MM, your comments portray an arbitrary, almighty, all encompassing God.

In sum: he is evil, he is good, he is kind, he is miserable, he is gracious, he is wicked, he is creator, he is destroyer, he is God, he is Satan.

He is all encompassing.

I fail to see any character there that I should learn, or any need of salvation or change, because whatever I am, so is he.

John, the following passage comes to mind, which makes it clear to me that God is in control (and who are we to question His wisdom and authority).

Romans
9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
9:14 What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
9:16 So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth.
9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus?
9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
9:22 [What] if God, willing to show [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

MM I'm glad and sorry, that you have sited the old pretext of all predestinationalists and Calvinists, but will not comment on this topic on it, as it will engender a distict sidetrack from the study. It is a worthy topic but not here.

As you and others see the distinct paradox of these verses, I don't think it is a Berean quality to dismiss it with "God does what He wants." That is a distinctly Muslim attitude here where I am, and cuts off any desire to study and "know Him". God becomes the Doer of all in Hinduism, the Yin and Yang in Taoism and the Light-Dark Gods in Zoroastrianism.

You have entered a study with your own pre-set conclusions, which you have a right to own, but which will also hobble your attempts to openly dialogue with Bible students.

Yes MM, just as I said, there is no reason whatsoever possible why I should trouble myself to find or learn anything, for there is no such thing as learning. It is all imagination and make-believe. God does what comes to him to do, and there is no wisdom nor understanding, nor good nor evil, nor sin nor righteousness; for God is all of it. It matters not what he makes of us for we are all in him, and he is all of us.

So I think that this is the greatest paradox of all that God should hold us responsible for what he does.

If I may say “I think”, for what that is I do not know, for God does it all.

Phil and John, if God isn't in control then how do we explain His foreknowledge? Just because God forsees future choices and consequences it doesn't mean people are no longer free to choose. Cyrus was free to overturn the prophecy regarding him, but he didn't. Jesus was free to ignore the prophecies regarding Him, but He didn't. How does this make God evil? Who are we to imply or assume that God is evil because He forsees the future, and that He works hard to make sure the outcome is according to His will?

I do not recall myself or Phil being the progenitors of such foreknowledge as you propose. I remember quite to the contrary.

Why should you tie in foreknowledge, with God doing whatever he wants? What does his foreknowledge have to do with control?

But I think this would get off the topic here, so if you would like to answer it, why don’t you post it on one of the several topics on foreknowledge?

On the other hand what may be applicable here; what does control have to do with responsibility?

Or a better question yet is what does "foreknowledge and control" have to do with the "real cause"?

Good question. The real cause, in the case of King Saul, was God withdrawing His favor on account of his disobedience. He felt the absence of God and was miserable for it. The effect was unrest and more disobedience. God was in control in that He didn't intervene on his behalf. In this case, divine foreknowledge apparently didn't play a big part, though Samuel predicted his death and replacement.

1 Samuel
15:24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
15:25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.
15:26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
15:27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
15:28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, [that is] better than thou.
15:29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he [is] not a man, that he should repent.
15:30 Then he said, I have sinned: [yet] honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.
15:31 So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.
15:32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
15:33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
15:34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
15:35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

1 Chronicles
10:13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, [even] against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking [counsel] of [one that had] a familiar spirit, to inquire [of it];
10:14 And inquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.