As human beings we are very good at choosing the wrong friends and, sometimes, the wrong spouse, wrong job, wrong car… you name it and we can feel sorry for ourselves! We complain that we made the wrong choices and wish we had not made a mistake. Many of us learn how to live by this hit-and-miss method.
So, when Christians read that God ‘repented’ that He had made Man, those who are disorganised in their faith, or who are blatant atheists, point to this verse and accuse God of making a mistake. But, it is THEY who make the mistake, by a very simple inability to interpret texts correctly, especially in this pre-Noahic Flood instance.
If God had to ‘repent’ then it would mean He made an error of judgment. However, this is NOT what the word means in this text!
In this text ‘repent’ means to suffer grief (as the end of the verse tells us). It does NOT mean God made a mistake, or that he was sorry he ever created mankind. Rather, He grieved because men had become so evil. The word means He was pained by it, and displeased. Thus, we are NOT told He was ‘sorry’ (our take on ‘repented’).
To say He was sorry He made mankind is an error. God CANNOT make a mistake, and all His words and acts are ALWAYS exact and what He meant. If He once made an error, it would tell us He is not God. which is why we must treat His word with caution, and with the knowledge that we are dealing in amazingly precious things.
We cannot explain why God allowed men to get this bad, but we cannot argue over what we are not told in scripture. We must be content with what we are given, and what we are given is that God originally made Man and it was ‘good’. That Man then ruined His own spiritual status is a separate issue. God CANNOT make a mistake!
© 25 July 2024
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Published on www.christiandoctrine.com
Bible Theology Ministries
Swansea
Wales
United Kingdom