Try to Surprise God

[rab]

God cant always communicate with us in absolute terms. For example, at the end of Abraham's big test of sacificing Isaac, God could have said, "I knew all along that you would obey my command, but I wanted everyone else to Know it too." Saying that would depressing for us to hear because it smacks of predestination, that we humans are mear puppets. When God said "Now I know that you fear God..." (Genesis 22:12) we assume He didnt know before. God knew beforehand, He knew then, and He knows now. There's a difference between knowing in theory what will happen and knowing in fact. God knew in theory what Abraham would do, but it became actual fact after it happened and God could then say "I now know FOR A FACT that you fear God..." God in a sense walks on tender ground when He communicates with us, otherwise we could easily view ourselves as having no freedom of will.

As pertains to God knowing in advance our every thought and action, I think He intentionally designed our minds, brains, to be infinitly complex and unpredictable so that even He wouldnt be able to foretell our every move. All of us have many time been able to accuratly predict what someone we know well is about to do, but we are not able to predict exactly their every move. I believe that is how God wants His relationship with intellegent beings to be. He wants real give and take with us. Can you imagine chewing the fat with a friend knowing in advance exactly what he was going to say? When I use the word "God" I'm prepared to assign that term to Christ. Perhaps God the Father does know all because that capacity is needed and that's one of the Father's roles. Remember, Christ was the God of the O.T.

[carolaa]

I believe God transcends time and space, so He doesn't need to predict the future - He knows it because He is there.

[phkrause]

Your right carolaa, we can never surprise God.

pk

[Ellen]

You said it first Bravus; I was going to point out that God is in the future as well as in the past. It isn't that He is guessing when He predicts something, like He could make a mistake if creation didn't cooperate etc.

He predicts because He KNOWS, it is a done deal. So there is no surprising God, He's the one that can continually surprise us and it's fun.

Our daughter was talking on the phone today and her kitten jumped into the wastebasket and came batting out of it at the older cat. Very funny.

We have had no end of fun enjoying the birds and squirrels at our feeder and get surprises often over the way they interact.

[teresaq]

is God "in" the future" or can He see the future?

i have only heard this concept just recently and have to wonder where it came from?

i mean on the one hand God is God and can do anything, but i dont understand why He would create our world based on such laws but live by a completely "different" set of rules.

if He can "live in the future" i have to wonder what it will be like on the new earth when He lives with us.

[teresaq]

i read the last post before reading what the op is about. this has come up elsewhere, and i can see how it would make God really awesome, but i havent been able to "buy into" it so far.

doesnt mean i never will, cause ive found my understanding to be wrong so many times as i grew in the Lord, but for now....