Yesterday, we considered what it means for God to be unchanging in knowledge. Today we consider that God’s will is also unchanging: what God has said will be.
Read how this is expressed in Proverbs,
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” (19:21, ESV), and how King Nebuchadnezzar responds to the awesome might of the Lord after being restored from humiliation: “all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’ (Dan. 4:35)
The Bible’s teaching of God’s immutable will can be a difficult to understand since it directly conflicts with our understanding of free will. Paul expects such a rebuttal in his letter to the Romans: “You will say to me then, ‘Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” (9:19)
Consider the story of Balaam in the book of Numbers (22-24). Balak, king of Moab, called for Balaam to curse Israel while they camped in the plains of Moab. God, however, has already pronounced Israel blessed. Thus, even though Balak asks Balaam to curse them, God commands Balaam to bless them—and he does three times! He says in Numbers 22:8, “How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?” Balaam understands that even if he did curse Israel, no harm would befall them because the Lord has already blessed them.
God’s good will for creation cannot be changed. Those who are in Christ remain in Christ by the power of God’s Spirit and no other power that is visible or invisible can frustrate God’s immutable will for His people.
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- What does it mean for God to be immutable in His will?
- What does the story of Balaam teach us about God’s unchanging will?
- Why is God’s unchanging will good for us?
Church Reading Plan: Isaiah 59; Matthew 7