Re: The lot is cast ...
Jan de Koning (dekoning@idirect.com)
Fri, 12 Dec 1997 11:18:06 -0500It is difficult to jump into a discussion, without further clarification.
If you were sitting in my livingroom, I would say: Don't forget, that God
is God. And you would say: What do you mean? My answer would be: You are
talking about God as if He has the qualities of man. We live in time, God
loves in eternity (=not extended time.) God created time, space, mass.
Thus for God yesterday, today and tomorrow are the same. God is outside
time, and I have not heard any arguments yet, which convince me that we can
talk about God's relation to time anything which show that God must etc.
I do think that talking that way is extremely dangerous. While it is true,
that nothing happens if God does not will it (predestination,) it is also
true, that man is fully responsible for his deeds (free will.) How that
fits together mere man cannot explain. In the OT we read of many cases,
that God calls in enemy nations to punish, but then punishes these enemy
nations for doing the punishing. We, especially in our modern culture,
would call that unfair, but we have to learn, just like David, to put our
hands in front of our mouths, and keep quiet, even more, we must worship God.
Again, do not talk about God as if He is man. Let us put our hands in
front of our mouths, and say: We don't know. I have great trouble with
trying to figure out God, as I have said several times before. Read the
last part of the book of Job. Please, let us not go and define what God
can do, what He must do to be "fair," etc.
As far as unpredictability in human eyes is concerned, this thread started
with a quotation of the Bible about the lot being cast, but the outcome is
of the Lord's. Do we want to subject God to our laws of chance? I cannot
see how we can talk about God directing the lot, and not applying it to
inner molicular physics.
Jan de Koning
Willowdale, Ont.