Bible Question:
Why did God create Adam knowing that Adam would disobey Him?
Bible Answer:
Yes, God created Adam knowing that he would disobey. For God is omniscient. 1 John 3:2 says,
. . . for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 1 John 3:20 (NASB)
The Greek says God “knows all.” He knows everything from the past, the present, and the future. In Jeremiah 23:24 we read,
“Can a man hide himself in hiding places
So I do not see him?” declares the LORD.
“Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD. Jeremiah 23:24 (NASB)
Many other verses reveal that God knows everything from eternity past to the eternal future (Job 34:21-22; Proverbs 5:21; 15:3; Isaiah 29:15; Jeremiah 16:17; Hebrews 4:12–13). In Isaiah 46:9-10 we are told that God knows the beginning and the end.
. . . For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done. Isaiah 46:9-10 (NASB)
Adam and Eve Sinned — Why Did God Create Man?
Therefore, when God made the earth and the first man Adam, He knew that Adam would disobey Him and eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:15-17). Therefore, why did God create Adam since He knew Adam would disobey and earn being sent to hell? Since the Genesis account does not clearly tell us, we must look for evidence. If we search Scripture, we discover two reasons.
First, Ecclesiastes 7:29 tells us that God did not make man wicked. He made man upright.
Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.”
Ecclesiastes 7:29 (NASB)
The Hebrew word for “upright” is yasar. It means straight or pleasing. God did not make man “like disfiguring a child.” The Hebrew word for “upright” has the meaning of being morally innocent. Scripture never says man was made wicked or holy. Adam and Eve were not sinful or displeasing to God when He created them. They were upright and without sin.
In addition, God gave them the ability to make decisions just He makes decisions. For example, Genesis 1:26 says God made man in His image. Also, God commanded Adam and his offspring to be fruitful, that is to have many children, and to exercise authority over the earth (Genesis 1:29-30). This means that Adam and Eve had the ability or potential to disobey God.
Finally, in the creation account in Genesis 1, God declared at the end of each day of creation that what He made was “good.” After He created man, God said everything was very good. That is, Adam and Eve were not defective or “disfigured.” This reveals God decided to allow man to make decisions, just as Satan had the ability to disobey God also (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-17). Apparently, the ability to make decisions had to include making a decision to sin.
Consequently, God also created a plan, the plan of salvation, to rescue man from his sin. God demonstrated His great love for us by creating a plan to send Jesus Christ to die as a perfect, sinless sacrifice so that our sins can be forgiven (Romans 5:6-9). So God took on human flesh in order to die for our sins. Now He only requires that we believe in Him to be saved (John 3:16). So, why would anyone reject Christ and refuse God’s rescue plan? It is a free gift according to Romans 6:23.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NASB)
So, God allowed man to make decisions and that included whether or not to sin. God knew man would do that and so He created a plan to educe us. Consequently, God has demonstrated His love and righteousness when He forgives our rebelliousness (Romans 1:17; 3:21-22).
Just as Adam and Eve had a choice, each one of us has a choice to either reject or believe in Christ. It is our choice. We can decide to reject God’s offer and go to hell or accept His offer and to to heaven. So, you have a choice. Romans 10:11-13 states,
For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” Romans 10:11-13 (NASB)
The second reason that may explain why God created Adam since He knew Adam would disobey and be destined for hell was to bring Himself glory. For Scripture states that all people will one day glorify God (Psalm 86:9), and God purposes “to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (Ephesians 1:9-10). Philippians 2:11 reveals that someday every human will give God glory. He will be glorified when He punishes the wicked for they have rejected holiness and chosen to be wicked. He will be glorified when He rewards the righteous for they believed in Christ because they desire to be holy, even as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). When they believed in Christ they received the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). In the process God has demonstrated His love. He is a God of love. Then how Christians behave either reflects on His glory or dishonors Him (1 Corinthians 10:31).
But as soon as we say that man was created to bring God glory, we have a problem. For Matthew 5:48 says God is perfect.
Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48 (NASB)
1 Corinthians 13:10 describes Christ as, “the perfect.” That is, God is perfect in everyway (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 50:2; Isaiah 25:1; ). So, if God is perfect in every sense, if He is perfect in all of His attributes, then He is not lacking in anything. Since God is infinite in all of His attributes, man cannot add to God’s glory, His holiness, or any of His other attributes. He does not need to create man so that He can have a relationship. Adam needed a companion (Genesis 2:18), but God does not need man. So, why are we encouraged to glorify God? First, He deserves it since He is the Creator. Second, it may communicate to the evil angels that man recognizes God deserves to be glorified in spite of the fact that they, the evil angels, do not glorify Him. Third, Scripture does not explain why this is important since our God is perfect.
In conclusion, God ordains events in such a way that our freedom and God’s sovereign will flows concurrently with our free choices. This occurs in such a way that our choices always result in the carrying out of God’s will. In theology this is called “concurrence.” This complex interaction is difficult to understand. We can be confident that God understands how this works (Isaiah 55:8-9).