Does God Like Surprises

Can an all knowing God ever be surprised by anything that happens. He had to know before creating Lucifer that he would fall from Grace and become the great power for evil on earth.

He had to know and say this is good and then go on to create Lucifer. Nothing Lucifer ever does can be or could have been unknown to an all knowing God. The same is true with creating Adam and Eve knowing they would succumb to the temptations of the creatures he knowingly created to tempt them. Right? How could it be different than this?

The peculiar thing to me is how the writers of the bible have stories like Sodom and Gomorrah and Noah and the arc where they seem to be trying to sell this idea that God gets really angry at discovering how things have turned out and strikes out in a rage.

How could such a thing be possible for an all knowing God? He has to be saying, ah yes this is just exactly as I planned when I created these creatures. He's just watching the play He's written unfold exactly as He conceived it. Unless you think I'm missing something?
 
Very simplistic and basic, ...God wanted children, children that would chose to love Him and Father wanted a wife and a Bride for His Son.

No surprises for God, but sure are a lot for us, ...don't you just like a good drama?
 
Yes but as long as no one gets tortured or receives eternal agony

No one is going to be tortured, God wouldn't do that, however everyone will/does have a choice, if they chose to not be with God for all of eternity, then it's not God's fault, they have to trample over the body of Jesus Christ to have it their way, ...so God says, I won't force anyone, if you chose to not chose the salvation I have provided so as to not go to the eternal punishment created for the devil and demons then it's nobodies fault but your own, ...and that is the end of the discussion.
 
Very simplistic and basic, ...God wanted children, children that would chose to love Him and Father wanted a wife and a Bride for His Son.

No surprises for God, but sure are a lot for us, ...don't you just like a good drama?


I hate drama... unless its on tv and totally scripted and its all acting.
 
I hate drama... unless its on tv and totally scripted and its all acting.

Then dear one, Father will respect that and never call you to walk on water.

During my early Christian years I read all the books I could lay my hands on about the men of faith God used and what He accomplished through them, Father knew my heart and He knew I would go for it, 23 years now with out any script, every day is a new adventure in faith, and that produces an ever increasing faith in my Lord Hab 2:4, I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I know and trust it will be for my good, ...no matter which way it goes. Rom 8:28

May I suggest you just set your heart to follow the Lord and believe in faith that He will provide His best for you, ...you just might be surprised where you will be ten years from now.

Blessings,

Gene
 
Okay, he won't call me to walk on water BC I don't like drama?

Where in the bible is that a requirement? That makes zero sense ..you know that right?

But I don't need to walk on water..just battling my old nature day to day is a hard enough task.

Shoot, being able to get into heaven alone is the biggest miracle seeing as many are called and few are chosen.
I don't need fireworks.
 
Can an all knowing God ever be surprised by anything that happens. He had to know before creating Lucifer that he would fall from Grace and become the great power for evil on earth.

OK I'll stop you right here to pick a nit.

The name Lucifer belongs to a Roman demi-god, the son of Aurora the Roman goddess of the dawn. He was inserted by Jerome into the Vulgate because Jerome had to deal with heretics and wanted to publicly daemonise the cultists that followed him.
The name stuck in the KJV and is an error. The correct word is heylel and in the Greek phōsphoros. Lucifer is NOT the name of the enemy, nor should it be used.

OK nit picked.

He had to know and say this is good and then go on to create Lucifer. Nothing Lucifer ever does can be or could have been unknown to an all knowing God. The same is true with creating Adam and Eve knowing they would succumb to the temptations of the creatures he knowingly created to tempt them. Right? How could it be different than this?

There was no surprise for God. Adam and Eve was made in God's image. Now many only use a simple way of looking at it. They think the traditional use which is appearance. But the word and context is that we were made to have the properties that God had. The freewill and the ability to become complete. Hence why Jesus said be perfect (teleios, complete) like God.

Free will HAD to be given to us, or else God would not be glorified.

What we have is a God motivated by profit. It profits him to have children that can make up their own minds and CHOOSE to be complete and to CHOOSE God.

That is why in the parable of the lost son, he tells the faithful son that his reward is already there because he followed and obeyed. The son that was lost was lavished because the father was glad to see BOTH of his children standing together as brothers within the authority of the father. Hence, he was glad ALL his children were spared from death. What parent wouldn't want to see reconciliation?

I understand that you're not quite grasping the whole idea of God and the way he thinks. And unlike others who will say that his mind is a mystery, lord only knows or worse will say that it is blasphemy to try and know the mind of God; God wants us to know how he thinks because he gave us The Word.

So you are asking, this is good. But please don't go by just oral education. Read The Word as well.

It will take time, but you'll get there if you keep seeking. Got to learn to walk before you can run.
 
Can an all knowing God ever be surprised by anything that happens. He had to know before creating Lucifer that he would fall from Grace and become the great power for evil on earth.

He had to know and say this is good and then go on to create Lucifer. Nothing Lucifer ever does can be or could have been unknown to an all knowing God. The same is true with creating Adam and Eve knowing they would succumb to the temptations of the creatures he knowingly created to tempt them. Right? How could it be different than this?

The peculiar thing to me is how the writers of the bible have stories like Sodom and Gomorrah and Noah and the arc where they seem to be trying to sell this idea that God gets really angry at discovering how things have turned out and strikes out in a rage.

How could such a thing be possible for an all knowing God? He has to be saying, ah yes this is just exactly as I planned when I created these creatures. He's just watching the play He's written unfold exactly as He conceived it. Unless you think I'm missing something?
I believe God can be surprised. Luke 15:7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Does anyone here think God does not rejoice with the rest of heaven?

We '''''assume''''' God knows everything. Does anyone know how God was made? Does anyone know God's lifespan?
We ONLY know 1. what we read in His word and 2. where the evidence points.

1. His word is crystal clear, you even mentioned it Matt, that He is NO respecter of persons Acts 10:34. This is something we all need to grasp, like Peter did ''of a truth I perceive''.

2. The evidence points to a merciful and longsuffering God. He tolerates the evil for long...because He has no hope for them?? Of course not!

God limits His omniscience for us. Why is that such a surprise to any of us? Did God not do that when He went to the cross / put Himself at the mercy of humans and the devil?

God knows everything in the sense of ''all there IS to know''. Our choices are removed from that because God is good. We know God upholds who He is to the maximum. It is bordering stupidity / very insulting to even come close to suggesting God does not give us true free will.
 
So you are asking, this is good. But please don't go by just oral education. Read The Word as well.

It will take time, but you'll get there if you keep seeking. Got to learn to walk before you can run.

Right on Dave, I'm only going to add, we need to learn to sit first (like Mary at the feet of our Lord Luke 10:42), before we learn to walk or run.

Blessings,

Gene
 
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I believe God can be surprised. Luke 15:7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Does anyone here think God does not rejoice with the rest of heaven?

We '''''assume''''' God knows everything. Does anyone know how God was made? Does anyone know God's lifespan?
We ONLY know 1. what we read in His word and 2. where the evidence points.

1. His word is crystal clear, you even mentioned it Matt, that He is NO respecter of persons Acts 10:34. This is something we all need to grasp, like Peter did ''of a truth I perceive''.

2. The evidence points to a merciful and longsuffering God. He tolerates the evil for long...because He has no hope for them?? Of course not!

God limits His omniscience for us. Why is that such a surprise to any of us? Did God not do that when He went to the cross / put Himself at the mercy of humans and the devil?

God knows everything in the sense of ''all there IS to know''. Our choices are removed from that because God is good. We know God upholds who He is to the maximum. It is bordering stupidity / very insulting to even come close to suggesting God does not give us true free will.


I don't really understand what you are saying, God can be surprised, in the verse you cited, are you saying both God and the Angels were surprised, how can that be?

The notion of being surprised necessarily deduces that there must be time involved to observe the situation, to have time there must be mass, so yes in the time-space continuum we live in there are surprises, but God lives in Eternity where there isn't mass, God is a Spirit and He doesn't have mass so He doesn't live in the time-space continuum we do, for God everything is NOW, so if everything for God is NOW how can He be surprised? Ecc 3:15

And if you can wrap your head around that here is something else to cogitate on, God-Man Jesus entered into and lived in our time-space continuum, what a trip that must of been for Him, and men can't blaspheme Father or Jesus, but they can blaspheme the Holy Spirit, who has been subjugated to live in the time-space continuum with us for the last 2,000 years.

Blessings,

Gene
 
Can an all knowing God ever be surprised by anything that happens. He had to know before creating Lucifer that he would fall from Grace and become the great power for evil on earth.

He had to know and say this is good and then go on to create Lucifer. Nothing Lucifer ever does can be or could have been unknown to an all knowing God. The same is true with creating Adam and Eve knowing they would succumb to the temptations of the creatures he knowingly created to tempt them. Right? How could it be different than this?

The peculiar thing to me is how the writers of the bible have stories like Sodom and Gomorrah and Noah and the arc where they seem to be trying to sell this idea that God gets really angry at discovering how things have turned out and strikes out in a rage.

How could such a thing be possible for an all knowing God? He has to be saying, ah yes this is just exactly as I planned when I created these creatures. He's just watching the play He's written unfold exactly as He conceived it. Unless you think I'm missing something?
You have raised a great question! The only time I see God seems to be surprised is at wickedness of man (note - only seems to be). People take this to 2 extremes.. That God does not the future and that is why He is surprised. God knows every bit and there is absolutely no free will for man.. I think Bible sort of expresses both these thoughts and it hard to reconcile these 2 truths.. I firmly believe God knows everything.. every step is ordered.. He knows beginning and the end.. He is in control of everything.. Nothing can happen without His approval.. It could be a passive or active will of God.. I also believe he has granted man ability to choice.. And He knows what man is going to choose.. You can ask if that is really free will then.. That's for another day :) I find this scripture interesting.

1 Corinthians 13
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[a] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

We all know God is love.. If so, the above verses would describe the nature of God isn't it? It might show why God seems to be surprised even when He knows beginning and the end
 
I don't really understand what you are saying, God can be surprised, in the verse you cited, are you saying both God and the Angels were surprised, how can that be?

The notion of being surprised necessarily deduces that there must be time involved to observe the situation, to have time there must be mass, so yes in the time-space continuum we live in there are surprises, but God lives in Eternity where there isn't mass, God is a Spirit and He doesn't have mass so He doesn't live in the time-space continuum we do, for God everything is NOW, so if everything for God is NOW how can He be surprised? Ecc 3:15

And if you can wrap your head around that here is something else to cogitate on, God-Man Jesus entered into and lived in our time-space continuum, what a trip that must of been for Him, and men can't blaspheme Father or Jesus, but they can blaspheme the Holy Spirit, who has been subjugated to live in the time-space continuum with us for the last 2,000 years.

Blessings,

Gene
Yes, God does not see time the same as us. No, that does not mean God cannot be surprised. God is not evil. You need to rather try grasp that God is good....and knowing people will go to hell from birth = evil..... instead of some ''space time continuum'' assumption = God cannot be surprised.
 
I don't really understand what you are saying, God can be surprised, in the verse you cited, are you saying both God and the Angels were surprised, how can that be?

You are not even trying to visualize what happens in heaven. Yes, time works differently in heaven. But that does not mean they are celebrating my soon to be converted friends conversion right now....

God won't tell them of my soon to be converted friend? Someone's soon to be converted child? You need to use lateral thought and visualize what is actually happening in heaven at the time someone converts. It is a surprise to all. Not just make an assumption '''Oh God knows all'' ...He is just not telling anyone else...that's why when someone converts they all rejoice...otherwise they would all be done with rejoicing the first day they arrived.....

Just further on the ''time in heaven'' issue...Is God waiting for us? Yes or No? Note when Jesus left earth, He said John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. He did not say 'a place is already prepared'.
 
The Bible had to be written in human terms, and through Hebrew idiom and experience, so we could understand. That is the kindness of G-d -- that He would stoop to our minimal understanding and coddle it, so we could understand. One of such examples takes note of our surprise, so we can feel the emotion of what He is teaching us.

One example I enjoy: I love it when He has it written that G-d's nose got hot with anger. Can't you almost feel that anger, then, because you've either understood such strong anger that your nose "got hot" or you can imagine it?

Sometimes, in the middle of a luscious truffle, I wonder, "Does He know what chocolate tastes like?" Or when I ate salmon with a most tasty rice and salad -- "Does He know how good this is?" Oh, I know it's silly, but I think about it anyway.
 
Can an all knowing God ever be surprised by anything that happens. He had to know before creating Lucifer that he would fall from Grace and become the great power for evil on earth.

He had to know and say this is good and then go on to create Lucifer. Nothing Lucifer ever does can be or could have been unknown to an all knowing God. The same is true with creating Adam and Eve knowing they would succumb to the temptations of the creatures he knowingly created to tempt them. Right? How could it be different than this?

The peculiar thing to me is how the writers of the bible have stories like Sodom and Gomorrah and Noah and the arc where they seem to be trying to sell this idea that God gets really angry at discovering how things have turned out and strikes out in a rage.

How could such a thing be possible for an all knowing God? He has to be saying, ah yes this is just exactly as I planned when I created these creatures. He's just watching the play He's written unfold exactly as He conceived it. Unless you think I'm missing something?
God created every thing good, not bad or evil. The Lord created man knowing that he would fall, but he did not want man to fall. It was not God's will for Adam to sin. Every being God has created has been given a will to choose to obey or not.
Everything happening in this world is not scripted by God to happen, but he does know what will happen before it happens. Man makes his choices and he suffers or receives what he sows, weather it be good or bad. There are no surprises to God nor to those who walk in His light. It has always been God's will that none should perish, but all come to salvation. That will not happen because of man's choice to choose, and God will not violate his right to choose.
 
How can anyone believe God is good if He is not surprised at someones conversion? It makes no sense. You all saying ''God is good', 'God gives us free will'....ummmm....but....God is not surprised by anything...ie God knows who is going to hell....God knows who will be saved. Such silly posts guys!!

God is surprised = good God = free will.

God is not surprised = evil God = no free will.

There is simply no way around this. Just like there was no way around the cross. God did it anyway. Because He is good and He can do anything. Even limit His omniscience.
 
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