Does God change His mind? ∙∙

Does God change His mind? ∙∙

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. – Lamentations 3:22

1 Samuel 15:29 “Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.”
1 Samuel 15:29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.” (ESV)
1 Samuel 15:29 And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!” (NLT)

Admitting Mistakes

Admitting our mistakes is never easy. Even great leaders like Abraham Lincoln acknowledged this, famously saying it is better to be sometimes right than always wrong, adding that he was ready to renounce his errors as soon as he recognized them.

But what about God? Does the Father, the Creator of all things, make mistakes? Does He change His mind or alter His plans? This leads us to consider the attribute of God’s immutability.

The Doctrine of Immutability

The doctrine of immutability means that God does not change, ever. His character, will, and covenant promises remain constant through all time and circumstances. His being, perfection, purposes, and promises are steadfast. This truth is beautifully summarized in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which states: “God is a spirit, whose being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth are infinite, eternal, and unchangeable.”

Hebrews 13:8 makes this clear: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” His unchanging nature is a bedrock truth that gives us stability and confidence.

Does God Change His Mind?

Yet, some may wonder, if God is unchanging, why does Scripture describe Him as feeling joy, sadness, satisfaction, grief, or even regret? The answer lies in understanding the distinction between His divine attributes and His characteristics as a person as He reacts and interacts.

God’s Attributes vs. His Relational Engagement

1. Unchanging Attributes
   God’s attributes, His holiness, wisdom, justice, and power, are perfect and unalterable. They remain constant forever.

2. Relational Engagement
   However, God chooses to enter into personal relationships with His creation. In doing so, He responds and interacts with us intimately. He observes the lives of His people, cares about their circumstances, and reacts based on their actions. For example:

• He feels joy when we draw near to Him.
  • He feels grief when we turn away.

These responses are not changes in His essence but expressions of His consistent character in real-time interactions with humanity.

God’s Relational Nature

Think about it: The Almighty God, Creator of the universe, does not remain distant or removed from His creation. Instead, He chooses to interact with us, meeting us where we are, responding to our joys and struggles, and walking alongside us in our lives.

When we respond to Him, whether in obedience or rebellion, He reacts. This dynamic interaction reflects His love and care for His people.

Explaining God’s Responses

How can we describe this interaction? Human language often struggles to convey God’s infinite nature. We do our best with the tools available, attempting to explain how an unchanging God can feel and respond.

A helpful way to think about this is to describe God as responding and reacting rather than repenting or changing His mind.

Thomas Constable explains: “God is no robot. We know Him as a personal, living God, not a static principle. Our God is incomparably affected by, even pained by, the sinner’s rebellion. His feelings and actions toward men, such as judgment or forgiveness, are always inherently consistent with His essential person.”

Immutability and Trust

God’s immutability assures us that we can trust Him completely. He is unshakable in His character and unwavering in His promises. At the same time, He is a relational God who sees, hears, cares, and responds appropriately.

REFLECT & PRAY

When we change, God reacts.

Father, thank You for always being willing to receive me just as I am. Thank You for being unchanging in Your character and faithful in Your promises. Help me to trust in Your love and respond to Your call.

INSIGHT

 Understanding Nacham

The Scriptures often describe God as “changing His mind,” “relenting,” or expressing “regret” in response to human actions (Genesis 6:5-6, Exodus 32:14, Jonah 3:10, 2 Samuel 24:16). These portrayals can be perplexing until we explore the rich nuance of the Hebrew term nacham, which underlies these expressions.

Nacham is an onomatopoeic word that carries the “sense of a deep, audible sigh,” or “a physical manifestation of heartfelt emotion.” At its core, it conveys “sorrow,” “compassion,” or even “comfort” (TWOT). It can signify “a change of heart,” “a response” to the actions of others, or “a desire to take a different course.” Words like regret, relent, or repent attempt to capture this layered concept but fall short.

Rather than trying to convey the meaning of nacham with terms like regret or changing one’s mind, perhaps the meaning would be best expressed as God reacting or interacting.

God’s Immutability and Responsiveness

Rather than viewing nacham as a contradiction of God’s immutability, it is better understood as an expression of His relational engagement.

Immutability

His immutability refers to His unchanging essence, His character, purposes, and promises. For example, Hebrews 13:8 affirms that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Likewise, Numbers 23:19 assures us that God is not like humans who change their minds. His truthfulness, integrity, and eternal nature remain constant. We can trust His promises because they are steadfast.

Responsiveness

God intentionally engages with us, responding to our choices, behaviors, and prayers with compassion and care. This dynamic interaction does not indicate a change in His eternal purposes but instead showcases the consistent expression of His character during real-time interactions.

Immutability has nothing to do with it.

It is like trying to compare apples and oranges. On the one hand, immutability relates to God’s attributes and the promises He makes; His character and nature remain constant. On the other hand, God’s interactions and responses to people reflect His personality.

Consider 1 Samuel 15, where seemingly opposite sentiments are expressed using the word nacham. God says, “I regret (nacham) that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following me” (1 Samuel 15:11). Yet in the same chapter, we read, “The Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind (nacham), for He is not a man, that He would change His mind” (1 Samuel 15:29).

These verses highlight two different truths about God. When the Scriptures speak of Him not changing His mind, they focus on His reliability and unwavering nature. When they describe Him regretting or relenting, they illustrate His genuine engagement with humanity.

This relational dynamic is further demonstrated in the story of Nineveh. God announced judgment on the city, yet when the people repented, He relented (Jonah 3:10). Here, nacham signals a shift in the expression of God’s character, not a change in His eternal nature but a response that reflects His consistent compassion and mercy.

God’s Love in Action

God’s decision to interact with humanity within the space-time continuum reveals His extraordinary love for His creation. He is no distant, detached deity. Instead, He enters into a relationship with us, responding to our repentance and prayers.

For example, in the book of Jeremiah, when the people turned back to God, He turned from judgment to restoration (Jeremiah 31:19). Similarly, Amos interceded for Israel, and God relented in response to those prayers (Amos 7:3, 6).

These moments show God’s responsiveness and His delight in restoring and redeeming His people. Importantly, when Scripture speaks of God repenting or relenting, it does not mean He was taken by surprise or that His eternal plans are subject to human unpredictability. God’s knowledge is infinite and eternal. He has known all outcomes from eternity past. What changes is not God’s nature but the aspect of His character most fittingly expressed in a given moment. His justice stands firm when sin abounds, while His mercy pours out when hearts turn toward Him.

Conclusion: Immutability and Relationship

When we pause to consider this remarkable truth, we see that God’s immutability and responsiveness are not contradictory but complementary. He is steadfast and faithful, yet deeply relational, interacting with us in ways that reflect His boundless love, justice, and mercy.

Prayer reflects this dynamic. While it may seem that our prayers influence God to change, in truth, prayer often changes us, aligning our hearts with His perfect will. God delights in this process, drawing us into alignment with His purposes through His loving responsiveness.  This truth invites both awe and comfort as we come to know the unchanging yet relational God who actively walks alongside the children of the King.

Above all, God delights in restoring His children. No sin is too egregious, and no failure is too great for His forgiveness. He demonstrates time and again that His love springs from an unchanging heart, eager to welcome us back. Do-overs are always available to those who turn to Him in humility and faith.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, without the burden

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changeth not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

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© Dr. H 2025