Peter - How did Christ know he would deny Him?

Peter, How did Christ know he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed?

We are privy to the meeting that went on in heaven at the time of Job in Job 1:6-12,

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” 8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” 9 So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

We all know what happened, but Job did not know what took place in heaven. A long time later, just before our Savior was going to die for our sins, there was another counsel. satan (I don’t like to capitalize his name.) was up to his dirty works again. He asked permission to sift Peter. Christ was in touch with the Holy Spirit enough to know that satan was given the permission to take Peter beyond what he could handle. We call this the law of cause and effect and contrast it with the law of freedom.

Cause and effect never develops character. For instance, a pew is not good because it holds people. Man made it that way. When the law of cause and effect is in place, it cannot be resisted. Therefore, will loses its freedom in these instances. Instead, outside influence becomes causal. Cause and effect may not produce moral responsibility. In Peter’s case, since he did not survive a fairly minor testing of his faith, he did learn by this humbling experience. In this incident, Christ knew that satan had permission to take Peter beyond Peter’s ability. He had told him in Luke 22:31,32, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” “when you have returned to Me” shows us that satan was going to be able to test him beyond what Peter was able to withstand in his own strength.

Here’s the whole account in Luke: 22:29-34 “And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 “that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” 31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” 34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”

I believe we have other examples of this law. Here are some other passages where I think this law was in effect: Ezra 1:1; 5:5; 7:27; 9:9; Pro 21:1; Isa 44:24-28; 45:1-4,13; 46:9-11; Jer 29:10; 51:11,12,29; Eze 38:1-4,16,18,21-23; 39:1-6,8.

The Law of Freedom is different. It allows the development of character, because it allows a real choice. This law produces moral responsibility, but it also causes contingency to exist. A few of the examples I have found are: Jer 18:6-8; 26:2,3; 36:3; 38:17; Eze 18:19-31.

In my mind, the application of these laws to certain passages clears up problems. For instance, the future actions of men under the law of freedom are unknowable because they are not caused by God. Because of this, there are some things God does not know before hand: Gen 22:12 ^“And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.’”

Even when God thinks or says something will happen, it may not happen under the law of freedom. “God said (wa omar), ‘She will return to Me!’ But she did not return” (Jer 3:7). God is also limited in His promises to bless when man does not do as He commands (Psa 78:41). Even promises that appear to be unconditional may be broken (Ex 23:27-31; 33:1,2; 34:10; Deu 7:1; Josh 1:4,5; 3:10; 15:63; 16:10; Jud 2:1-3,20-23; 3:1-4,5). Let’s look at Josh 3:10 as an example: “And Joshua said, ‘By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites.” But it didn’t happen.

God even broke a sworn promise because of disobedience in Num 14:23-34: “they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore[1] to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. 24 But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. 25Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.” 26 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 27 “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. 28 Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: 29 The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. 30 Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. 31 But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. 32 But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. 33 And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. 34 According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection.’”

After God had seen that everything was good, about 1,000 years later, when God saw the extreme wickedness of man, He was sorry He had made him. In fact, He repented that He had made him (Gen 6:5-7). God also repented in many other situations. Here are some examples: Ex 32:7-14; Deu 9:8-25; 1 Sa 15:11,35; 2 Sa 24:16; 1 Ch 21:15; Jer 4:28; 15:6; 20:16; 26:19; Joel 2:13; Jon 3:10. Isaiah also prophesied by the word of the Lord that Hezekiah would die soon in 2 Ki 20:1-5, but he didn’t, because Hezekiah prayed. However, there are some circumstances where God said He would not repent. The context of these passages shows why (Num 23:19; 1 Sa 15:29; Psa 110:4).

When God foreknows, declares, or prophesies an event as being sure, to make sure, He must make it happen. This is why foreknowledge indirectly causes things to happen (Isa 14:24; 44:28; Rom 8:29). So that why Christ could know that Peter was going to deny Him.

Isa 46:9-11 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’ 11 [How?] Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.

[1] Richard Whitaker, Editor. The Abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew-English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997 [Edited]. [[b'v;] vb. swear — Qal swear. Niph. swear, take an oath: pers. take an oath to (acc. cogn.); oath of allegiance imprecate, curse: swear, by myself; swear, (usu. land) = promise by oath to.