29 October Numbers 23

The great, unchangeable God

Numbers 23:19 (NASB) “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”.

God always tells the truth so we can trust all His promises and agreements. He never changes, so His character remains the same. He is powerful and can do everything He promises and no one can control or influence Him. Throughout history God was with the people of Israel and ruled over them as their King.

Charles Spurgeon said, “But God is perpetually the same. He is not composed of any substance or material, but is spirit—pure, essential, and ethereal spirit—and therefore he is immutable. He remains everlastingly the same. There are no furrows on his eternal brow. No age hath palsied him; no years have marked him with the mementos of their flight; he sees ages pass, but with him, it is ever now. He is the great I AM—the Great Unchangeable.”

Conversely the Bible explicitly teaches that there are some things that God cannot do, albeit God cannot lie. Titus 1:2 (NLT) This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.

God cannot sin or do wrong. Deuteronomy 32:4 (NLT) He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. James 1:13 (NLT) And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.

God cannot change as posited in Malachi 3:6 (NLT) “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.

When we say that God doesn't change, it doesn't mean He can change but chooses not to. It means He cannot change at all. He will always stay the same. What we learn about God from the Bible is enough to know Him in the past, present, and future—now and forever. Psalm 102:25-27 (NLT) “Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment and discard them. But you are always the same; you will live forever.

In conclusion, the unchangeable nature of God offers us an anchor of hope and certainty. He is not like humans, prone to change or failure, but instead, He remains steadfast, faithful, and trustworthy throughout all time. As the Scripture and testimonies affirm, God cannot lie, sin, be tempted, or change His perfect nature. His eternal constancy reassures us that what He has promised will surely come to pass, just as He has shown His faithfulness to Israel and throughout history. We can rest in the truth that the same God who laid the earth's foundations and reigns forever is unchanging, offering us a solid foundation for our faith and trust, now and always.