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NASB | Deuteronomy 29:29 ¶ "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Deuteronomy 29:29 ¶ "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things which are revealed and disclosed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may do all of the words of this law. |
Bible Question:
If God knew from before the beginning of time, everything that would ever happen, then why go to the trouble to actually go through it. In other words, if God know everything, then what is the purpose of the universe? 1. I can think of a couple examples on the level of humanity, but neither seem to fit. Humans eat the same foods over and over even though they know what they'll taste like, and how long they will be filling. This is becuase we need food, but does God NEED the universe. In my view, He is self-sufficient. 2. Humans often will watch a movie that they have seen before, just because they enjoy it. But the universe contains real people and real suffering (even eternal suffering for some people), and in my view, a holy God would not enjoy experiencing that. The "Sunday School" answer to this question is that God created the universe for His glory. But isn't that the ultimate of selfishness to create a universe where some people would eternally suffer just for a beings own glory? |
Bible Answer: Gee, I kinda like the "Sunday School" answer. the fact is that we are the creation and He is the Creator, and understanding our place in the "pecking order" is what we humans struggle with the most. Selfishness? I think that is putting God on a human level. The Potter has a right to do with the clay as He wishes (Romans 9). All of this is His. All of this is for His glory. It cannot really be called selfishness when no one else has a claim on anything in existence but Him. The universe is God's self-expression. Just as a painting reflects the thoughts and character of the painter, so the universe was designed to point to and glorify the Creator. Note that this isn't pantheism, where the universe IS God, but rather a theism in which the universe's purpose is to display the marks of the One who made it. --joe! |