People usually take the following verse out of context to say God will never change his mind. "God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" (Numbers 23:19). The context here is important. Israel's enemy, Balak, king of Moab, is bribing the disobedient prophet Balaam to put a curse on God's people. In the first Oracle from God, Balaam spoke, "How can I curse whom God has not cursed?" (Numbers 23:8). God desires to bless Israel and not to curse them. But Balak repeatedly tried through Balaam to put a curse on Israel. Balak tried to bribe Balaam to put a curse on Israel. Balak knew how God blessed Israel with all the victories he gave against their enemies. God is not going to change his mind to curse Israel because of the bribes. In that context, God said to Balak through Balaam, "God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" (Numbers 23:19). See also, Numbers23:19, Isaiah 46:9-11, 1 Samuel 15:29, Ezekiel 24:14. If you read the word of God out of context, you can come up with whatever you want. Another principle, one should understand is that God's Word does not contradict itself. I can understand the reason for their position, and I agree with them to some extent, but it is only a half-truth. I thank God for he is unchanging as a promise-keeping, trust-worthy, compassionate, impartial, righteous, merciful, and just God. A part of being compassionate, kind, and merciful is to change one's mind. If one's heart (mind) is hardened to hear the pleas for help, it is not compassion.
When God changes his mind, it does not mean his character and his attributes were changed. When God changes his mind, it does not mean he is not sovereign, omniscient, or omnipotent. It also does not mean he learned something new that he didn't know before. I agree, Our God knows everything. Psalmist writes, "For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether" (Psalms 139:4). I fully agree with God's foreknowledge. In fact, He knows every bit of our life. "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them" (Psalms 139:16). It would be hard for us to explain God's foreknowledge, which we do not have. But from our standpoint (without the foreknowledge), God did change his mind (of course he knows all that before hand because of foreknowledge) in the case of Moses, Hezekiah, and Ninevites. It only means he is compassionate, loving, and merciful. God's core attributes will not change. When God says as in Malachai 3:6, "For I the Lord do not change...", it means that his attitude towards sin and judgment has not changed. Read the previous verses for the context. "Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts (Malachi 3:5). Again the context is important.
The unconditional covenants or promises of God will never change. Then there are conditional statements that are contingent on the behavior of the people. In some places, God says, if you do this, I am going to bless you. If you disobey, I am going to punish you. In some cases, God does not have to be explicit in saying the conditional statement. Sometimes the context implies that there is a conditional statement. What is the point of Jonah preaching to Ninevites if they are going to die in 40 days?
Ninevites changed the mind of God
"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you....Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" (Jonah 3:2-4). Then when the people of Nineveh repented, God spared them from the disaster. "Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it" (Jonah 3:10). Jonah was not happy that God changed his mind. He complained to God, "for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster" (Jonah 4:2).
Moses Changed the mind of God
Let's look at this pericope from Exodus. "And the Lord said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation." Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God ... (Exodus 32:9-11). "So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people" (Exodus 32:14). God was angry with the people of Israel for their sins. It is righteous anger. Yet, God showed mercy when Moses pleaded with God, and "the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people." I do not think any of us will say God is unjust for changing his mind not to harm Israelites.
Hezekiah Changed the mind of God
"Thus says the Lord: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.'" (2 Kings 20:1). When Hezekiah prayed to God to heal him, God changed his mind. In fact, God asked the prophet Isaiah to make a "U-turn" and go back to tell Hezekiah that he changed his mind. "Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of David your Father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord (2 Kings 20:5).
God is not learning anything new. God is not saying, oops! I am sorry, I made a mistake. When he changes his mind, he is not lying. When he changes his mind, it is to show compassion and mercy. In all these instances and many more in the Bible, God changed his mind. God the Father did not change his mind when Jesus prayed to take away the cup from him. "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22:42).
This article is to provide a better understanding of the attributes of God as he changes his mind to show compassion, mercy, and goodwill if we ask in his will. God will not change his mind if what we are asking is not the best for us. Of course, as a finite being, I cannot fully understand an infinite God. My desire is to give you hope in the Lord to pray like Hezekiah, Moses, and the Ninevites.
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