An Unchanging God
Normally I am a little worried about throwing up hard to answer questions or questions that might not have an answer here. There are a couple of reasons for this: 1. I don’t want to cause any of my brothers to stumble, 2. I don’t want anyone who doesn’t know Christ to be mislead or confused, 3. It usually doesn’t lead to a heavy response, in fact in usually leads to no response at all. Throwing all that aside though I think this is a good venue for me to ask those questions, but feel free to let me know if you think I am wrong.
So as some of you know, lately I have been struggling with understanding the character of God and who He is. The latest piece of character that has come into question in my life is this aspect of him being unchanging. I wasn’t really sure what all aspects this unchanging characteristic covered but I assumed that it went so far his decisions. But I don’t understand 3 instances off the top of my head in the Bible (listed below chronologically).
First there’s Job, Satan comes to God and says let me screw with Job and God’s like ok you can mess with everything in his life but don’t touch him. Ignoring that I don’t get why God would allow Satan to have his way with anything, Satan comes back after laying waste to Job’s family, flocks and all that he owns. And even though Job did just as God said, Satan talks God into letting him afflict Job and then tortures him for a while.
Second there’s Moses. when the Israelites were down at the bottom of the mountain God says that He will just wipe them out. Moses pleads with God and God decides to spare them.
Third there’s Jonah, God sent Jonah to Nineveh to let the people know that God was going to destroy them. The people turn from their wicked ways and God forgives them and spares them.
While I am not saying that I am irritated by the last 2, because I think that anytime people are spared from being punished for their stupidity and easily falling into sin (because I am often part of that group) it’s a good thing, I just don’t understand how someone can change God’s mind. I understand that Moses appealed to God’s character and reputation, the people of Nineveh repented and turned from their wicked ways and God is forgiving, but I still can’t get God having a sit down with Satan and being like sure why not you can torture one of the guys on earth whom I consider my own, even one of my best. Can anyone help me out here?
I’d suggest a couple of things. As to Job, I think if you read that first bit, and you begin to ask questions about the morality of God, then you’re on the right track. I’d say that’s the point of the book. I don’t mean it’s designed to get you to doubt God’s goodness, but it is there to ask about it. You’ve got to read the first chapter in light of the last few chapters. The answer isn’t comfortable, but God is not a comfortable deity.
As to the happier changes in God’s mind, are you suggesting that, since it’s good when people receive mercy that it’s bad when they don’t? I’d suggest that, contrary to many songs sung in churches these days, God is not good only when he saves us, but also is good when he damns us.
I don’t feel like I am questioning His goodness here only the characteristic of being unchanging (at least not with this post). I’m not saying what He did to Job was mean or unGodly, I am just focusing on the fact that the mind of God can be changed and he can feel that his views on things need to change. Like he is questioning his initial decision or realizes this option is better then his first.
I hear you there. If God seems to change his mind about XYZ, how long before he’ll change his mind about me? (no rhyme intended)
Throw in David after Bathsheba too. David wept before his son died, but stopped afterwards. Asked about it, he said that before he died there was a chance God would change his mind and let the child live.
Part of the “solution” might be a question of subtexts. I think sometimes it’s a matter of God saying “X will happen” with the unstated condition that it will only happen if “Y” also happens. Perhaps, as with Jonah, he said he would destroy Nineveh so as to elicit the response he desired, namely, repentance.
Yeah I can see conditional statements or him saying what the person needed to hear to get them to act (but I should be careful with that second one because it could almost be taken as being misleading).