Regret & repentance

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And Samuel did not see Saul any more, until the day of his death. Yet truly, Samuel mourned for Saul, because the Lord regretted that he had appointed him as king over Israel.


People know what regret is and the faithful know what repentance is but how can God regret and repent?
 
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Regret is an emotion that humans also have and we see in other parts of the Old Testament that God has other various emotions.

Numbers 23:19 says: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent:

The ESV version: God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.

So we see that God shows remorse but isn't saying that He was wrong in His action.
 
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Lämmchen said:
Regret is an emotion that humans also have and we see in other parts of the Old Testament that God has other various emotions.

Numbers 23:19 says: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent:

The ESV version: God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.

So we see that God shows remorse but isn't saying that He was wrong in His action.
Click to expand...

Interesting isn't it that one verse says God regretted and another verse that implies that God does not repent. Of course there are several more verses that say God repented.
 
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MoreCoffee said:
Interesting isn't it that one verse says God regretted and another verse that implies that God does not repent. Of course there are several more verses that say God repented.
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It's interesting but also makes very much sense. God has emotions just like us so He's relatable. God's emotions are not sinful so He doesn't need to "repent" or turn to Himself, for He is already perfect.
 
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Lämmchen said:
It's interesting but also makes very much sense. God has emotions just like us so He's relatable. God's emotions are not sinful so He doesn't need to "repent" or turn to Himself, for He is already perfect.
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The holy scriptures say that God does not change yet human emotions are one of the most changeable aspects of humanity so surely God cannot be both unchanging and subject to the vicissitudes of emotional change that is like human emotional change can he?
 
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MoreCoffee said:
The holy scriptures say that God does not change yet human emotions are one of the most changeable aspects of humanity so surely God cannot be both unchanging and subject to the vicissitudes of emotional change that is like human emotional change can he?
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Does not change...Isn't this kind of like asking "God can do all things. But can God make a rock so heavy that He cannot lift it?"
 
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Lämmchen said:
Does not change...Isn't this kind of like asking "God can do all things. But can God make a rock so heavy that He cannot lift it?"
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Your question is never asked in the holy scriptures but the holy scriptures do in fact assert that God does not change - James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning and also Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. - your question is not relevant to the matter of change in God.
 
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