"Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard?" 1Sam 23:11
Theologians discuss free will as it pertains to predestination. Do things happen in life according to God's predetermined plan? The answer is not always. God knows the end from the beginning, but He only knows the possibilities of what could happen. Foreknowledge is not predestination.
In our text David asks God two questions. Will Saul come here to kill me? Will these men hand me over to Saul if he comes? God told David yes, Saul will come and yes, the men will turn you over to Saul. But in the end, David escapes, Saul calls off the attack, and the local men did nothing. God knew the possibilities, but He did not orchestrate the outcome.
Did God plan for Adam and Eve to fail? No, God knew what could happen and God made plans for the possibilities of what could happen. But at any time Eve could have told the serpent no or Adam could have taken dominion over the serpent. God will not violate man's will.
So the lesson is that there are times when God steps in to make sure things happen a certain way. But most of the time God lets us do what we do to see if we will serve Him or not.
One more thought. God does change His mind. He never changes, but He does change His mind.
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