[TruthTalk] God's foreknowledge

[ShieldsFamily]

From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Terry Clifton Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2004 9:44 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Religious Books   ShieldsFamily wrote: Oh, sorry Jonathan, I went to the website and there is a lot of explanation/information there.  One question about what he states: “I believe that sound philosophical arguments support the open view in which God doesn’t foreknow the future free decisions of humans.” How can that be true if God is actually standing outside of “time” as we know it, and can see everything from beginning to end from His perspective? Izzy Just speculating Iz,so let me throw this out for your consideration.  God is both omnipresent and omniscient, so He can know anything He wants to know.   Yet it seems to me that it would be rather boring, not to mention disheartening, to know beforehand every thing that was going to happen and how it was going to turn out.  No one wants to know beforehand how the movie ends.  I would think that God would at least at times just choose to wait and watch and see what happens.  I get the idea that He did that several times in the old testament, like when he checked out Sodom to see if it was as bad as had been reported to Him, or when He sent plague after plague on Egypt to see what it would take to break Pharaoh. Any thoughts? Terry   Terry, What if the Lord just went to “check out” Sodom for the sake of Lot?  He first visited Abraham, knowing that Abe would intercede for Lot’s family.  (Which shows how important it is to pray so that God can work His will on the earth.) You think He didn’t already know perfectly well what was going on there? God sent His word thru Moses and the plagues to harden Pharoah’s heart and to make believers out of the Jews and many Egyptians (which He knew they would).  Izzy  PS God is never bored.   Exodus 7 3   "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. Exodus 14 4   "Thus I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." And they did so