We are often reminded not to “Cherry pick” verses to support a singular opinion. This is not an accusative declarative but merely to support the following methodology of understanding the Biblical verses that a reasonable person could examine on the subject of this lesson. Your decision as to whether God does or does not change His mind is not for me to try to alter. Study these verses plus the plethora of other Bible translations of your choice and arrive at your own independent conclusions as to whether or not God Changes His mind. Since, and because, there are different translations to our Holy Bibles, I will first offer several examples, (pro or con) from the King James Version then (sometimes) within the Easy to Read Version (ERV) of the same verse(s).
My 'comments', which are frequently dispersed, should be considered for clarity or the highlighting of notable portions. These same comments should not be considered to be assumptively correct.
We must always take care to distinguish between conditional declarations of God and unconditional spoken terms of God. When God said, “I will destroy Nineveh in forty days,” He was speaking conditionally upon the Assyrians’ response. We know this because when the Assyrians repented, God did not dole out a destructive judgment. God did not change His mind; rather, His successful warning message to Nineveh was meant to provoke repentance.
God was changing results “conditionally” or, in other words, if you do this God will do that. Jeremiah 42:10 (KJV) comes to mind by offering “If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.” (ERV) ‘If you will stay in Judah, I will make you strong—I will not destroy you. I will plant you, and I will not pull you up. I will do this because I am sad about the terrible things that I made happen to you.
Some verses show the foreknowledge of God as in 2 Samuel 24:15-16 (KJV) So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. 16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite. (ERV) So the Lord sent a disease against Israel. It began in the morning and continued until the chosen time to stop. From Dan to Beersheba 70,000 people died. 16 The angel raised his arm over Jerusalem and was ready to destroy it, but the Lord felt very sorry about the bad things that had happened. He said to the angel who destroyed the people, “That’s enough! Put down your arm.” The Lord’s angel was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. It would appear that the LORD had predetermined a time to stop and redirect the Angel – so this passage cannot be considered to be any kind of change of mind.
There are several verses in the Bible that support the concept that “God does not Change His Mind”. For instance, Malachi 3:6 declares, “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” Taken by itself, it would seem that verse alone would stop all debate on this particular topic. As do many of the following verses.
1 Samuel 15:29 (KJV) And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. (ERV) The one who lives forever, the God of Israel, does not lie and will not change his mind. He is not like a man who is always changing his mind.
Isaiah 31:2 (KJV) Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. (ERV) But he is the wise one who is bringing the disaster. (“calling back His words” seems to be missing) And they will not be able to stop what he commanded. The Lord will attack those who are evil and all who try to help them.
So, in similar support, James 1:17 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” What Numbers 23:19 says is clear: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” Based on these verses, no, God does not change. God is unchanging and unchangeable. He is also all-wise. So He does not, some say cannot, “change His mind” in the sense of admitting a mistake or backtracking then directing a new course.
But we should consider still other verses that offer evidence that God does change His mind, which would seem to contrast the verses above.
Exodus 32:12 (KJV) Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. (ERV) But if you destroy your people, the Egyptians will say, ‘God planned to do bad things to his people. That is why he led them out of Egypt. He wanted to kill them in the mountains. He wanted to wipe them off the earth.’ So don’t be angry with your people. Please change your mind! Don’t destroy them. The underlining is mine but was this a plea to God? A person might think “if God cannot or will not change His mind – then why call upon the Lord God Almighty or even pray?
Exodus 32:14 (KJV) And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. (ERV) So the Lord felt sorry for the people. He did not do what he said he might do—he did not destroy them. Yes, while this may seem supportive that God might change his mind, – this is not a definitive answer simply because of the word “might.”
Jeremiah 26:19 (KJV) Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? Did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls. (ERV) “King Hezekiah of Judah and the people of Judah did not kill Micah. You know that Hezekiah respected the Lord and wanted to please him. So the Lord changed his mind and didn’t do the bad things to Judah that he said he would do. If we hurt Jeremiah, we will bring many troubles on ourselves. And those troubles will be our own fault.” That is fairly straightforward, stating “The LORD changed His Mind.”
Jeremiah 18:8 (KJV) If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. (ERV) But if the people of that nation change their hearts and lives and stop doing evil things, I will change my mind and not bring on them the disaster I planned. This looks to be a change for our benefit.
Jeremiah 18:10 (KJV) If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. (ERV) But if I see that nation doing evil things and not obeying me, I will think again about the good I had planned to do for them. This looks to be a change towards our detriment.
Jeremiah 26:3 (KJV) If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. (ERV) Maybe they will listen and obey my message. Maybe they will stop living such evil lives. If they change, I will change my mind about my plans to punish them. I am planning this punishment because of the many evil things they have done.
Jeremiah 26:13 (KJV) Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you. (ERV) You people, change your lives! You must start doing good! You must obey the Lord your God. If you do that, he will change his mind. He will not do the bad things he told you about.
Jonah 3:9 (KJV) Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? (ERV) Who knows? Maybe God will stop being angry and change his mind, and we will not be punished. This is not a declarative statement that God changed His mind, is it? But read on to the next verse!
Jonah 3:10 (KJV) And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. (ERV) God saw what the people did. He saw that they stopped doing evil. So God changed his mind and did not do what he planned. He did not punish the people. Is this a first-person, eyewitness account of God Changing His mind? It could be argued that the main point is that God is entirely consistent. In His holiness, God was judging Nineveh. However, Nineveh repented and changed its ways. As a result, God, in His holiness, had mercy on Nineveh and spared them for a time. Nineveh was later destroyed (612 BC) by the Medes, an Iranian people. This was in fulfillment of the prophet Nahum’s prediction that God would completely destroy the city (Nahum 1). This “change of mind” is entirely consistent with God's character. His holiness did not waver but extended His mercy for a time.
Jonah 4:2 (KJV) And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. (ERV) He complained to the Lord and said, “Lord, I knew this would happen! I was in my own country, and you told me to come here. At that time I knew that you would forgive the people of this evil city, so I decided to run away to Tarshish. I knew that you are a kind God. I knew that you show mercy and don’t want to punish people. I knew that you are kind, and if these people stopped sinning, you would change your plans to destroy them. Of course, Jonah can't speak for the Lord but this verse and others, in my opinion, lend credence that Biblical people thought God could change.
Amos 7:3 (KJV) The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD. (ERV) Then the Lord changed his mind about this. The Lord said, “It will not happen.” Note it is the LORD that repented (changed His Mind) because of the actions of the people.
Amos 7:6 (KJV) The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD. (ERV) Then the Lord changed his mind about this. The Lord God said, “It will not happen either.” Now we are getting into some very “cut and dried” statements about the Lord changing His mind. This verse seems to be a very clear and concise quote from God.
Paul tells us within 2 Corinthians 1:19-22 (KJV) “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. 20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21 Now he which establish us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts..” (ERV) But if you can believe God, then you can believe that what we tell you is never both yes and no. 19 The Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one that Silas, Timothy, and I told you about was not yes and no. In Christ it has always been yes. 20 The yes to all of God’s promises is in Christ. And that is why we say “Amen” through Christ to the glory of God. 21 And God is the one who makes you and us strong in Christ. God is also the one who chose us for his work. 22 He put his mark on us to show that we are his. Yes, he put his Spirit in our hearts as the first payment that guarantees all that he will give us.
In conclusion, as I often say, “any Christian that believes God's Grace is freely offered to all by Faith that Jesus shed his blood for the remission of our all our sins, that person is saved and should show respect and obedience to God by sharing the Words of Jesus to the unsaved.”
Therefore, rest assured for all eternity, God never breaks a promise to us. When we repented and trusted Christ for salvation, it can be said: “God will never change His mind about us.” Now we are no longer enemies but His beloved children, sons of God (John 1:12). Could it or would it be considered contrary for God not punish us had we continued in sin? Does any change of our hearts mean that God changes? No, not really. God extends His grace to the repentant.
If anything, our promised and certain salvation points to the facts that God does not change important measures or the measure of His importance. All believers are saved through the sanctifying blood of Christ. Thank God for His Almighty, unchanging righteousness.
