Does God ever change His Mind?

This question raises an important principle, especially when working to understand the Old Testament.

God literally thought up the entire universe, with all its ramifications. And He is there for all Eternity. I for one, with such knowledge of science as I have, am constantly astonished at the ingenuity, yet the elegance, of the known Laws of Nature. and when I contemplate His Passion I am abashed at the love & humility with which He came down, not just to teach us, but to suffer for us. Truly, His thoughts are not our thoughts’.

Now He had determined to turn a barbarian tribe – the Hebrews – into His vessel for saving the world. But to communicate with them at all, He had to come down, at the start, to their level. He had to talk Baby Talk to them. When the OT speaks of God being angry, being jealous, changing His Mind – these phrases are describing His effect on us, they are not accurate descriptions of His own Mind. Much confusion ensues when these things are not understood. Any description of His Attributes cannot ever be anything but analogical.

God’s Plan is that our own intercessions will be incorporated into His Eternal Designs, which were established from Eternity. But the only way – especially 3000 years ago – to convey this mysterious truth, is to speak of one person’s intercessions ‘changing God’s Mind.’

This has very important implications for our daily lives. And it does give a definite stamp to out Christian civilisation. Our actions really do have consequences.