The threatened judgment didnt fall, and that nearly drove jonah crazy. The answer to the first is, no, god does not change his mind. By charles fisher when i first heard the teaching that god lived in time, and changed his mind, i objected, on the grounds that god never changes, that the doctrine of. Our prayers change the mind of god our biblical point of view. Jan 02, 2020 the bottom line is that god is entirely consistent. When moses heard this, he pleaded with god to turn from his anger. The bible assures us of the following things about god s nature. The bible appears to say at times that god changed his mind. Engineer nick berryman was an atheist, who enjoyed reading richard dawkins the god delusion. God, the bible says, does not lie or change his mind. Under the mosaic law, jehovah required sabbathkeeping, but now he does not. Not only do open theists argue that god changes his mind, but they also argue that he does not have exhaustive foreknowledge of future events. God is unchangeable in that his personality and standards of love and justice never alter. This change of mind is entirely consistent with his character.
People changing their minds god, repentance of mind, of god reformation obedience to god now therefore amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the lord your god. However, we do see verses in the bible that imply he does in a temporal sense. So paul was very sure that his message came from god. When the bible says that god repented or changed his mind, it is not saying that something new has happened and now he is thinking a different way. Anthropopathism is a figure here used by which god s activity is explained, by analogy, in strictly human terms. When god declared, for i am the lord, i do not change as recorded in malachi, he. Through his prophet, god had told nineveh he would destroy the city in forty days jonah 3. God does change his mind in response to our obedience or rebellion, as mentioned in jeremiah.
The mind of god does not change for god does not change. Keep in mind, that was the same year that california, a very, very hard blue state, voted to prohibit gay marriage, at the same time that california voters they came out to vote for obama. Our prayers change the mind of god our biblical point of. Gods refusal to respond to davids acts of repentance shows that nathans declaration was unconditional. I believe that in 1978 god changed his mind about black people, sings elder kevin price in the broadway musical the book of mormon. The explanation is that god knew in advance that he would offer mercy following the prayer of. He hated the people of nineveh for many logical and understandable reasons. From our limited perspective, god does sometimes seem to change his mind.
Not changing because events have caught him off guard. Once his mind is set to do something no one can change it. The answer to the second is, yes, prayer changes things. Any seeming change in god s dealings is from humanitys point of view not god s. In fact, god states very explicitly, i, the lord, do not change malachi 3. Unlike us, god always can be trusted to keep his word. What in moses words and actions would possibly have provoked god to change his mind. The problem becomes more vexing when we read elsewhere in scripture. There is also the possibility that the word translated repent has more the idea of being grieved or sorry. Another passage that is often used to show that god changes his mind is the story of jonah. He points out that christianity and judaismis the only religion that denies the immovability of the will of god. By charles fisher when i first heard the teaching that god lived in time, and changed his mind, i objected, on the grounds that god never changes, that the doctrine of immutability would not allow. When god instructed moses to go down to them, he told moses that he would consume them and make a great nation from moses 32. What constitutes god as different in the second mode of being from what he was in the first.
Sinai, and was influenced by moses who disobeyed god s command to leave him alone. Theres one sense in which it seems god is changing his mind, and theres another sense in which the bible says god never changes his mind because god is omniscient. But things changed so much so that by 2016, even the republican candidate was supportive of gay marriage. However, this does not mean that god never changes his mind jer. Sometimes he chooses not to punish someone after he has said that he would. In numbers 14 it appears that moses changed the mind of god. Then after moses has actually said it, does god suddenly changes his mind. Once king saul of israel became firmly set in badness, god did not change his mind about rejecting him as king. When god hangs his sword of judgment over peoples heads, and they repent and he then withholds his judgment, has he really changed his mind.
Consider, for example, the following episode that took place in the time of moses. In numbers 14 it appears that moses changed the mind of. Gods refusal to respond to davids acts of repentance shows that. Because the people of nineveh changed their minds about the way they had been living, and god changed his mind about destroying them. For example, at one time jehovah god gave christians the power to perform miracles, but now he does not.
First of all, it is apparent that moses disobeyed god s instruction to leave him alone v. Since god is merciful, he responds readily when people, with their whole hearts, repent. The lord changed his mind about the disaster which he said he would do to his people. And i believe that in 1978 god changed his mind about. He doesnt have any more information than he had a moment before. First of all, it is apparent that moses disobeyed gods instruction to leave him alone v. He hated the people of nineveh for many logical and understandable reasons and. We might discuss why he changed his mind, but any objective reading of the text will lead to the conclusion that. With him there is not a variation of the turning of the shadow. If god changes the methods of punishment, then he has changed his mind. He prayed and fasted until the child died, hoping that god might take pity on him and spare the childs life v. Prayer has now become a ticket to get god to change his plan and purpose. Therefore, it must be because the circumstances have changed that require a different attitude or action.
What is god an investigation of the perfections of gods nature by robert reymond. This question can be best answered by breaking it into two questions. To the reformed christian there is the general belief that god is sovereign and that his will and purposes cannot be changed. They find their support for this in passages such as genesis 18, where abraham intercedes before the lord for sodom and gomorrah, and god seemingly changes his mind.
For one must then specify in what sense he has changed. As a result, god, in his holiness, had mercy on nineveh and spared them. Jps tanakh 1917 and the lord repented of the evil which he said he would do unto his people. The balance that exist between the will of god and the prayer of man is one of time. Does he have more attributes, fewer attributes, better or worse attributes. He charges the heresy of christian fatalism with the responsibility for the powerlessness of many of todays christians. Yet moses prayed and sought the lords mercy, and the lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people exodus 32. When we look at the two examples above, we must continue to the end of the stories and note that the decree or will of god was not changed. No, god does not change his mind and i am glad for he probably would have changed his mind about saving me. Others are equally concerned that a careless tampering with this attribute of god will reduce him to a fickle, unfaithful.
Paul believed that god had already chosen him at his birth. What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him. Consider some situations where the bible says that god has not changed his mind. If god in the second mode of being had the same attributes.
Boyce states, by the immutability of god is meant that he is incapable of change, either in duration of life, or in nature, character, will or happiness. God never goes back on his promises or tells us something one day and something different the next. Nothing has changed as far as gods knowledge or his appraisal of the situation. Jun 14, 20 then after moses has actually said it, does god suddenly changes his mind. God can and does change his mind, but only if people sincerely repent of their sins and respond by doing what is right. God did not allow balak to make him change his mind and curse the nation of israel. Following the tragic death of a dear friend, i often felt speechless when i tried to prayas though my heart and mind had shut down. So how can prayer change circumstances without changing gods mind. We might discuss why he changed his mind, but any objective reading of the text will lead to the conclusion that god thought one way, and then another. If god changed his mind, in that he adapted to new information, then god does not know all things 1 john 3.
To say that god would actually change his mind would imply that god, who is supposed to have known all things forever, decided to act in a manner that was different from what he has always known he would do. Other translations render the words here, changed his mind. But this worries me, because he might change his mind about letting me into heaven. If everything god makes is good, including satan, where did evil come from. Evangelical john piper says god changed his mind about. He knows all things from the beginning, and he is immutable. Since we know this, we know that god does not actually change his mind, or regret his own actions, etc. When the city of nineveh repented as a result of jonahs preaching, for example, the bible says that god had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened jonah 3. So, christians learn the gospel from other christians. Things change, and they change according to his sovereign will, which he exercises through secondary means and secondary activities. When god declared, for i am the lord, i do not change as recorded in malachi, he was talking about his nature. He changed his mind about god when a friend introduced him. Some bible readers wonder, however, if god has changed his mind.
It is not in an eternal sense that he changes anything. Who knows, god may turn and relent and withdraw his burning anger so that we will not perish. Some see it as a threat to the biblical portrait of a god who does indeed change. Opinion racism and the mormon church the new york times. And i believe that in 1978 god changed his mind about black. Instead of moses listening to god, he pleads with god to spare israel and god relents. Some people have questioned the notion that god is unchanging because of examples in scripture where god seems to regret his actions or change his mind. God is immutable in his essence, attributes, and counsels or plans. I seem to remember reading somewhere in the bible that he can change his mind. Gods word translation so the lord reconsidered his threat to destroy his people. This narrative seems to make it absolutely clear that god does, in fact, change his mind from time to time. In recent years, however, advocates of a theory called open theism have argued that god can and does change and that we can cause that change.
Maybe his being doesnt change, but does his mind cast a shadow every once in awhile. Verse 14 states, so the lord relented from the harm which he said he would do to his people. Then he gives examples of when he did just that, and god did change his mind. Jun 10, 2014 if everything god makes is good, including satan, where did evil come from. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Hank hanegraaff, host of the bible answer man, assist a caller in responding to a person who believes god evolves and how to show the notion is unbiblical. The bible assures us of the following things about gods nature. If god is morally perfect, then his commanded methods of punishment are moral and just. Any seeming change in gods dealings is from humanitys point of view not gods. The bottom line is that god is entirely consistent. In ancient times, god tolerated polygamy, but he no longer does. God does not change his mind because he already knows what is to come numbers 23. If god is immutable, if he does not change at all, does that mean he never changes his mind either. Every time god changed his mind it was in favor of humanity rather than against. So the lord changed his mind about the harm which he said he would do to his people. God told moses that the people deserved to be destroyed. Aug 24, 2016 not only do open theists argue that god changes his mind, but they also argue that he does not have exhaustive foreknowledge of future events. James 117 this, however, does not contradict what the bible says about god changing his mind. Usually, christian leaders teach the gospel gods good news to new christians.