Trey Smith
In last night's post for the Tao Bible series, we took a look at Jeremiah 15:6. The last clause of the verse has God saying, "I am weary with repenting." I don't know about you, but I find these words astounding.
According to the dictionary, repent means:
1. To feel remorse, contrition, or self-reproach for what one has done or failed to do; be contrite.Here's my question. How can a perfect being feel contriteness for a past action? If said being subsequently comes to believe or know that a past action was wrong or sinful, wouldn't that mean that said being was NOT perfect?
2. To feel such regret for past conduct as to change one's mind regarding it: repented of intemperate behavior.
3. To make a change for the better as a result of remorse or contrition for one's sins.
v.tr.
1. To feel regret or self-reproach for: repent one's sins.
2. To cause to feel remorse or regret.
I'm just asking.
To see what other questions I've asked about the Christian Bible, go here.
My RSV has God saying "I am weary of relenting." (To relent, to abandon or mitigate a harsh intention or cruel treatment,)
ReplyDeleteAnd if repent means:
2. To cause to feel remorse or regret.
then God is just tired of all this crap. He's not going to cut his people any slack any more. Or perhaps he's tired of all the repentance of the people. I don't think it's quite that God is feeling contrite.
baroness, I disagree. Many places in the Old Testament have God acting like a human: jealous, angry, etc. No reason why the writers wouldn't have him feeling repentative either.
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