Just a few questions that pastors seem to stutter over and never really have an answer for.?

Question

>If God is omnipotent why did he have to cast Satan and his folldwers out? Why couldn't he just destroy them?

>If God is omniscient then why does he have to test a persons fatih? i.e. Abraham Shouldn't He already know that the person is faithful?

>God flooded the entire world until all dry land was gone. The only problem is that scientist know how much water is in the earth, on the earth's surface and in the atmosphere and it would take six times that much to flood the world to the top of the Himalayas. Also, with that much water in the atmosphere Noah and his family would have drowned by breathing in. Just wondering then how the whole global flood thing is possible.

source for the last question: History Channel Special : The Real Noahs Ark
(or something very close to thatI can't recall the exact name)

Answer 1

Question 1:

"If God is omnipotent why did he have to cast Satan and his folldwers out? Why couldn't he just destroy them?"

God IS Omnipotent. What you fail to understand is the nature Omnipotence and the nature of God's existence in the context of Omnipotence.

To be All Powerful does NOT mean that God can do anything (because God cannot sin and do something opposite of His nature). God does everything according to His will (in harmony with His being).

God physically exists. He is just physically different. God Himself is The Book of Life. Every soul created from God (be it angel or human), are written in The Book of Life (which means are in harmony with God's state of existence from conception). "Spirits" are angels. The human race are spiritual descendants of God through Adam and Eve (who were both in harmony with God's existence and thus were in the Book of Life).

S.I.N is Spirit Inverse Nature. God is Spirit. Anything opposite of God's Nature is SIN. Spirits created from God's physical existence is made from the stuff God is made of and is naturally in harmony with God's state of perfection. When a spirit does something opposite of God's nature, or SIN, they become inverted (their physical existence is literally opposite of God's nature). If an angel inverts, it is permanent because angels are made of the same stuff that God is made of: ENERGY. When energy changes form, it cannot change back to its original state. A raw egg when cooked can't be restored to its raw state. Thus, when an angel inverts, because it consists as conscious energy, it is permanent. Inverted angels are demons. When a spirit being inverts, they are no longer in harmony with God, and are thus removed from the Book of Life.

As for Satan (the inverted angel), Satan cannot be destroyed because God created Lucifer from Himself. Because God is eternal and cannot cease to exist, all that which is created from Him is eternal and cannot cease to exist. Because Satan is opposite of God's physical eistence, God created a place of separation called the lake of fire.

Matthew 25.41

"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"

Question 2:

"If God is omniscient then why does he have to test a persons fatih? i.e. Abraham Shouldn't He already know that the person is faithful?"

Your logic is flawed. You assume that God tests individuals to be certain of an individual's faith as if He is not Omniscient. You arrogantly sit in judgement of God being ignorant of Who He is, rather than seeking to know Him to understand Who He is and why He thinks the way He does.

Isaiah 55.8, 9

"For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Jeremiah 9.23, 24

"Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise [man] glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty [man] glory in his might, let not the rich [man] glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I [am] the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these [things] I delight, saith the LORD."

1 Samuel 16.7

"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for [the LORD seeth] not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."

Were you to look AT the text of Abraham's test in the context of what God was testing, you will see that God was testing the heart of Abraham, NOT his faith. For the actions of the man reveals the heart of the man; and God put Abraham in a position to determine the true nature of his heart by his actions. Yes, God did KNOW what Abraham was going to do; but what good is faith if only God knows it (that is not backed up by actions):

James 2.17-24

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."

Genesis 22.1-18

"And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, [here] I [am]. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only [son] Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ***, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ***; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid [it] upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here [am] I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where [is] the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here [am] I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son] from me.

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind [him] a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said [to] this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only [son]: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which [is] upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."

The following scriptures also show God testing (proving) individuals' hearts:

Exodus 16.4

"Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no."

Deuteronomy 8.2

"And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, [and] to prove thee, to know what [was] in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no."

Judgs 3.1-4

"Now these [are] the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, [even] as many [of Israel] as had not known all the wars of Canaan; Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; [Namely], five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath. And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. "

Question 3:

"God flooded the entire world until all dry land was gone. The only problem is that scientist know how much water is in the earth, on the earth's surface and in the atmosphere and it would take six times that much to flood the world to the top of the Himalayas. Also, with that much water in the atmosphere Noah and his family would have drowned by breathing in. Just wondering then how the whole global flood thing is possible."

Again, your logic is flawed. You give scientists more credibility that the Holy Scriptures when the physical world prove the Holy Scriptures.

Your statement:

"Also, with that much water in the atmosphere Noah and his family would have drowned by breathing in."

You and scientists assume that the earth was flooded by rain when in fact it was flooded by the aquifiers located beneath the ocean floor that God created to suck up the water in Genesis 1.9-10 when God said, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place."

Genesis 1:9, 10

"And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so. And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good."

When God flooded the earth, He reversed this process and caused the aquifiers to release the water that previously covered dry land in Genesis 1.9-10. These aquifiers were called "fountains of the great deep" in Genesis 7.10-12, "the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up."

Genesis 7.1-4; 10-12

"And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that [are] not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights."

Through "the fountains of the great deep", God flooded the earth from below, not from above. These fountains were giant geysers of water whose pressure was so great that they reshaped the earth around the entire planet.

Click on this link and look at the three-dimensional map of the sea floor (click the Back button to return to this page) .

http://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/seafloor.jpg

Notice the giant continental ridge between the continents that surround the planet like the stitching on a baseball. That is where the fountains of the great deep are located. During the time of Noah, what is now North/South America and Africa was a single landmass. When God broke up the fountains of the great deep, all the water that God, "gathered together unto one place" (Genesis 1.10), was released from below the continent. The pressure from the "fountains" were so great that it literally split the landmass into continents that you now see (which were NOT the result of continental drift but the result of the great flood).

Those aquifiers still exist below the continental ridge.

Answer 2

If God is omnipotent why did he have to cast Satan and his folldwers out? Why couldn't he just destroy them?
He could; but I think you want to know why he didn't, and the answer to that is simple: Satan challenged His right to rule the world, saying we didn't need Him and could get along without. He is giving Satan time to prove his theory and when it is quite apparant that Satan is indeed WRONG, God will then destroy him!

If God is omniscient then why does he have to test a persons fatih? i.e. Abraham Shouldn't He already know that the person is faithful?
Because of free will. He knows everything...except for what we will do with the choices set before us!

God flooded the entire world until all dry land was gone. The only problem is that scientist know how much water is in the earth, on the earth's surface and in the atmosphere and it would take six times that much to flood the world to the top of the Himalayas. Also, with that much water in the atmosphere Noah and his family would have drowned by breathing in. Just wondering then how the whole global flood thing is possible.
The mountains probably weren't as high back then as they are today. If that's the case, then I doubt you would need so much extra water to accomplish a global flood. That's just a possibility. If I come up with more, I'll let ya know :)
Have a nice day, and I hope you find what you're looking for!

Answer 3

Those are tough questions but consider this..
Maybe God still loved satan because He created him. God is the father of everything, including satan and demons. That could be a possibility.
I believe God will know if the person will pass the test. But maybe the test is also to teach and build the person's strength and faith in Him. What if the plan that God had in the future for Abraham was something that he did not have the faith to do, before he offered up his son as a sacrifice?
God created the universe. If you believe that then would you also believe He could create enough water to flood the Earth and then take it away and provide Noah's family with clean air to breathe?

Answer 4

#1 People often blame God for not immediately destroying Satan, when he first brought sin into the universe.

The government of God is founded on His divine law. Only by obedience to it, can His crea­tures be happy.

The law of love being the foundation of the gov­ernment of God, the happiness of all created beings depended upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service of love—homage that springs from an intelligent appreciation of His char­acter. He takes no pleasure in a forced allegiance, and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service. Including Satan.



#2 To be consumed with "why" God tested Abraham in this story is to miss the point. Abraham believed that God would provide and provide God did. First he tells his son, Issac, that God would provide a lamb for the burnt offering. In other words Issac had nothing to worry about. And after God had intervened and told Abraham not to slay his son, Abraham called the name of the place, "The Lord will provide."

The Lord will provide. Sounds simple enough, but do we believe it? This is the meaning, that God himself will give his only Son. In the same place where Isaac was laying, it is the same place where the Lord Jesus was crucified.



#3 The "fountains of the great deep" are mentioned before the "windows of heaven," indicating either relative importance or the order of events.

What are the "fountains of the great deep?" This phrase is used only in Genesis 7:11. "Fountains of the deep" is used in Genesis 8:2, where it clearly refers to the same thing, and Proverbs 8:28, where the precise meaning is not clear. "The great deep" is used three other times: Isaiah 51:10, where it clearly refers to the ocean; Amos 7:4, where God's fire of judgement is said to dry up the great deep, probably the oceans; and Psalm 36:6 where it is used metaphorically of the depth of God's justice/judgement. "The deep" is used more often, and usually refers to the oceans (e.g., Genesis 1:2; Job 38:30, 41:32; Psalm 42:7, 104:6; Isaiah 51:10, 63:13; Ezekiel 26:19; Jonah 2:3), but sometimes to subterranean sources of water (Ezekiel 31:4, 15). The Hebrew word (mayan) translated "fountains" means "fountain, spring, well."

So, the "fountains of the great deep" are probably oceanic or possibly subterranean sources of water. In the context of the flood account, it could mean both.

"Fountains of the great deep" scene from The World That Perished

If the fountains of the great deep were the major source of the waters, then they must have been a huge source of water. Some have suggested that when God made the dry land appear from under the waters on the third day of creation, some of the water that covered the earth became trapped underneath and within the dry land

Genesis 7:11 says that on the day the flood began, there was a "breaking up" of the fountains, which implies a release of the water, possibly through large fissures in the ground or in the sea floor. The waters that had been held back burst forth with catastrophic consequences.


And no they didn't die, because they were in God's hand, God is the one that giveth breath.

Answer 5

Awesome questions!

1. Much as the rest of us may wish it weren't so, Satan and his followers are the spirit children of God just as much as the rest of us are. I don't blame Him for not destroying His children. Furthermore(and this is just me talking--I don't really know if it is true) maybe there is still a chance for them.

2. Abraham was not showing God that Abraham was faithful. God was showing Abraham that Abraham was faithful. God already knew, but he had to let Abraham know. That way Abraham could stand confidently before God. Furthermore, it was also an exercise to strengthen the faith of Isaac. And on top of that, it was a great teaching moment to illustrate the prophecy of the coming Messiah.

3. I'm not really sure how God flooded the whole earth. Maybe it wasn't all the way to the top of the himalayas. Maybe it was just enough water to kill all the people. Maybe it only flooded the part of the earth that had people on it. Maybe all of the earth wasn't flooded all at once, but with lunar tides all of it was flooded at some point. I don't know.

Maybe there wasn't as much dry land on the earth then but due to subduction and other tectonic movements and things like that, there is more dry land now. Are the himalayas volcanic or subductive mountains? That would be interesting to look up.

Good questions! Thanks for the fun brainstorm.

Answer 6

God could have destroyed them, but He didn't because He wanted humans to choose between good and evil to prove their love for Him. This is why He gave us free will rather than having us be like animals who have personalities, but ability to sin.

He tests a person's faith because this strengthens a human's faith when they prevail. If they fail, they still can repent and go to confession which also strengthens that humans' faith. Abraham became so much stronger in his faith after the trial God blessed him with. You see, it really was a gift. There are also other reasons, but I am not wise enough to know them.

The atmosphere was much different before the flood. Also, it rained for 40 days and nights. The water came from God. All things are possible with God. In order to create a visible rainbow, scientists have discovered that God changed the atmosphere to allow the spectrum to be seen. This also resulted in a dramatic shortening of the human lifespan. (which is why you see so many that lived to be 900 before the flood) Also, there actually was an Ark found at the top of a mountain in the area of Hungary. A young boy and his father saw the Ark and described it's immense dimensions. It was incredible. Unfortunately, they were both killed and the ark was destroyed (by aethistic societies) so that people would not have evidence of it's existence.

Answer 7

How can an omnipotent, omniscient God be judged accurately by his impotent, ignorant creation? You've had some good answers here, with a couple of exceptions. If you are religious, you should ignore the queer's answer, as he fervently hopes there is no God, knowing what's in store for him if there is. I have read reports by scientists that state there was indeed a great flood, about the time stated in the Bible. Evidence shows, however, that it was not world-wide. By far the worst of the flood was in the Mesopotamian area, which was the largest concentration of humans at the time. Remember, too, that these stories come down to us from a time roughly 6,000 years ago. That the stories still exist is amazing.

Answer 8

I am not a pastor, but will attempt to explain some of this to you.

Satan- God could have destroyed them in that very moment. He is much more patient than we are , and much slower to anger(thankfully for me).

God decided as any parent to pursue a different type of punishment for satan. He is prolonging satans agony at having his ultimate punishment, he knows it is coming and like the child that is sent to his room to await punishment, he gets to worry about it and contemplate on it.

testing of faith_ This testing as you put it, was not for Gods sake, it was for Abrahams. We teach our children lessons , so that they can grow and mature, sometimes they need to learn on their own and disobey us and suffer the results, that is what abraham did.

the flood_ I love this one. You will need to read the description of the earth and the heavens to understand where all the water came from. It will be the firmament in the sky. That firmament is no longer there. The earth before the flood never had know rain or storms (hense, all the laughter and teasing that noah endured while building an ark for a rain that no one had ever seen.)

The ground was watered by misting that came up from the ground.

The bible states that when the flood came, the earth opened up and water poured from the ground and the upper firmament. The earth was harmed by this flood, and God was deeply saddened by the harming of the earth, and send us the rainbow (which had never been seen before , because it had never rained before) as a sign that he would never again harm the earth with that type of global flooding.

If I have missed something, please let me know and I will try to address it.

Answer 9

I will answer the last first. Up until the flood rain had never fell from the sky. Things were watered from the ground up. (Perfect eco system)A rain that lasts 40 days and 40 nights plus the water that was already on the earth was enough to cover the mountains. Gods tests are learning experiences for His followers. Hence we learn from our mistakes. He wants us to do the right thing. As far as kicking satan out all I can say is He knew He would need a place for people like satan in the future. Jesus loves you.

Answer 10

1. The book of Revelation tells us that Satan and his followers will be cast into a lake of fire. Humans are also spirtual beings with an eternal destiny. Jesus Christ made a way for us to be with Him forever. I believe the spirit cannot be destroyed because we are made in God's image- our spiritual essence.

2. Are you referring to Abraham's test of sacrificing Isaac? I believe that God "tested" Abraham as a way of showing God's plan of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for atonement. This is in the first book of the Torah(Genesis 22). The Old Testament makes many inferences to Jesus (Isaiah 53).

3. Scientist answer for the Great Flood is the "Ice Age". Yet, sea shells have been found on mountain tops. The account in Genesis says it was a vast body of water beneath the earth and the skies which God opened caused the flood. As far as too much water in the atmosphere to breathe, you have not posted any source for me to consider. Your hostility discredits you as a reliable source.

Answer 11

And I guess there were two of EVERY animal on earth in the ark?? Jeeeez! C'Mon! Stop wondering about all this silly stuff! I don't have all the answers about who God is. I was taught all about God and the Bible as a young, impressionable child just like everyone else. But as an adult, I can see that all those stories in the Bible are so silly. Of course God didn't write the Bible. It was written by 'those guys' who were supposedly interpreting His word. And how credible were they? I'm sure it wasn't illegal back in them times to go out in the forest and eat mushrooms!!! We all know right from wrong. All I can really say is to be the best you can be and love all. As I said, I don't have the answers as to who God is. But then NEITHER DOES ANYONE ELSE! I really want to believe in a higher power, but I don't PRETEND to know about it! And I certainly don't preach silly stuff to others.