In Genesis 6:7 God says, “I am sorry that I have made man.” He then sends a flood that blots out every living thing from the face of the Earth. Only Noah, his family, and the animals on the Ark survive: a total of eight people. This seems like a clear example of God changing His mind and repenting of His former decision to make man and fixing his mistake by sending the Flood, but is it even possible for God to repent or make mistakes?
Thomas says this:
The will of God is entirely unchangeable. On this point we must consider that to change the will is one thing; to will that certain things should be changed is another. It is possible to will a thing to be done now, and its contrary afterwards; and yet for the will to remain permanently the same: whereas the will would be changed, if one should begin to will what before he had not willed; or cease to will what he had willed before.
Let’s unpack. If an architect wanted to build a church where a coffee shop was already standing, he would first demolish the coffee shop, and then, after the ground was cleared, he would construct a church.
The will of the architect remained the same: to build a church. However, to accomplish this goal, he first willed to demolish and afterward build. God does not change His will, but He does will different things to be done at various times according to the circumstances. Simply put, God’s will does not change, but God does will for things to change.
For example, in the Old Testament, God willed circumcision; in the New Testament, the Church forbids circumcision. God is not changing His will. Rather, He is willing for a change to occur. He always willed the salvation of men, but after the Passion He willed a change in how men would be saved. Just as our architect always wanted to build a church, but first wanted to demolish the coffee shop and then construct the church. Demolition and construction are different manifestations of the same will.
But doesn’t the bible say that God repented of making man? (Gen 6:7)
Thomas responds to this difficult passage in Scripture by saying:
These words of the Lord are to be understood metaphorically, and according to the likeness of our nature. For when we repent, we destroy what we have made; although we may even do so without change of will; as, when a man wills to make a thing, at the same time intending to destroy it later. Therefore God is said to have repented, by way of comparison with our mode of acting, in so far as by the deluge He destroyed from the face of the earth man whom He had made.
God speaks to us in a way that we can understand. A good middle school science teacher will tell his students that the electrons orbit the atom's nucleus in discrete shells as planets orbit the sun. He will not begin his lecture by teaching that very small bits of matter lack a discrete position. A middle schooler can understand the concept of an orbit but probably not the concept of superposition. The science teacher in this example is not lying; he simply presents the information in a way the students can understand. Similarly, when we read that God repented, it does not mean He changed His mind like a man; rather, it means He acted like a man who repents.
Thanks for reading,
Cameron
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Fascinating, I was just wondering about the flood and its theological implications a few days ago. Thank you, and thank God for Thomas Aquinas.
Well explained. Yes, and thank God for Thomas. But couldn't it also be explained that this was God's original plan-to save those people-and not that God changed His mind or He repented? Just as He did when Abraham bargained for Lot and his family at Sodom?