Look, I agree with you 90% there but given that God is able to tell Ananias in advance what is going to happen, God must be sure, which does raise legitimate questions about free will, etc. I believe in free will myself, but I'm certainly open to the idea that sometimes God takes direct control.
For me, the classic case would be Pharaoh, who repeatedly hardens his heart, but when he got to the last few plagues, the text says unambiguously that God hardened his heart for him.
Also, did you know Moses foretells the events in pretty plain speech of the Book of Kings in Deuteronomy? He says that the Hebrews will follow after foreign lands, get exiled, repent and return.
I think one has to assume that we have choice and thus responsibility, but I think it would be a mistake to preclude the sovereign action of God altogether when it comes to peoples minds. Our minds and souls are as much his creation as our bodies, and are His to do with as he sees fit. He has the ability and the right, so why is it impossible that He does sometimes?
Look, I agree with you 90% there but given that God is able to tell Ananias in advance what is going to happen, God must be sure, which does raise legitimate questions about free will, etc. I believe in free will myself, but I'm certainly open to the idea that sometimes God takes direct control.
For me, the classic case would be Pharaoh, who repeatedly hardens his heart, but when he got to the last few plagues, God hardened his heart for him.
Also, did you know Moses foretells the events in pretty plain speech of the Book of Kings in Deuteronomy? He says that the Hebrews will follow after foreign lands, get exiled, repent and return.
I think one has to assume that we have choice and thus responsibility, but I think it would be a mistake to preclude the sovereign action of God altogether when it comes to peoples minds. Our minds and souls are as much his creation as our bodies, and are His to do with as he sees fit. He has the ability and the right, so why is it impossible that He does sometimes?
Look, I agree with you 90% there but given that God is able to tell Ananias in advance what is going to happen, God must be sure, which does raise legitimate questions about free will, etc. I believe in free will myself, but I'm certainly open to the idea that sometimes God takes direct control.
For me, the classic case would be Pharaoh, who repeatedly hardens his heart, but when he got to the last few plagues, God hardened his heart for him.