Does God Change His Mind?

There are times in Scripture when it appears that God is changing His mind.  In fact, we may even pray for God to change His mind about a given situation but is this possible if He has already made up His mind?  When someone changes his/her mind, it is often because they have learned new information about a matter that was not previously known or because the circumstances have changed and require a different attitude or approach.  However, if we truly believe that God is omniscient (that He knows all things), then He cannot learn something new that He did not already know.  So, when the Bible speaks of God changing His mind, it should be understood that the circumstance or situation has changed and not God.

How then do we explain verses that seem to say that God does change His mind?  Genesis 6:6 says, “The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain.”  We also read in Exodus 32:14, “Then the LORD relented and did not bring on His people the disaster He had threatened.”  These verses speak of the Lord “repenting” or “relenting” of something and seem to contradict the doctrine of God’s immutability (This is the doctrine that God does not change in His quality of being).  In fact, in the book of Jonah that we are currently studying on Sunday mornings, we see Jonah walking the streets of Nineveh cautioning the Assyrians that if they do not repent then God was going to destroy them.  Praise God they repented because we are told that God relented and had compassion on them and he did not bring the destruction that was told to them (Jonah 3).

The immutability of God (His quality of not changing) is clearly taught all throughout Scripture (Numbers 23:19; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17).  The immutability of God is directly related to God’s omniscience.  The fact that God changes His treatment of us in response to our choices has nothing to do with God's character changing.  It is a matter of people working within the framework of God’s principles and God’s character.   If someone repents, God consistently forgives in accordance to His Word and His character; if someone refuses to repent, God consistently judges according to His Word and His character.   Therefore, God is unchanging in His nature, His plan, and His being.   God told the Assyrians living in Nineveh, “I’m going to judge you unless you repent”.  This may appear that God changed His mind; however, in reality, God was simply staying true to His Word and character (repent and I’ll forgive; continue in wickedness and I’ll destroy).

Consider this, at one time we were enemies of God because of our sinfulness and we deserved hell as our just payment.  When we repented and put our faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, God viewed us differently in that we were no longer His enemies but His children (John 1:12).  What changed?  We did.  It would be contrary to God’s Word and His character to punish us after we have repented.  Did our change of heart change God’s mind?  Our salvation actually points to the fact that God does not change but that He works according to His will and His Word.  In summary, our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He always works within His righteous character and He holds us accountable to the parameters set forth in His Word.