God Is Immutable
Open Your Bible
Numbers 23:19, Psalm 102:25-28, Job 23:8-14, Malachi 3:1-6, Hebrews 6:13-19, Hebrews 13:8, James 1:16-18
BY She Reads Truth
God is unchanging in His being. His character and will are constant.
As humans, we speak the language of change. We are always seeking the next, the better, the unknown. Even if we prefer to hold change at an arm’s length, it is inevitable. The seasons shift, the stars fall, our numbered hairs fall out, and our hearts undergo the only constant we know—change.
The book of Ecclesiastes contains this famous refrain, charged with the impatience, discomfort, and hopefulness of our ever-changing lives:
There is an occasion for everything,
and a time for every activity under heaven:
a time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot (3:1–2).
We live our lives seemingly anchored to little more than change itself. And yet Scripture beckons us to drop our anchor and hold fast to the One who never changes.
Our God is unchangeable because He is perfect. Nothing can be added or taken away from Him. Everything He does is consistent with who He is. God’s promises are the same, and His ability to keep them will never waver. In Malachi 3, God tells His people: “Because I, the LORD, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed” (v.6). In short, God’s immutability means we can count on Him, no matter what.
Job, whose life changed in dramatic and painful ways, knew God to be always true to His character. “He is unchangeable, who can oppose him?” he asked (Job 23:13). Job staked his hope—his life—on his belief that God will always be who He declares Himself to be and do what He says He will do.
Job’s hope is our hope.
Complete, unchangeable, perfect—this is our God. As the ancient doxology “Gloria Patri” declares:
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and will be forever. Amen.
Edited language of first paragraph on 2/5. Thanks for keeping us on our toes, Shes!
129 thoughts on "God Is Immutable"
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Great reminder for me today ❤️❤️
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Remaining rooted to Gods word and promises is SO HARD when life is spinning like a whirlwind trying to suck you in! When do we know in which directions to move if we are to remain rooted?
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what stuck out to me this morning: God doesn’t need to change because he’s perfect. His promises are true and that will never change. The world around us changes, but God’s will for the world and for us never does.
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Do the Scriptures support God is immutable?
The following are the extracts seem not to support He is entirely immutable:
First, if He were immutable, why should Gen 1:29, “(mention)..God said, I have given you every herb.. every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”, yet in Gen 9:3, “(He changed His mind to permit us to eat meat, since it mentions) Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you, even as the green herb have I given you all things.”? Instead, He should not permit us to consume meat (Gen 9:3) after His decision of our consumption of herbs (Gen 1:29) if He were immutable. The extracts below only forbid Christians to consume blood: Lev 7:26-27, “..ye shall eat no manner of blood..Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.”; Lev 17:14, “..for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.”; Deut 12:23, “Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.”; Acts 15:20, “..abstain..from blood.”; Acts 15:29, “That ye abstain from..blood..”; Acts 21:25, “..save only that they keep themselves..from blood.” Now, a critical question is raised. As Christians are forbidden to consume blood, can some donate blood to others for their intake of blood?
Second, if He were immutable, why should Gen 6:3, “(mention)..the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh..”, yet Exod 31:5, “(mentions)..I have filled him with the spirit of God..”? Instead, His Spirit should not fill him (Exod 31:5) as He mentioned earlier that He would not strive with him (Gen 6:3) if He were immutable.
Third, if He were immutable, why should Gen 8:21, “(mention)..the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake..neither will I again smite any more every thing living..”, yet Isa 24:1, “..the LORD (changed His mind to curse the ground and to) maketh the earth empty..” and that shall lead to Isa 24:19, “The earth(..to be) utterly broken down, the earth is.. dissolved..”? Instead, He should not cause the earth to be dissolved (isa 24:19) as He had mentioned in Gen 8:21 that He would not curse the earth if He were immutable. The same is in 2 Pet 3:10-11, “(that mentions)..the Lord will come..in the which the heavens shall pass away..the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then all these things shall be dissolved..”.
Fourth, if He were immutable, why should Gen 11:6-7, “(mention, in Babel, Gen 11:9,)..the LORD said.. let us go down, and..confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” when He had created all previously to cause Gen 11:1, “..the whole earth (to be)..of one language, and of one speech.”? Instead, He should continue them to be in one language as this was His practice in the past instead of diversifying their languages if He were immutable. As He created all to be in one language prior to Gen 11, it enabled Gen 3:2, “..the woman (to have dialogue with)..the serpent..”.
Fifth, if He were immutable, why should Gen 17:3, “(mention)..God..saying,” Gen 17:12, “..he that is eight days old shall be circumcised..” and that Gen 17:14, “..the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people..”, yet He did not exterminate Josh 5:5, “..all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.”? Instead, He should exterminate all the people who were born in the wilderness yet had not been circumcised at the age of eight months if He were immutable.
Sixth, if He were immutable, why should Exod 3:15, “(mention)..God said..unto Moses..” Exod 3:17, “..I will bring you up..unto the land of Canaanites..”, yet Num 14:26, “..the LORD (changed His mind and) spake unto Moses..saying..Num 14:30, “..ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein..”? The same is also mentioned in Exod 6:8 and 13:5. Instead, Moses should not be barred from entering into the land of Canaan (Num 14:30) as He had promised him to have the access of it (Exod 3:17) if He were immutable.
Seventh, if He were immutable, why should Exod 29:18, “(mention)..a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.”, yet Jer 6:16, “..saith the LORD..” Jer 6:20, “..your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.”? Instead, He should accept their burnt offerings, as He did embrace it in Exod 29:18, if He were immutable. The following are the extracts that He had rejected sacrifices long before the advent of Christ: Pss 40:6-8, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire..”; Pss 51:16-19, “For thou desirest not sacrifice..” and Amos 5:22, “Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them..”.
Eighth, if He were immutable, why should Exod 31:1, “(mention)..the LORD spake..” Exo 31:15, “.. whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.” and that led to Num 15:32, “..a man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day.” to cause Num 15:36, “..all the congregation..stoned him with stones, and died.”, yet Num 28:1, “..the LORD spake..” Num 28:24, “..ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD..”? Instead, none could offer the meat of the sacrifice throughout seven days, since these include also the Sabbath, if He were immutable. As He permitted works on the Sabbath (Num 28:24), it led 2 Chr 23:8, “(to mention)..the Levites and all Judah..took every man his men that were to come in on the Sabbath, with them that were to go out on the Sabbath..” without stoning them to death. The same is mentioned in Isa 56:2, “(to).. keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.”
Ninth, if He were immutable, why should Exod 32:9-10, “(mention)..the LORD said unto Moses..I will make of thee a great nation.”, yet Exod 32:14, “..the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people” and that caused Him to divert His mind not to ruin the children of Israel by establishing a great nation for him? Instead, He should adhere to His plan to ruin the children of Israel in order to establish a great nation for him according to His promise in Exod 32:9-10 instead of repenting from the evil which He thought to do to His people if He were immutable.
Tenth, if He were immutable, why should Exod 33:5, “..(mention) the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel..I will..consume thee.” since Deut 9:20, “..the LORD was very angry with Aaron..” as Exod 35:2, “..Aaron said unto them Break off the golden earrings..” to make a Exod 32:24, “..calf.”, yet He changed His mind not to exterminate him due to Exod 34:9, “..he said..O LORD..I pray.. pardon our..sin, and take us for thine inheritance.”? Instead, He should annihilate them according to His word in Exod 33:5 regardless whether they sought His pardon of sins if He were immutable.
Eleventh, if He were immutable, why should the Old Testament demand the Jews to practise meat offerings (Lev 2:1), burnt offerings (Lev 1:2-4), peace offerings (Lev 3:1-3), sin offerings (Lev 4:3), trespass offerings (Lev 5:6), etc. and in the New Testament, we have Christ to be our sin offering and trespass offering, yet neither He burnt Himself on the cross for the replacement of burnt offering nor we offer alternatively burnt sacrifice. Hence, the burnt offerings seem to cease in functioning in this modern world. Instead, He should continue burnt offerings in this modern world if He were immutable.
Twelfth, if He were immutable, why should Lev 7:21, “(mention)..the soul that shall touch any unclean thing..even that soul shall be cut off from his people.’, yet 2 Chr 29:16, “..the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD..and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD..” and yet none of them were exterminated? Instead, the priests should be exterminated as they had touched the unclean thing that they found in the temple of the LORD if He were immutable.
Thirteenth, if He were immutable, why should Lev 12:1-4, “(mention)..the LORD spake..If a woman have conceived..a man child..she shall be unclean seven days..And in the eighth day..his foreskin shall be circumcised..she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary..”, yet He does not mention she is unclean and is prohibited to come into the sanctuary within seven days after the birth of the male child in the New Testament? Instead, she should be treated as unclean and should be prohibited to the entry to sanctuary seven days after his birth if He were immutable.
Fourteenth, if He were immutable, why should Num 13:1-2, “(mention)..the LORD spake unto Moses.. Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel..”, yet Num 14:11-12, “..the LORD said unto Moses..I..smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them..” and that led Num 14:45, “..the Canaanites..smote them, and discomfited them..”? Instead, He should not smite them to disinherit them from the land of Canaan as He had mentioned in Num 13:1-2 that they could possess it if He were immutable.
Fifteenth, if He were immutable, why should Deut 10:1, “(mention)..the LORD said..” Deut 12:21, “..I have commanded thee..thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.” and that Deut 12:15, “.. thou mayest..eat flesh..unclean and the clean may eat thereof..”, yet Lev 6:24, “..the LORD (changed His mind and) spake..” Lev 7:21, “..the soul that shall touch any unclean thing..even that soul shall be cut off from his people.”? Instead, He should not exterminate them by touching the unclean thing as He had permitted them in Deut 12:15 if He were immutable.
Sixteen, if He were immutable, why should Deut 10:11, “(mention)..the LORD said..” Deut 14;1, “Ye are the children of the LORD your God..an holy peole unto the LORD thy God..” Deut 15:6, “For the LORD thy God blesseth thee..and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.”, yet Judg 4:2, “..the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor..” and that caused Judg 9:22, “..Abimelech..reigned three years over Israel.”? Instead, Abimelech should not have reigned over Israel as He had promised in Deut 14:1 if He were immutable.
Seventeenth, If He were immutable, why should Deut 13:7-10, “(mention)..the gods of the people which are round about you..thou shalt surely kill him..thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die..”, yet Ezek 14:6, “..saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols..”? instead, He should exterminate them by stoning them instead of calling them to repent and to turn away from their idols if He were immutable.
Eighteenth, if He were immutable, why should Deut 24:5, “(mention) When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war..but he shall be free at home one year..”, yet Josh 8:1, “..the LORD said unto Joshua..take all the people of war with thee, and..go up to Ai..”? Instead, He should not inform Joshua to take all the people of war with thee, but to leave those who had new wives at homes for one year if He were immutable.
Ninteenth, if He were immutable, why should 1 Sam 9:17, “(mention)..when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him..this man shall reign over my people.” and 1 Sam 10:24, “..See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him..”, yet 1 Sam 15:10-11, “(mention)..Then came the word of the LORD..saying, it repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king..” and 1 Sam 15:26, “..the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.”? Instead, He should not repent from setting up Saul to be king if He were immutable.
Twentieth, if He were immutable, why should 1 Kgs 11:36, “(mention)..Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.” and that led 2 Kgs 21:4, “(to mention again)..the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name.”, yet 2 Kgs 23:27, “..the LORD said, I will..cast off..Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.”? Instead, He should not cast off Jerusalem since He had mentioned to put His name there (1 Kgs 11:36) if He were immutable.
Twenty-first, if He were immutable, why should Lev 18:1-2, “(mention)..the LORD..Speak unto the children of Israel..I am the LORD your God.”..and Judg 1:19, “..the LORD was with Judah..”, yet 2 Kgs 23:27, “..the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen..”? Instead, He should not remove Judah and Israel as He had been with them (Lev 18:1-2 and Judg 1:19) if He were immutable.
Twenty-second, if He were immutable, why should 1 Chr 21:15, “(mention)..God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repent him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, it is enough, stay now thine hand..”? Instead, once He decided to annihilate Jerusalem, He should not repent of the evil till it was annihilated if He were immutable.
Twenty-third, if He were immutable, why should Pss 78:31, “(mention) The wrath of God..smote down the chosen men of Israel.”? Instead, He should not smite down Israel as they were His chosen people if He were immutable.
Twenty-fourth, if He were immutable, why should Pss 132:13, “(mention)..the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.”, yet Jer 9:17, “..saith the LORD of hosts..” Jer 9:19, “..a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion..we have forsaken the land..”? Instead, He should not forsake the land as He had chosen it to be His habitation (Pss 132:13) if He were immutable.
Twenty-fifth, if He were immutable, why should Isa 41:8-9, “(mention)..thou, Israel..the seed of Abraham my friend..Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.”, yet 2 Kgs 17:20, “..the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel..until he had cast them out of his sight.”? If He were immutable, He should not cast them out of His sight as He promised in Isa 41:8-9 not to cast them away.
Twenty-sixth, if He were immutable, why should Hos 2:13, “(mention)..saith the LORD.”, Hos 2:23, “..I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.”? Instead, He should proclaim to those who were not His people that they are not His people, since He did not choose them to be His people initially if He were immutable.
Twenty-seventh, if He were immutable, why should Jude 1:5, “(mention)..how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.”? Instead, He should not exterminate those who believed not as He had saved them initially, if He were immutable. -
This is such a timely reminder, amidst so much uncertainty, confusion, and chaos, that God is the same God. It encourages my heart to know that, in hard times, I can lean on Him with the same confidence I had in easy times because He isn’t changing up on me.
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Yes, definitely agree. During these challenging times, I always find myself going back to God’s promises that he has a plan, and that it is good! (Jeremiah 29:11)
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Reading this now during the Covid-19 pandemic and it’s so refreshing and a wonderful reminder that God never changes nor will he for he’s unable. It’s so comforting especially during this time.
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Like Numbers 23:19 says: he’s not man nor son of man, therefore he doesn’t lie or change his mind. We, however, are human and we cheat, lie, steal, change, and sin everyday. We’re not perfect, but He is. He’s the only one that can change us for the better. Change is natural and it happens to everyone, but God can make sure the changes we go through are good. He can change us from sinful to helpful, negative to positive, orphans to sons and daughters, stray sheep to the redeemed and believers. We must know that He is the only one capable of this and all that He does is for the good of man. In return for him changing us, we must spread His Word and live out His ways. Christianity is a relationship, not a religion so when we spread His Word, we must talk about how He has changed us personally. Make it personal to others. Show them that it’s more than a belief. That is our purpose, and that is why God changed us to be His.
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