God Changes His Mind

The biblical teaching about God often becomes very complicated. Often people make assumptions which are just not true. One assumption is that God knows everything that will happen in the future. That assumption is contradictory to the teaching of the Bible. GOD HIMSELF declares this point clearly.

1. For example, in Jeremiah 18:7-10 God himself says:
         "At one moment [OR: If at any time] I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom
           that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it,
           BUT if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil,
           I WILL CHANGE MY MIND about the disaster that I INTENDED to bring on it.
           And at another moment [OR: If at any time] I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom
           that I will build and plant it,
           but if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice,
           then I WILL CHANGE MY MIND about the good that I had INTENDED to do to it."

2. The story of Jonah illustrates this point clearly.
    a. God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh and to tell the people of Nineveh that God will overthrow Nineveh. Jonah ran the other way, and God sent a whale to  devour Jonah and send him back toward Nineveh. God commanded Jonah a second time to go to Nineveh and tell the people of Nineveh that God will overthrow Nineveh. In reluctance Jonah went a second time, and when he arrived he declared: "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" (Jonah 3:4).
    b. But the people of Nineveh paid attention to Jonah's message, and repented. The Bible says:
         "When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways,
           GOD CHANGED HIS MIND about the calamity that he HE HAD SAID HE WOULD
                          BRING UPON THEM, AND HE DID NOT DO IT." (Jonah 3:10).
    c. Jonah became VERY ANGRY because God changed his mind, but God told Jonah that God delivered Nineveh because he is a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Jonah 4.

3. a. Micah 3:12 contains this prediction of God:
      "Therefore because of you [referring to Micah 3:9-11]
        Zion shall be plowed as a field;
        Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,
        and the mountain of the house a wooded height."
       This announcement dates from between 705 and 701 BCE. But it NEVER came to pass, as the Bible itself declares in Jeremiah 26:17-19.
    b. Jeremiah 26:17-19 says:
        "And some of the elders of the land arose and said to all the assembled people,
          'Micah of Moresheth, who prophesied during the days of King Hezekiah of Judah,
                    said to all the people of Judah, "Thus says the Lord of hosts,
                    Zion shall be plowed as a field,
                    Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,
                    and the mountain of the house a wooded height."
         Did King Hezekiah of Judah and all Judah actually put him to death?
         Did he not fear the Lord, and DID NOT THE LORD CHANGE HIS MIND
             about the disaster HE HAD PRONOUNCED AGAINST THEM?
         But we are about to bring great disaster on ourselves."

God does not PLAY GAMES. God genuine and forthrightly commands people to repent. IF people genuinely repent, God changes his mind and graciously forgives them and delivers them from his prior plan to destroy them eternally. This is a consistent teaching throughout scripture.

Share YOUR fears and hesitations and proclamations and insights and experiences with others. Let me hear from YOU.

John Willis