Jer 18:8,
If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
Jer 18:10,
If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
I will repent:H5162 נָחַם nacham (naw-cham') v.
1. (properly) to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly.
2. (by implication) to be sorry.
3. (hence, in a favorable sense) to pity, console.
4. (reflexively) to rue.
5. (hence, unfavorably) to avenge (oneself).
Sure looks like God didn't know for sure what would happen and that He was willing to change His mind one way or the other. At least that's what it says if we just read what's written.
Gen 6:6,
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Here God absolutely regretted His decision to create man. God gave man free will and He doesn't always know what any individual may or may not do.
Jer 36:3,
It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.
It may be: God wasn't sure what Judah would do. At least that's what if says if we just read what's written, apart from tradition.
Gen 22:12,
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son] from me.
now I know that thou fearest God: God wasn't sure about Abraham until he was about to plunge a knife into Isaac's chest.
2 Pet 3:9,
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
This is a good one. If God wants all people to be saved, why aren't they?
Num 14:11,
And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
Did God know how long before Israel would believe Him or not? Reading what's written, it appears He didn't know.
The next few verses in Numbers shows God's first thought was to destroy Israel. Moses interceded and saved Israel. A type of Jesus there.
Isa 5:2-4,
2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
God planned for good grapes, but wild ones came up instead. God thought He was doing right by Israel, but He was surprised they didn't follow Him. He did all He could do. Why would He have done that if He knew ahead of time that Israel would reject Him?
There are countless examples where God didn't know things. The reason is simple; He gave man free will. Now, to be sure, He knows for sure He'll redeem mankind and create a new heavens and new earth, but the exact way He does that is largely dependent on the choices free will individuals make. He wants people to do the right thing, but He won't force them nor does He know for sure what people will do.
It's be a puny god indeed that simply controlled everything and everybody to do the job. It takes a far, far wiser and resourceful God to work with free will people to accomplish His goals.
Thinking God just controls everything is yet another way to diminish His greatness. It's the same with changing the brilliance of His plan for redemption, the logos of John 1:1, into Jesus. The plan is the plan and Jesus is Jesus. Jesus did the plan (logos), but the plan (logos) is not Jesus. How fantastic that God could convince a man, tempted in all point just like you and I (do you feel like you're God when tempted? Well then, neither did Jesus, else his temptation would have been nothing like yours or mine), to do His will to perfection. Giving us free will is absolutely essential to our loving God. He didn't force any of us to confess His son as Lord and believe that He raised him from the dead. Pure free will, and although God would like to see everybody do that (2 Pet 3:9), He's not sure who will and who won't until the curtain goes down.
God didn't always know what He'd have to do. It depended on Man's response. Hence His deceleration that He'd be whatever He had to be in order to protect Israel. Like I said, He knew for certain that in the end He'd get His way. He just wasn't sure exactly how it would go. He had to be flexible, i.e. "I will be what I will be." God will not change His flexibility!
Time to reconsider tradition.