Genesis 6:6

[Chad]

Genesis 6:6, "And the Lord was sorry He had made man on the earth..."

by Matt Slick

"And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart," (Gen. 6:6, NASB).

The above verse is not a problem for Classical Christian Theism, nor is it a proof text for Open Theism. The verse simply tells us that the Lord was grieved and had sorrow in His heart for making man. Why? Because mankind had fallen into great sin, and this grieved the Lord. Does it mean that God didn't know mankind would fall and become sinful? Of course not. Cannot God know that they would become sinners and also be grieved when it happens? Of course. Let me illustrate.

I have children. I love them and provide for them, but they have grieved me in their various sins -- as any child will do to his parents. I knew they would grieve me when they were born because I know they are sinners by nature. This doesn't mean I was surprised and didn't know they would rebel when it happened. Quite the contrary; knowing they would sin didn't mean I wasn't grieved when their rebellion and sin was finally manifested.

The open theist would have us believe that God was grieved because He was surprised or didn't know the depths of sin to which the world would fall. But surely, even in Open Theism, God knew that people would sin. So, this verse can't be claimed to demonstrate that God didn't know the future choices of people.

 

[Boanerges]

God was not surprised of course, but He was saddened by the choices those people made. He also foreknew that they would not seek Him in repentance and thus the judgement. Beyond that, He saw and already planned for our redemption even before we were created; yet Love was willing to pay the price for the opportunity to fellowship with His creation.
For a being who IS; for one who Is then, and IS will be, now is really no different than either of these- He simply IS whether it is yesterday, today, or tomorrow.

 

[clark thompson]

this also shows that God is lovong but is also just. He grieved because they were going face His justice

 

[Eddy Fire]

Comforted - expressing love

And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Genesis 6:6

like many verses in Scripture, this verse is a part of a process - it is in the midst of something that is being spoken about

All to often writers and teachers like the author of the above quoted text (matt slick) will draw on what many have said before them and they will reproduce something as it is commonly spoken about but all to often such commentaries are not on the mark and while they may give a human insight to something that appears difficult, as the author suggested and many others also suggest in teaching circles , the message that is in Scripture for our profit is missed.

Genesis 6:6 is about redemption.

In Genesis a man is named and in the verse immediately after the passage relating to the state of man and the will of God
we find this man again.

Genesis 5:28-29 And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: 29And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.

and Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

the word used for 'repented' in Genesis 6:6 is found in its first usage in the name Noah, which as we see, is about comfort.
Did God need comfort? I trow not.
But as we look at that word in more depth we find it is also used in connection with redeem - redemption
the use of the word to infer comfort is joined with the idea of grief as we read in verse 6 of Genesis 6 - comfort resulting from a disappointment or saddening event or situation.

However we can attempt to lower the LORD to our likeness, forgetting we are redeemed in order to be in His likeness as it was in the Beginning - which is also what this passage is about, the situation that man is in in comparison with and in rebellion to the making of man in God's image.

we need to see the whole message of Salvation and the working of God in His love in Jesus Christ in all passages of Scripture to be able to grasp the message the Lord is giving, over and again.

Man needs a redemption.
As we see here way back before Noah, man neding redeeming, or like a butterfly, bursting forth as a new creature.

What was Noah most remembered for?
The Ark?
Generally yes, but what do we see here?
Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

our English always needs a helper and God has given us this helper, the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

If you look at Genesis 6:6 again and see the knowledge that God has and is, that He has redemption planned and is at and in comfort Himself in His plan and will, we see differently how the meaning is to be understood.

It was not that He was grieved and hurting or even smiting His breast in repentance, no - He had that message and plan of redemption in place (here in Noah) and the fulfillment of or receiving of redemption requires repentance and it is the idea often of such things as repentance in today's thinking that can mess the understanding of Scripture around to leave us guessing like the author above, and thereby also missing the true mark or point in out teaching and learning.


Noah had been born, God knew that!
The world was wicked, God knew that!
Noah was the grace found in the Lord's eyes or heart, or will

The verse Genesis 6:6 is an interim announcement, for what the Lord GOD was working - ie, the manifestation and work of His will.

And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Genesis 6:6
The LORD had made man and He had redemption for his (man's) need - and redemption is something that costs beyond price or measure and with such deep love associated with such cost, there is depth which can only be described as or likened to one that grieves. As we understand the Love of God as we see such love in the giving of His only begotten Son we can better appreciate the meaning of this verse and its fullness already as a comfort not a repentance like man might, of the redemption already in His will.

Too often we can slumber about what we read or hear but the Spirit gives utterance to the Word, and life, eternal and redeemed is found in Him.