the one to do the hurting. "If you (US) being wicked, know to do such things... how much more does your Heavenly Father"...

That scenario gives a glimpse of the message going on in Genesis 6:6. Our Lord pitied man since He created men spiritually weak, but He also knew that this must be.

Hope that helps.

In Him,
John

lilitalienboi16:

--- Quote from: newgene87 on October 15, 2011, 07:37:38 PM ---I don't believe in free will anymore and I accept the sovereignty of God fully, but the one verse that stumps me how God doesn't change his mind is Genesis 6:6 - "and it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart".... Even when I pay attention to the words as well as the text; it confuses me.... Why and how would the Lord repent that he made man?? Has Ray ever explained this "perceived" contradiction of the "unchangeableness" of Gods character?? (Numbers 23:19 - "God is not....a son of Adam, that he should repent...")

And why the distinction in verse 2, that "the SONS of God saw the DAUGHTERS OF MEN...."? Commentaries I come across always seem to mention angels or something to that nature? Just a little confused and I'm definitely not trying to turn to a pastor or church for an answer. Thanks :)

--- End quote ---

Why does SONS of God, have to be angels? Besides, angels are nothing more then messengers, literally, they don't have to be "angelic" in that sense.

Here are some new testemant scriptures refering to "Sons of God."

Philippians 2:15
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

1 John 3:1
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

So, These are two witnesses as to the meaning of Sons of God. Neither of them references any sort of angelic being, but rather humans.

Perhaps genesis references sons of God, as those who decended from the blood line of adam? I could be mistaken, but I just don't see it being angels fornicating with human girls. Besides; The next verse says

"And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them."

Sounds like God is going to destroy everything right? Well... wheres the mention of these of half human half angel "children" that should have been created had actual angels fornicated with the "daughters of men?"

I'm just thinking here... I could be wrong but I am pretty certain Sons of God does not mean angels... I think the scriptures know more about that and I think the two versus I quoted should help put things into perspective as far as what the term means. Again in reference to genesis, it could mean those who decended from adams bloodline.

patmokgoko:
First we need to understand that God is not a "reactor" but a "causer", second we need to draw a distinguished line between "relative and absolute" verses.
Because God has declared the end from the beginning, He also set a date and an event that will make Him say what He said in Gen 6:6. Look at this: Deut 31:16-18 God says these people will forsake me.....on that day I (God) will be angry.Judges 10:6-7 We read "And because the Israelites forsook the Lord....He became angry with them".God has already declared what is going to happen. Numbers 23:19 "Does God speak and THEN not act?". When we take "God became angry" alone without any back round it's like God was frustrated and got angry because He did not expect them to forsake Him.Looking at it closer, it is God who caused them to forsake Him,why: so that what He had declared should come to pass!I was reading with interest Exo 8:2,8:21 9:2, and 10:4, four times we read "if you Pharaoh refuse to let my people go", "if you refuse".....at face value it's like Pharaoh all by himself is refusing exit for the Israelites,but you and I know why (God has already told us He will harden the king's heart.)Your question makes perfect sense,God bless you.Time and space, bye.

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