What Did God See?

[Terry_from_Ypsi]

1 Chronicles 21, 15: (RSV)

And God sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but when he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw, and he repented of the evil; and he said to the destroying angel, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jeb’usite.

Some questions:

1. The Lord Saw - What did he see ? God is all-knowing ?
   What made Him change His mind ?
2. “he repented of the evil” - God does no evil
3. Is this passage a “description written in human terms” of
   the events that happened ?

In the New American Bible, the wording is significantly different:

God also sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem; but as he was on the point of destroying it, the LORD saw and decided against the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, "Enough now! Stay your hand!"The angel of the LORD was then standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite

Which passage is more accurate ? Especially,

“God repented of the evil” versus
“decided against the calamity”

Also in the words of Jesus: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” How do I see this in Jesus ?

 

[awalt]

Most commentaries I have seen say this really means God regretted because he saw the people suffering. God’s regret is an expression drawn from human experience. Yet, the** Lord was doubtless grieved** because of Saul’s disobedience. However, this does not indicate weakness or changeability in the divine will (cf. James 1:17)

Here is another interpretation that drives the point home:

The Lord requires certain conditions people must meet in order for Him to act one way or another. One aspect of this is prayer, for often God chooses to act in specific cases according to whether and how His people pray. This was clearly the case here, since **God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, **but when He saw David’s repentance and heard his intercessory prayer (v. 17), He **relented.

This is also similar:
**This additional detail does not appear in the Heb. of 2 Sam. 24. The “angel of the Lord” was the executioner poised to destroy Jerusalem, whose menacing destruction was halted (v. 1) because David and the leaders repented as indicated by the “sackcloth” and falling “on their faces.”%between% %between%

 

[lak611]

Main Entry: 1re·pent
Pronunciation: ri-'pent
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French repentir, from Medieval Latin repoenitEre, from Latin re- + Late Latin poenitEre to feel regret, alteration of Latin paenitEre – more at PENITENT
intransitive verb
1 : to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life
2 a : to feel regret or contrition b : to change one’s mind
transitive verb
1 : to cause to feel regret or contrition
2 : to feel sorrow, regret, or contrition for

• re·pent·er noun

Repent can mean to change one’s mind. That is the definition in the verse you mentioned since God does not ever sin.

m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=repent

 

[Terry_from_Ypsi]

Most commentaries I have seen say this really means God regretted because he saw the people suffering. God’s regret is an expression drawn from human experience. Yet, theLord was doubtless** grieved** because of Saul’s disobedience. However, this does not indicate weakness or changeability in the divine will (cf. James 1:17)

Here is another interpretation that drives the point home:

The Lord requires certain conditions people must meet in order for Him to act one way or another. One aspect of this is prayer, for often God chooses to act in specific cases according to whether and how His people pray. This was clearly the case here, since **God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem, **but when He saw David’s repentance and heard his intercessory prayer (v. 17), He relented.

This is also similar:
This additional detail does not appear in the Heb. of 2 Sam. 24. The “angel of the Lord” was the executioner poised to destroy Jerusalem, whose menacing destruction was halted (v. 1) because David and the leaders repented as indicated by the “sackcloth” and falling “on their faces.”

In my reading of the passage, I first considered what was it in
Jerusalem that made God change His mind. After all, David
had acknowledged his sin, but God then decided the angel of the Lord ought to destory Jerusalem. Then God looked at Jerusalem and saw something that encouraged God
to change His mind.

It could be the suffering of Israel but I wonder if it could be
when God looked at Jerusalem He saw His only begotten Son
willingly going to the Cross for our sins and God’s promise of
a redeemer from Genesis stirred God to not destroy Jerusalem.

Thank you,

Terry_from_Ypsi

 

[lak611]

It could be the suffering of Israel but I wonder if it could be
when God looked at Jerusalem He saw His only begotten Son
willingly going to the Cross for our sins and God’s promise of
a redeemer from Genesis stirred God to not destroy Jerusalem.

Thank you,

Terry_from_Ypsi

Yes, thank you Lord Jesus, for giving Your life for us sinners, that we may have the gift of eternal life.