Disappointing God

This is somewhat advanced theology. On the other hand, what isn’t?

After my previous post I started thinking that it is actually possible to cause God a disappointment. Let’s take a look at an interesting account in the 1. Samuel 15 (ESV, emphasis mine):

10-11: The word of the LORD came to Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.”

28-29: “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.”

35: And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Let it be noted, that in Hebrew all these instances use the same word. Samuels reply is a reference to Numbers 23:19, where Balaam told to the king of Moabites that he could only bless Israel, not curse, because LORD would not change His mind.

So which way is it? Does God regret or not? The answer is of course yes – to both questions. Here’s how I figure it out:

God is by nature transcendent, beyond time and space. As such He knew what Saul would – and would not – do. And Saul did not disappoint Him. Nevertheless Saul was not the kind of King God wanted the king of Israel to be. He wanted to be the king of Israel Himself. He gave them Saul because people begged a king. (1 Sam 8).

Yet I would not say that Saul was doomed to fail in His task. Outside time God at sees everything what happens, whenever that happens. No-one really does anything, because action takes time, but everything just is, like is a still picture. And of course there is no free will visible. In this frame of reference it is impossible to fail Him. And whatever He decides in this frame of reference cannot change, for change needs time, but there is no time.

However, we do not live in that frame  of reference. When we encounter God, it happens where we live, in this time and space of ours. Because we are inside time, we perceive ourselves as having a free will. Therefore it’s fair to say that within this frame of reference free will actually makes a difference, whereas in the transcendent frame of reference it is trivialized. But since we do have a free will – from our own point of view – we are capable of disappointing God.

This is the sense in which God regretted that He had made Saul king. Time after time Saul had failed to be obedient. He feared the men and did not ask advice from the LORD. He even cursed himself with the wrath of God. (14:44). Having chosen Him within time, it was within time that He regretted it. Of course transcendentally He knew He would do so.

The really interesting part is when Saul confesses his sins and begs for forgivness. He is not given back the kingship. We could say that he pushed his luck a straw too long.

The lesson for us is that we must not rely on mercy of God and go sinning. That would be failing Him. Not failing Him is staying put and saying:

Here I am, right now. You do what you want.

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