Then the Lord relented and did not
bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. (Exodus 32:14)
1 Samuel
15:29 reads: [God] does not lie or change
his mind. One of the classic attributes of God is his immutability – the idea that God does not change. Some have taken
this so far as to mean that God never changes his mind, because that would
prove he is imperfect. (Picture me with a perplexed look on my face.)
That kind of
thinking doesn’t bode well for the Israelites. After the golden calf fiasco, it
sounds like God was ready to wipe his chosen people off the face of the earth.
Then Moses interceded for them and God relented. Isn’t relented another way of saying changed
his mind?
When the
biblical writers state that God doesn’t change his mind, they are referring to
his character. His character is constant. Who God was yesterday is who God will
be tomorrow. We don’t have to worry about him forgiving us today, and then
taking it back a week from now, because that would be inconsistent with his
character.
The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate
and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness . . .
forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty
unpunished (Exodus
34:6,7).
Would you rather have a
God who cannot change his mind… ever, or a God who responds to the prayers of
his children whom he loves with an everlasting love?
This is about Exodus 32: Then he said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”
ReplyDeleteDo you know why this was done? Was this only the tribe of the Levites that did this? Did they kill their fellow Levites or people from the other tribes? I can understand that God was angry with them, but it sounds like they were supposed to kill their families and friends. I just don't understand this.
Yea....what she said!
ReplyDeleteWhat were these people thinking when making the golden calf!??!
ReplyDelete