bgwilkinson said:
FSSL said:
I have seen some statements on this forum that give the impression that God learns.
What do you think?
No.
If God could write the names of all the elect in a book before time began it should be obvious that he does not learn.
He already knows all there is to know about everything.
"Before" is an interesting term. Many times we hear the word before and think of it in terms of time. I think in this context as in Place. God does not live in our timeline.
I believe God is Omniscient by Choice not by default of His nature. Meaning He chooses at will to be knowledgeable or not about a subject holding a position of the sense of discovery for Himself about what another intellect would do. I have what I believe 3 sure biblical examples and at least one other biblical supposition. I in no way want to diminish the power and knowledge of God in anyone's eyes. I just think it is important to get a better understanding of how this portion of His nature works. He can know anything and everything. Whether He suspends knowing at will is where I think the difference is. Many use God's "omniscience" and "omnipotence" as a reason to charge Him foolishly. When man desire to act out of the privilege we have to make intellectual choices, whether good or bad, whether self inflicted, harm from someone else or natural due to the fall of man, charging God foolishly for the privilege of choice is quite wicked.
1. When Adam Was given charge of the animals in their naming God said "And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air;
and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. " Genesis 2:19
The Hebrew word for "to see" ra?ah is the same word when Noah sent the dove out of the ark "to see" if the land was dry "Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;" Ge 8:8
2. The building of the Tower of Babel "And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded." Genesis 11:5 Again the same Hebrew word. Again it seems God came to see what men were doing.
3. Sodom and Gomorrah "And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me;
and if not, I will know." Genesis 18:20-21 Again the same Hebrew word ra?ah is used. And in this case the detail that the seeing will give the knowledge.
4. Abraham and Isaac's sacrifice. This one is really a supposition and can be argued either way but if you view it the way I have described God's omniscience then this passage also works in that context.
"And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for
because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. Genesis 22:16-18"
BTW an interesting prophetic point that I never heard taught is this Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, My son,
God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. Genesis 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and
behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram,
and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
God never provided Abraham a Lamb in this passage. It was a prophetic statement. I find it a good passage as a whole when discussing the gospel with a Hebrew person.