Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

God's core nature and eternal purposes are unchanging. However, His case-by-case specific actions can be responsive to temporal human choices and circumstances.

August 14 2025 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Donna Williams Supporter

Dear Anonymous, in context with this particular passage of scripture. Balak, who was the king of Moab wanted Balaam to curse the children of Israel. But he was forbidden to do so, because of the word that the LORD had put in his mouth.

When the Lord makes a promise, it cannot be reversed. 

Now there are times when He will relent from the judgment that He has pronounced upon those who are in rebellion or the wicked. For example, God repented/relented of His course of action against the Ninevites when they humbled themselves through fasting, because of the judgment that the prophet Jonah pronounced against their wickedness. 

The Lord showed His mercy towards the Ninevites because of the repentance of their sins!

August 14 2025 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Leslie Coutinho Supporter

Numbers 23:19: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

When the Lord brought Abraham out from the land of Ur of the Chal’-dees, he came to the land of Canaan. There was a famine in the land, and he went down into Egypt, where Sarah, his wife, was commended and was taken to be in Pharaoh's house. The Lord then plagued Pharaoh and his household, for he then sent them away, and they left Egypt. (Gen 12:5,10,15,17,20,15:7) Abraham, who was childless at the time with his wife Sarah, the Lord came to him in a vision. Lord God then spoke to Abraham, saying, “He who shall come forth out of thine own bowels, shall then be like the stars of heaven that you shall not be able to number them. For then thy seed descendants shall be strangers in a land (Egypt) that is not theirs and shall serve the inhabitants of the land for four hundred years. In the fourth generation, they shall come hither again to the promised land.” (Gen 15:1-5,13,16,18-21) Abraham's grandson, the prince who then had power with God, was no longer called “Jacob, but Israel, who then were fruitful and multiplied and filled the land of Egypt.” (Gen 32:28/Exo 1:7) 

Moses, who was born in the land of Egypt and then raised by Pharaoh’s daughter, when he grew up later fled and dwelt in the land of Midian. The land that was named after Abraham’s third wife, Keturah, who was sent eastward, whose son’s name was Midian. (Exo 2:15/Gen 25:1-2) The angel of the Lord then appeared in the flames of fire to Moses, and God the Father called out to him from the midst of the bush. The Lord then said unto him, "I have seen the affliction of My People who are in Egypt. I have come down to deliver them and bring them out into a good land. I will send you, unto Pharaoh to bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." (Exo 3:2,4,7,8,10) What was revealed unto Abraham came to pass, for then Moses brought them out of Egypt through the Red Sea to the Arabian Peninsula. God the Father then came down on the top of Mount Si’-nai, and called Moses to come up to Him. The Lord God then said, “I will send an Angel before you, beware of Him and obey His voice.” (Gen 15:16/Exo 19:20/23:21) 

God the Father sent His Angel, and Moses was told to obey His voice, provoke Him not, for He will not pardon your transgression. The Lord then descended in a cloudy pillar and stood at the door of the tabernacle. Moses was not allowed to see His face, for He said, “For there shall no man see me, and live.” This Angel had God the Father’s name in Him, that was, the Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. (Exo 23:21,33:2,9,19-23/1 Cor 10:4) The Rock that stood before them and walked before them, Moses was told to speak to the Rock before their eyes of the congregation, and He shall give forth His water. Moses did not obey; he struck the Rock twice, and the water came abundantly for the congregation. Moses was then told that he would not bring this congregation into the land which "He, the Lord,” had given them. (Num 20:8,11-12) God the Father then sent Moses and Elijah to witness our Lord Jesus when He was on the mount with His disciples. Lord Jesus was transfigured before them who then witnessed Him, to testify of His second coming. (Mat 17:3,5/Rev 11:3) 

2 Samuel 24:16: And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing place of A-rau’-nah the Jeb’-u-site.

September 20 2025 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Danny Hickman Supporter Believer in The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

This is a good question. The layout, however, seems incomplete in my opinion. Numbers 23:19 is used here to tell us that God doesn't change His mind, and that He doesn't tell lies. It's true; God has no reason to lie to anyone. But the presentation of the question seems to lack something; it says that 'It seems as if God indeed does change His mind, but we aren't given an example of Him seeming to do so... So there's no actual case given for which to ride shotgun. (I will surely go to bat for God's reputation if that's what the charge is). 

There's the classic example of God telling Isaiah to go to king Hezekiah and say, "This is what the Lord says to you: Set your house in order, for you will die and not live." (Isaiah 38:1)

Hezekiah prayed and wept bitterly. God sent Isaiah back to Hezekiah to tell the king, I HAVE HEARD YOUR PRAYER, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city." (vss 4-6) (emphasis mine on God hearing his prayer and seeing his tears).

I don't read that as the prophet Isaiah trying to tell us that Jehovah changes His mind about stuff in which He has made a decision, or that He can be manipulated and convinced to decide differently than what He had previously determined. I think the main thing Isaiah is trying to tell us is something very informative about the power of sincere prayer! 

God doesn't need to be evaluated by us. He wants us to know Him. Knowing Him is a matter of trusting in His goodness, not in trying to understand His ways. 

I don't believe God changed His mind, His plan, or anything else concerning Hezekiah, the people of Israel, or the Assyrians. Hezekiah changed! 

Did God lie through the prophet to Hezekiah?

Hezekiah's life was extended; he wasn't given what I was given when I "set my house in order." I was given "New life." Praise the Lord Almighty! 

I also was under the same curse that Hezekiah was reminded that he was under; I was going to "die and not live." God didn't change His mind about me. I CHANGED! I repented through prayer and tears. The word of the Lord was preached. I heard the Lord! And He heard me the same as He heard Hezekiah! My life has been extended! ETERNALLY!

God didn't change His mind about Hezekiah or about me. It was His plan all along to give us more life. Jesus came that we could have life more abundantly (John 10:10). 

This habit of trying to evaluate God is fruitless. 

I'll end with this: when Jesus told Peter, "Get behind Me Satan," was that His true opinion of Peter (Matthew 16:23)? Later, after the Resurrection, Jesus is on record telling Peter to, 'Feed and tend My sheep.' (John 21) Had Jesus' opinion of Peter changed, or was the whole story a lesson for us of how God changed Peter? Jesus would never tell Satan to tend or feed His flock! Is there anyone reading this who will accuse Jesus of lying about Peter when He called Peter Satan?

Do you see how ridiculous it is to try to use faulty human, political evaluation to judge God?

3 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report