Knowing God (VI) The Immutability of God His Word is Reliable Nu 23:19-20 ‘God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent;

Knowing God (VI)Knowing God (VI)

The Immutability of GodThe Immutability of God

His Word is ReliableHis Word is Reliable

Nu 23:19-20‘God is not a man, that He should lie,Nor a son of man, that He should repent;Has He said, and will He not do it?Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? ‘Behold, I have received a command to bless; When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.’


Psa 119:89Psa 119:89““Forever, O LORD,Forever, O LORD,Your word is settled in heaven.”Your word is settled in heaven.”


Mt 5:18“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”


1 Pet 1:24-25“For ‘ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS,AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS.THE GRASS WITHERS,AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.’ And this is the word which was preached to you.”

His Purpose is His Purpose is UnalterableUnalterable

Psa 33:11“The counsel of the LORD stands forever,The plans of His heart from generation to generation.”


Heb 6:17-18“In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.”


Isa 46:9-10“Remember the former things long past,For I am God, and there is no other;I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning,And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying,‘My purpose will be established,And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’”


Prov 19:21“Many plans are in a man's heart,But the counsel of the LORD will stand.”


Jas 1:17“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

His Judgments Are His Judgments Are IrrevocableIrrevocable

1 Sam 15:28-29“So Samuel said to him, ‘The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.”

His Love is UnbreakableHis Love is Unbreakable

Psa 100:5Psa 100:5

““For the LORD is good;For the LORD is good;

His lovingkindness is everlastingHis lovingkindness is everlasting

And His faithfulness to all generations.”And His faithfulness to all generations.”


Lam 3:20-23Lam 3:20-23

““The LORD'S lovingkindnesses The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail. For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.”Great is Your faithfulness.”


Mal 3:5-6Mal 3:5-6

““Then I will draw near to you for judgment; Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me,’ says the LORD of hosts. not fear Me,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘For ‘For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.’”O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.’”

His Character is His Character is UnchangeableUnchangeable

Does God ever repent or change his mind?Does God ever repent or change his mind?

Gen 6:5-7“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.’


Does God ever repent or change his mind?Does God ever repent or change his mind?

1 Sam 15:11“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.”


Does God ever repent or change his Does God ever repent or change his mind?mind? A declaration might be conditional:A declaration might be conditional:

Jer 18:7-8“At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.”


Does God ever repent or change his Does God ever repent or change his mind?mind? A declaration might be conditional:A declaration might be conditional:

Jonah 4:2“He prayed to the LORD and said, ‘Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.’”


Does God ever repent or change his Does God ever repent or change his mind?mind? A declaration might be conditionalA declaration might be conditional Some things he does are meant to be Some things he does are meant to be

temporary:temporary:

Heb 7:12“For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.”


Did Moses change God’s mind?Did Moses change God’s mind?Ex 32:9-14

“‘I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.’ Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, ‘O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, 'With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’”


Did Moses change God’s mind?Did Moses change God’s mind?

Vs.14“So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.”


Did Moses change God’s mind?Did Moses change God’s mind? God chose Moses as the mediator God chose Moses as the mediator

between him and Israel.between him and Israel. God invited Moses to mediate on God invited Moses to mediate on

Israel’s behalf:Israel’s behalf:Vs.10

“‘I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them.’”


Did Moses change God’s mind?Did Moses change God’s mind? God chose Moses as the mediator God chose Moses as the mediator

between him and Israel.between him and Israel. God invited Moses to mediate on God invited Moses to mediate on

Israel’s behalfIsrael’s behalf God’s “change” was based on a God’s “change” was based on a

condition – vs.29condition – vs.29 The unrepentant were punished -- vs.30-The unrepentant were punished -- vs.30-

3535 Heb. for “change mind” = Lit. “breath Heb. for “change mind” = Lit. “breath

deeply”; “to be sorry, to console, to deeply”; “to be sorry, to console, to show mercy, have compassion”show mercy, have compassion”


Answering prayer is part of his Answering prayer is part of his unchangeable character – Mt 7:7-unchangeable character – Mt 7:7-11; Jas 4:211; Jas 4:2


His Word is Reliable His Word is Reliable His Purpose is UnalterableHis Purpose is Unalterable His Judgments Are IrrevocableHis Judgments Are Irrevocable His Love is UnbreakableHis Love is Unbreakable His Character is UnchangeableHis Character is Unchangeable

What It Means For Us:What It Means For Us:


Assurance and stability in times Assurance and stability in times of change and uncertainty:of change and uncertainty:

Heb 13.8“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and

forever.”


Assurance and stability in times of Assurance and stability in times of change and uncertainty.change and uncertainty.

We can truly know God.We can truly know God. We can have confidence in prayer.We can have confidence in prayer. We have moral absolutes to live We have moral absolutes to live

by.by. No distance between 1No distance between 1stst Century Century

Christians and us.Christians and us.


His Word is Reliable His Word is Reliable His Purpose is UnalterableHis Purpose is Unalterable His Judgments Are His Judgments Are

IrrevocableIrrevocable His Love is UnbreakableHis Love is Unbreakable His Character is His Character is

UnchangeableUnchangeable

Photo taken by Dan Bush, missouriskies.org


Photo taken by Dan Bush, missouriskies.org

Documents

Knowing God (VI) The Immutability of God His Word is Reliable Nu 23:19-20 ‘God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent;