The answer to the question raised in today's topic is "No". God doesn't change. He is unchangeable. The unchangeability of God is one of his major attributes that made us say he is immutable.
Malachi 3:6 says, “I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed" (NLT).
A number of people have contested this because of several cases in the bible where it appears God changed his mind. The first is today's opening text. God affirmed that he was the one who promised that Eli's family will be priest always but he changed that. Now, a lot of people see that as a contradiction to the immutable nature of God that we preach.
What most people who argue against this fail to realize is that the immutability of God is dependent on other underlying attribute of God- His Holiness. God is consistently holy. He is also a God of justice and mercy. All these are what make up the immutable nature of God. How does this play out in the case of Eli?
In that same text, there's a clue. “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. BUT I WILL HONOR THOSE WHO HONOR ME, AND I WILL DESPISE THOSE WHO THINK LIGHTLY OF ME" (1 Sam 2:30).
In the case of Eli's family, It is clearly evident that the promise of perpetual priesthood was reversed by God because Eli and his children did not fulfill the condition attached- Honouring God. They dishonoured God greatly. They touched the holiness of God. If they hadn't committed all those atrocities we read about, the promise of priesthood remains.
The reversal of God's promise in their case should not be seen as God changing his mind. He only took an action that was consistent with his unchanging nature of holiness. What Eli's family had was a conditional promise. They failed to fulfill their own part of the deal.
When divine promises are conditional and man fail to fulfill his part of the deal, it may appear as though God changed his mind whereas he did not.
What about the case of Jonah and Nineveh? It will also appear to a casual reader of the bible that God changed his mind. He told Jonah to proclaim destruction that will come on Nineveh (Jonah 1:2). Surprisingly, God did not destroy Nineveh at that time because they quickly repented.
“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened" (Jonah 3:10).
A reversal of the impending judgement pronounced earlier by God through Jonah doesn't connote a change of mind. Rather, it is an action that is consistent with the merciful nature of God. It shows that God can lift judgement over anyone that truly repents while on this side of eternity.
If there are promises God has made to you and it seems they have not been fulfilled, I want you to know that He hasn't changed his mind. You may need to check for where you have not fulfilled your part of the deal.
