A man "knowing" a woman is an Ancient Near Eastern way of saying the had sex.
Well, right; that's was my point. But what did God create sex for humans ~ to be between one man and one woman, of course ~ as the highest human expression of, Rich? If you answer that correctly, which surely you can/will, then you will understand that it is inclusive of, but actually far, far more than merely sexual intercourse.
Why didn't God say, "Ha...I knew all along you would obey me" instead of, "Now I know..." If it were any other piece of literature, we would all know that by saying, "now I know..." clearly means that he didn't know before that.
God did test Abraham, for sure, and Abraham passed, but I would argue that you are not reading Moses's words (breathed by God Himself) for all they're worth. God knew all along what Abraham would do, and that really, rather than proving anything to God, Abraham really proved what God had done for him and in him by believing and trusting God and proving the faith God had given him. This is what James, in James 1, says about our trials, that God's testing of our faith produces steadfastness, which finally will have its full effect, that we may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. And as Paul says in Philippians 2, we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God Who works in us, both to (so that we) will and to (so that we) work for his good pleasure. It is all a work of God. My favorite hymn,
How Firm a Foundation, the lyrics reflect what God says through scripture to all of us,
"The flame will not hurt you, I only design, thy dross to remove, and thy gold to refine."
In the Ancient Near East, an agent was considered virtually identical to the one who sent him, so it's not at all strange that the agent of God would be closely associated with God. Genesis 22:11 really says, "of YHWH." There is no word "of" in Hebrew, but the inflection of the word YHWH shows it to be, "of YHWH."
Exactly right, but "of YHVH" is to say, really, one and the same as YHVH (with the Father and the Spirit).
It's only in the human sense that we can choose good?
You're purposely conflating two very different things ~ good things, in an earthly, human sense, and the Good (capitalized; see above), in the spiritual, Godly sense, and
the way,
the truth,
and the life, which Jesus Himself
is, per His exact words. Very hard to believe, Rich, that you are not, as I said before, being quite disingenuous. I know you're much smarter than that.
God knows we really don't have that ability? Yikes! Then God was just playing games with Israel when He suggested they chose good?
Again, conflating. Surely you know, Rich, that Jesus said to His disciples (and by extension us):
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide..." (John 15:16).
Now, He's not saying they "didn't make a choice," but it was His choice that was effectual. He chose us, that we should go and bear fruit.
And this was shortly after some Jews gathered around him and... well, here's the passage:
"(They) said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, saying, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one." (John 10:24-31).
I underlined 'because' in that passage; surely you see the cause and effect. Many inadvertently reverse that cause and effect relationship. Quit doing it; stop it.
Deut 30:19, I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live[/QUOTE]
He called in Israel to do that, Rich. This is the general call of the Gospel. That was set before the Israelites then, and it is set before the world now.
I think perhaps this is why you don't understand my saying that Jesus is a hero for obeying God perfectly, including allowing himself to be crucified. Much more so than had he just been God.
As Paul says in Philippians 2 (and yes, I know the Watchtower's twisting of this passage into something it is not very well), "Christ Jesus, Who, though He was in the form of God..." (of the same essence and nature as the Father) "...did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped..." (taken full advantage of, used) "...but emptied Himself..." (laid aside, though still in full possession of, His deity) "...by taking the form of a servant..." (again, of the same essence and nature as, but this time man) "...being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:5-8).
I guess in your mind, it was all determined ahead of time that he would do what he did.
LOL! Yes, this was God's plan from the beginning. We first see it in God's promise in Genesis 3:15, where, to Satan, He says, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He (Jesus) shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." God is not somehow "surprised" by anything. There was never any "Plan B."
It certainly must have been tempting...
Yes, as the writer of Hebrews says, He was tempted in every way we are, but yet remained without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
...but as he said in Gethsemane, he subjugated his free will to that of God's will.
That He did. Perfectly. And we should, too.
If he had had no choice in the matter, big deal. He did what God programmed him to do, or rather I should say what God forced him to do (hence my assertion that God would be a big bully).
LOL! Okay, sure.
Right, the Father did not "hold a gun to" the Son's "head."
He did it willingly ~ humbled Himself ~ as Paul says in Philippians 2.
But if Jesus really had a genuine choice in he matter and did it anyway, can't you see the greatness of what he did?
Of course. That's really the thing through all of this, that the greatness that you see is but a shadow of the greatness that it really is! This "greatness" that you see may be quite great, but is actually far too small! But He, unlike us, was able, even in His human nature, even
wanting ~ was in agony and praying earnestly, even to the point of sweating like great drops of blood ~ "this cup" to be removed from Him, was able to submit Himself perfectly to the will of the Father. Yes, you're at least sort of, albeit unintentionally, making my point for me. Although I'm sure you will deny it, thank you for that.
Of course you may be so against everything I say, that you may be predisposed to not see it. Sad, because it certainly raises the scriptures from a grainy black and white to a most brilliant technicolor!
I don't really like the technicolor image, because technicolor, as you know, I'm sure, Rich, is artificial. But I understand what you are saying, and in that spirit, I agree, and would throw that predisposition ball right back to you, my friend.
God wasn't sure Jesus would go the distance until he hung his head and said, "it is finished."
God was sure from the beginning, as I said, because He was the one that set it all to happen, even before the foundation of the world. Jesus, in saying "It is finished," Rich, was pronouncing His work of redemption, eternally decreed by the Father, as done and fully accomplished. And He could not have done this unless He was ~ and is ~ God in the flesh.
If I'm right, can you imagine the joy in God's heart when he said that. It was done! God's plan, the logos of John 1, was finished!
Absolutely. Hallelujah! Praise God.
Our free will is only an illusion?
I have never said such a thing. The issue is not of the will. The issue is the heart. I could have said that at the outset...
I have, actually, but just not in this post.
If God knew I'd lie today at 3:00 PM, then I will lie at 3:00 PM. I may feel as though I have a choice, but I obviously really didn't. There is not much difference in God causing everything that happens and knowing everything that will happen. If He really knew that I'd lie, then He may as well force me to lie, because I would have had no chance not to lie.
This really makes no sense, Rich.
I mean, I understand, but it's kind of nonsensical, really. Again, inadvertently, you're conflating two different things.
Grace and peace to you.
