Does God Change (His Mind)?
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Main Question for today...
Does God Change (His Mind)?
As we talk through this question, remember the purpose of the questions in this series. Finding exact answers to our specific questions is great, however, being able to defend what we belief and prepare a ready response is even better.
What matters most is that we wrestle with these difficult questions so that we can prepare ourselves to respond to challenges of our faith.
Does God change?
Write down some of your answers on a sheet of paper. Write down why you believe this. You can even write down a few Bible verses to support your answer.
Ask: Does God change His mind?
Notice the difference between the two questions and the implications for both. Same as above: Write down some of your answers on a sheet of paper. Write down why you believe this. You can even write down a few Bible verses to support your answer.
Consider this...
The character of God does not change. God's will, His promises, and His covenants remain consistent and unchanging. God's character remains consistent throughout both the Old and New Testaments. He is a God of justice, order, love, and forgiveness. These things never change.
But note the differences between "does God change" vs "does God change his mind."
Read the following passages. As you read through them, write down some of your thoughts as to how these passages speak to God's nature and character as well as how God interacts with His creation and why:
Malachi 3:6
James 1:17
Hebrews 13:8
Isaiah 40:8
Psalm 119:89
1 Samuel 15:29
2 Samuel 7:16
Numbers 23:19
What do each of these passages say about God's capacity for change?
Do these passages refer to God's character or do they refer to God's responses to humanity's actions?
Now consider the following passages and categories:
God Relenting Destruction
Jonah 3:10-- Is this passage conditional or unconditional? If it is conditional, what does that say about humanity's ability to persuade God to relent destruction?
Genesis 6:6-- If God was going to kill all humanity, what changed his mind to preserve a remnant through Noah and his family?
2 Kings 22:16-20
Jeremiah 18:9-10
What do these passages say about God's capacity to change His initial decisions to relent the destruction of a people or place?
Humans persuading God to change His mind
Genesis 18:22-33-- Is this passage conditional or unconditional? If it is conditional, what does that say about humanity's ability to persuade God to relent destruction?
Exodus 32:9-14
Luke 24:28-29
Matthew 15:24-28
What do these passages say about God's capacity to change based upon a person persuading Him to change His mind?
God alters His original plans
Genesis 2-3-- Did God intend for humanity to live in the garden forever? If so, did the plan change? How?
1 Samuel 8:6-18 -- What was God's original plan for the Kingship? Who was meant to be Israel's King?
Exodus 13:1 + 22:29-- Who were originally meant to be priests?
Read Exodus 28:1-3 and Exodus 32:26-29 for the answer.
What role did a person's faith play in each of these examples?
Why do you think God changed His mind in these examples?
Consider this...
What do we make of all of this evidence?
How can we make sense of this?
Are these explanations we've just answered with based upon our own wishful thinking or are they based upon biblical principles?
Are these explanations based upon philosophical principles rather than on biblical principles?
Take away
What can we learn from this exercise?
List some specific things we will do this week that will help us put our trust in God and His plans.
How has this exercise shaped you as a follower of God?