God made a mistake?

[mari_et_pere]

Gen 6:5  Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Gen 6:6  And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

So we see here that the Lord saw wickedness and evil intentions filled the hearts of mankind, so much so that He was sorry for creating them. How could God be sorry? Doesn't that imply that He made a mistake? Wouldn't he have already known what the outcome was going to be? I'm not trying to be blasphemous or anything; just wondering what your all's thoughts are.

Matt

[seminole]

I think God was sorry at the decisions early man made. Not so much sorry that He created man but sorry they didn't follow His instructions from the garden of eden on. It has always been confusing to me that God knows the future, past and present but that He doesn't stop mankind from doing what we do. It doesn't seem fair some of the things that happen to the innocent but I guess it is about choices people make. As far as God being sorry, the only thing I can liken it to is my own Mother. She taught me right but I made some bad choices that cost us all a lot. She has been very sorry that I didn't follow the sound instructions of her and my Dad but her love didn't change. She had to go through with the tough love thing of allowing me to stay in jail a few days in hopes it would make me see the error of my ways. Maybe it was that way with God.
Seminole

[YellowStone]

Matt, great question and I think the answe may suprise you

Gen 6:6  And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

Who is the LORD that is mentioned in this verse?

Well it was no other than Christ

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

So it was Christ (Jehovah) who was sorry for creating man. Why was he sorry? Could it be that his Father did not tell him of what was to happen.

Jhn 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am [he], and [that] I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

Christ being the commpasssionate being that we know he was in person, I am sure he was deeply grieved.

This is clearly not out of the realm of possibility.

What do you think?

Comments always welcome,

Your brother in Christ,
Darren

[Nancy]

Hi there all,
Hope that you are all keeping well.

I believe that this is God speaking to humans.  Relatively God, is disappointed that He created humans because of their actions. But seriously, how can God do something, then wish that He hadn't? Did the humans behaviour take Him by surprise? Of course not. He created us to be weak and to fail, otherwise why would we need a Savior?
Absolutely God knew what would happen but relatively He speaks as a human. Like when God asked Adam where he was. Didn't God know? Of course.
Hope this helps
God bless
Nancy

[mari_et_pere]

So it was Christ (Jehovah) who was sorry for creating man. Why was he sorry? Could it be that his Father did not tell him of what was to happen.

Hmm......well yes it was Christ wasn't it? But would Father God not tell Him? Why would Christ not already know what was to come? (I must confess that although I knew that all things were created by Christ, I got stuck in my former mode of thinking from how I was taught in childhood.) But that still leaves the question of why Christ wouldn't have known. I guess maybe because He only knows what The Father tells Him? As John 8:28 says, ...I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me...

Matt

[gmik]

Hi y'all!

Ray's teachings in Nashville will address this!!  Make sure you get them when posted.  Very timely question!!

PS   can't stay long--getting over 10 hr drive last nite and have a few minutes here at work.

Conference was great!!!  My only disappointment was how few forum family to meet!! I met Rene, Barbara(psalmsinger), Patrick, Joe, Craig, Bob, Jason, Akira, Dennis, and many wonderful other people..  I will edit later if I forgot someone.  I am getting s  l   e   e  p  y......

[YellowStone]

Matt,

This might help in understanding that Christ did NOT know everything.

Mar 13:32 But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.  

There could be much that we and Christ has to learn before all is said and done. That is of cause conjecture of the highest order.

Love to you in Christ,
Darren

[mari_et_pere]

Wow Darren you're right! I wonder how many times I've read over that scripture in Mark without realizing it's full implication. Man I really need to slow down when I read the word. 

Matt

[Craig]

Good question and one I seem to recall answered awhile back.

For right now I am going to lock this temporarily and try and find it.  If not I can see alot of conjecture and opinions coming forth.

Just to be clear, there is not anything wrong with the question or answers so far, I just want to find it from before.

I'll hopefully have it unlocked this evening.

Craig

[Craig]

O.K, I could not find where Ray touched on this in the past.  Kat, you have a knack for that so maybe you can.

However, I did talk to Ray about this.  Now I'm going to try and paraphrase what he said and leave out a bunch of the scripture, because I was not able to write them down, but here goes.

Nancy, was closest to getting it right about this.  Christ was using human terms and understanding to give an idea of what He was trying to convey.  Christ and the Father know of and feel emotions, else how could They impart this on man?

It would be like this, Your child is very ill (cancer) you watch the suffering they, and you, have to endure to get them well.  You may be sorrowful that they were born and having to go through their trial but you never regret they are born. 

Christ knew what the carnal/fallen man would be and the evil they would do and lessons that must be learned by creating man in His image.  It made him sorrowful, but He knew it was a necessary step in creation.

Before you all get too much into discussing this, try and wait for the conference audio and notes to come out, Ray touches on allot of Christ's character in that.

Darren great understanding of Gen 6:6, who was the Lord mentioned.  You nailed that.

Darren, what you say later about no one but the Father was correct, but it was in the context of the return of Christ, and what he knew while he was a man on this earth.  It appears, by the scriptures of Paul and John's revelations, that the Father imparted the full of his knowledge after His death and resurrection when Christ was given back His glory and power.

Christ knew what would happen concerning Genesis though.

Hope this helps some, and I hope I spoke O.K. for Ray.  Now, be patient if you can

Craig

[YellowStone]

Thanks Craig,

Sounds reasonable and truthful to me

Love to you in Christ,
Darren

[Kat]

Hi Craig,

This email of Ray's though not about Gen. 6:6, it is about God wanting to destroy the Israelite and Moses 'changed His mind.'  So it is on the same subject.

http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,2124.0.html -------

Exodus:32:10,11,12-14
>
> In this passage Moses clearly gets God to change his mind
> about destroying everybody and starting over with Moses. v11-
> but Moses pleaded with the lord his God not to do it. v12-
> Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this
> terrible disaster you are planning against you people.
>
> V14- So the lord withdrew his treat and didn't bring against
> his people the disaster he had threatened.


Dear Farmer:

So God made a mistake?  He thought that He would destroy Israel, but He was wrong?  He determined the very best course of action to take with Israel, but it was ill-conceived?  He had to relent?  He had to back down?    He had to be shown true love and righteousness by a carnal minded sinner named Moses?  It took His Own creature to show Him the way?  Moses had more wisdom than God Almighty?  God got frustrated?  Moses kept his cool?  God lost it?  Moses was more mature about the situation and was successful in showing God the error of His way? Do we think that God continues to make such rash and quick-tempered judgments to wipe out whole nations before He thinks things through thoroughly?

"For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been His counsellor?" (Rom. 11:34).  Answer?  Why MOSES, of course.  Moses became God's counsellor and set Him back on the straight and narrow and salvaged a whole nation from the indiscriminate wrath of an uncontrolled God. Not?  NOT!!!

How foolish.   "God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should REPENT"  (Number 23:19).  God wanted Moses to come to the rescue of Israel. God SET HIM UP for this very thing. God KNEW that Moses would come to the defense of his people, and this is precisely what God predetermined that Moses would do. God had no intention of destroying Israel at this time.

"So Yahwah showed MERCY [Heb:  'nacham']  concerning the evil which He spoke of doing to His people"  (Ex. 32:14, Concordant Literal Old Testament).

God be with you,
Ray
------------------------------------------------------

mercy, peace, and love
Kat

[YellowStone]

Kat,

I think the following words of Ray are priceless for the truth they contain.

How foolish.   "God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should REPENT"  (Number 23:19).  God wanted Moses to come to the rescue of Israel. God SET HIM UP for this very thing. God KNEW that Moses would come to the defense of his people, and this is precisely what God predetermined that Moses would do. God had no intention of destroying Israel at this time.

Thanks for sharing,

Your brother in Christ,
Darren

[mari_et_pere]

Craig, you cleared that up pretty good with the childhood cancer analogy, and Kat, Ray's quote that Darren ended up re-quoting cleared it up well too. Thanks guys.

Matt

[skydreamers]

I haven't had a chance to listen to the nashville audios yet so I'm looking forward to that! 

I just wanted to add something interesting I found which I believe is in line with what Craig posted.

If you have the Interlinear Scripture Analyzer (www.scripture4all.org) and you do a search on the word that is translated "repented" or "sorry" in Gen 6:6 it shows quite a few other ways in which this word was used.  Some of these variations include:

• he is comforting
  he is guiding
  he is consoling
  he is showing mercy

So for example in this verse:

Psalms 106:45
45  And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

In the ISA it transliterates this word as:  and he is showing mercy

The CLV renders the verse this way:

Psalms 106:45
45  And, for them, He remembered His covenant, So that He was merciful according to His many benignities."


What I am seeing in this, is just another angle on God being "sorrowful" at what he must necessarily put his creatures through in order for them to become in His image.  It is really His mercy, and thus His love, which is creating beings to be a part of His intimate family.  But in His mercy, He will never put His creatures through more than they are able to bear. 

I see it kind of like this whole on going process of creating humanity is like an ongoing birth.  We know the attributes of both male and female are in God.  He understands both parental aspects of raising children....and what is involved in "giving birth to them".  For this we have a "physical" example that may reflect what God is experiencing in "birthing" us:

Genesis 3:16
16  To the woman he said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.

Is there perhaps a spiritual message here in God expressing what it is for Him to bring forth children out of himself?

This thread got me thinking about this angle, and that His sorrow, or even regret, if you want to call it that, is not in the fact that He has created children, but in what it is taking to create children in the image of Himself.  I'm thinking this whole experience for God might be at least spiritually similar to some aspects of giving birth as we understand it.   Most mothers will tell you that the actual experience of child birth is PAINFUL!  And it is for the baby too, (we just can't remember that far back thankfully!   But most mothers I know will also tell you that they certainly don't regret getting pregnant and having children.  In fact, the pain of child birth is quickly forgotten once the new babe is laid into its mother's loving and awaiting arms.  It is always worth it!

So, while experiencing and coming into a knowledge of evil is necessary in this process, I can see that God grieves in His heart that He must by necessity subject His creation to futility (Rom 8:20).

I imagine God is able to endure His suffering and pain for having to put His children through suffering and pain, because He knows for certainty the end result will be successful!  All will be saved!

Peace,
Diana

[gmik]

Diana, thats the way I see it, too.  What a great thread for a re read.

This is just what we need, cuz this for sure is what a nay sayer will bring up--Well, I thought God was sorry...et.. We need to be able to answer w/ clarity and love.

Thanks all for doing the legwork for me!

[GODSown1]

yep!! Nancy! I believe U got it,
                                        Well I believe in wot u sed n e wayZ!, coz of coz GOD! knows wot Hes doin, Well doesnt HE!?? I say nO moRe!! Owt!! lol!
                                         muchLOVE!! Pera