By: Gen. Jim – 8/4/24
I want to read out of the book of Numbers (chapter 23), staring in v.19 (reading out of the New Oxford Annotated Bible):
“God is not a human being that He should lie, or a mortal, that He should change His mind. Has He promised, and will He not do it? Has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?”
Before I get into this lesson, I did a series called “I will Relent If…” 1-4. (Some translations use the word “repent”). When one understands the “if”/”then” clause, one will understand that God will and does change His mind on things He has spoken as “matter-of-fact.” there are those who believe what God says He will never change His mind, to do so, He would be called a “liar.” (See also my other “if”/”then” clause articles called “My Repentings” (pt.5), “Jesus’ “If Teachings” and “If ye continue.”
These are found at AggressiveChristians.com (under Aggressive Christians In Action articles, under Basic Foundational Truths).
Here in Numbers 23:18-4 we find a poem that Balaam recites that is not only a refusal of a curse but a positive statement of support for Israel. (Read the whole chapter to get the context).
Is changing ones’ mind a lie? Depends: “God is not a human being, that He should lie…” God’s change of mind displays consistency and purpose, unlike human beings who manifest deceit and caprice,” states the footnote in reference to v.19 in the NOAB.
Let me take you to Exodus 32:14: “And the LORD CHANGED His mind about the disaster that He planned to bring on His people.” Another translation says that He “repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people.” This is spoken merely after the manner of men who, having formed a purpose, permit themselves to be diverted from it by strong and forcible reasons, and so change their mind relative to their former intentions. Do not we do this all the time? If so, why do we expect God never to change His mind or relent/repent from what He formally states as planned?
Yes, men lie! But God never lies or uses deceit. Verse 19 (Numbers 23), God is not a man, that He should lie – this seems to be spoken to correct the foregoing supposition of Balak that God could change His mind. Even the pagans would not allow that their supreme god could be caught in a falsity (Aeshylus, in Prometh, Vinct. 1068), wrote: “The mouth of love knows not to fame a lie; But every word finds full accomplishment” (Greek).
Moses reminded the LORD that He cannot deny His own people (Exodus 32:7), although they had “corrupted themselves,” God “repented of the evil which He thought to do…” (v.14). TO DESTROY Israel would mean that He would undo what He has done (v.11). The meaning of what He had done would be obscured for the nations (v.12). It would mean going back on the oath to the fathers (see Genesis 22:16), an oath backed by the LORD’s own character. The intercession assumes that the LORD will be TRUE to Himself!
But there were times when the LORD did not relent of the evil He purposed for His wayward people. (Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 24:1,2, which came to pass in A.D. 70). You see, God is not bound by inflexibility to an announcement plan but is free to CHANGE a course or prophecy of action in a manner consistent with the divine purpose.
A good case-in-point is found in Genesis 6:5,6,7. He created the human race to have fellowship with Himself, but they corrupted themselves, hence, “the Lord was SORRY that He had made humankind… and it GRIEVED Him to His heart.” Therefore He did “blot our from the earth the human beings I have created… I am SORRY that I have made them” (v.6-8). He DESTROYED all but Noah and his family. (Amos 7:3 we find the LORD relenting/repenting; also in v.6 we find him doing the same).
Hebrews 6:18 reads:
“So that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God would prove false…” [NOAB]
What were the two things? His promise and His oath. When He does change His mind, it is because of failure on man’s part, not His. God’s fidelity, justice, mercy, etc. are bound up in His divine character. He does not lie or use deceit – men do these.
God promises/pledged His faithfulness/justice to those who walk upright: the “promise” pledged His faithfulness/justice; the “oath,” all the infinite perfections of His God head, for he swore by Himself. He swore by His truthfulness; therefore His oath is of eternal obligation. In this we “have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18). There appears to be an allusion here to the cities of refuge – the safety found therein. Jesus invites the sinner into the city of refuge – BELIEVE on the Son of God and live! (See Numbers 35).
The HOPE of eternal life is here represented as the soul’s anchor; the world is like a raging sea, boisterous/dangerous; the Christian course = the voyage. We all will be tossed about by the STORMS of life, but Jesus is our anchor. He will prevent all shipwreck if we hold fast to Him and God’s Word. Even if God permits shipwreck, He will save us if we put our HOPE in Him. How many let go and die in the storms of life.
God does not lie! He will keep us if we want to be kept. This is not to say that we will not experience the storms of life (for our growth). He is faithful but are we faithful to Him?