Reply To: Theology Discussion Board

[Miriam IfeanyiChukwu]

God is immutable. He does not change, neither does He change His mind (Num. 23:19). However, several Old Testament passages show scenarios where God either changed His mind concerning something He had said He would do or decided to do. An example is seen in Jeremiah 18:8 where the immutable God is suggesting that He could change His mind concerning the disaster He thought to bring on the Israelites if they turned away from their evil ways. “If that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.’’ The word “If” at the beginning of this passage is conditional therefore the verse signifies a divine conditional warning. The response to be gotten was solely dependent on the recipient, it had nothing to do with the nature of God.
From the verse above, God did not change, the people did. God kept His Word. The seeming “changing of God’s mind’’ can be seen as anthropomorphism (a description of God using human characteristics). The change was part of the grand plan and due to mankind’s repentance. The same is true about the case of Jonah and the children of Nineveh (Jonah 3:10) and Moses and the Israelites (Exodus 32:14). God is not schizophrenic. One aspect of His nature is not overemphasized above the other. For example, His justice is not overemphasized above His mercy. Even though God hates sin and has promised to punish sin, He is not consumed by the need to punish sin such that He neglects to show mercy when He sees genuine repentance from sin. God clearly described His nature to Moses at Mount Sinai as merciful and gracious, longsuffering, abounding in goodness and truth, etc. (Exodus 34:6-7). Jonah was so aware of the nature of God that he fled to Tarshish instead of going to Nineveh to preach because he knew that God would respond in His mercy to the people of Nineveh and not bring judgment on them like He had promised if they repented of their sins and turned to Him (Jonah 4:1-3), and God did exactly what Jonah feared He would do.
All the instances that appeared God changed His mind were cases of God relenting regarding bringing punishment upon the people and not a case of God failing to bring about a good or blessing He promised. This is actually in man’s favor. God keeps His promises because He does not change. For every promise God made to man, they are Yes and Amen (2 Cor. 1:20) and He does not change His mind concerning His gifts (Rom. 8:29). Instead of one of God’s promises not to come to pass, scripture says heaven and earth will pass away (Matt. 24:35). This is how committed God is to His Word and how unchangeable God is.
In conclusion, God is Spirit John 4:24 tells us. Therefore, His nature is constant and does not change (James 1:17). For every seeming change of God’s mind, it was from man’s perspective or point of view and not God’s, it was in response to the change of man, it was a change to favor man, it was a change in withholding punishment to the people and it was never a case of God failing to keep His Word concerning a promised He made.