This is the next part of our series entitled: YHWH.

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(Exodus 03:4-8a, 10-11, 13-16) When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied. “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground... I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God... "I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt... Go, for I am sending you...” But Moses protested to God, “...Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” God answered, “I will be with you..." But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel... they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” God replied to Moses, “I am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you... Yahweh, the God of your ancestors... has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations... I have been watching closely, and I see how the Egyptians are treating you.

YHWH. - Yahweh. - I AM.

Purpose of this series:
The purpose of this seven-part series is to remind us of God's attributes.

God is holy.
God is omnipotent.
God is omniscient.
God is omnibenevolent.
God is sovereign.
God is immutable.
God is omnipresent.

Why it matters:
The more we see God, the more we can see everything else.

Why should you care:
AW Tozer says, "What you think you about when you think of God is the most important thing about you."

Part Five: God is Immutable.

What does it mean to be Immutable?

Honestly, I am unsure why some words are in the English dictionary, but here we are. To be "mutable" is to be movable or changeable. Therefore, to be immutable is to be immovable or unchangeable. When we say that God is Immutable, we are saying God does not change. He is pure actuality. He is completely whole, complete, and change is unnecessary. This does not mean that God is stiff, inactive, or lifeless. It means He is already at the peak of who He is. He needs nothing additional added to who He is.

Here are just a few verses that discuss the "God is in Control" Nature of God:

Malachi 3:6: God explicitly states, "For I the Lord do not change."
James 1:17: Describes God as having "no variation or shadow due to change."
Numbers 23:19: Contrasts God with humans, noting He does not lie or change His mind.
Hebrews 13:8: Affirms that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Psalm 102:26-27: Highlights God’s enduring nature compared to the changing creation.
Psalm 33:11: Declares that the Lord's counsel and plans remain constant through generations.

Three Great Reasons why God is Immutable.

If He were constantly changing, He would be unpredictable.
- How fearful it would be if God had the ability to become evil. We would not know whether God would remain good or ultimately become evil over time. Is there anything more terrifying than an Omnipotent Evil God?!
If He were constantly changing, He would be unstable.
- One day, He loves us. One day, He's angry. That would be a terrible way to live.
If He were constantly changing, He would be untrustworthy.
- We would never know if we could depend on any of His promises.

Objection: What about Scripture that seems to indicate God changes His mind?

There are a few places in the Bible where it seems as though someone was able to change God's mind. An example would be Genesis 18. Abraham talks to God and seems to convince Him to negotiate for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, these various instances are what we call anthropomorphic language. This is where you give human characteristics to a non-human being. This is the same when we say God has wings, eyes, or that He smells." God is altogether different than us. Therefore, this appears to be God changing His mind from our perspective. However, because He sits outside of time, He will always see the end from the beginning. There is no way He does not already know what will happen. It appears as though God changes His mind from our point of view, but this is not so. God already knows all things. He partners with us in how He moves in the Earth, but not without full knowledge of what is going on.

God's Word speaks of the confidence we can have in His unchangeable nature here:

(Numbers 23:19) God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

This an interesting time in the nation of Israel. The first generation of freed slaves has died in the wilderness. It is now time for the nation of Israel to begin entering the Promised Land. During this time, the pagan gods of Mesopotamia were thought to be easily manipulated and willing to change their minds depending on the type of sacrifice you offered. A neighboring king sees Israel and wants a false prophet named Balaam to curse the Israelites. He hopes to convince Yahweh to change His mind and side with him. He does not understand that God is the One True God. Therefore, when Balaam tries to prophesy, he receives only the confirmation that God does not change His mind.

(v19a) God does not lie.
- It is impossible for God to lie. His Words become truth the moment they are spoken, and they do not contradict themselves.
(v19b) God does not change His mind.
- This is a powerful statement. Time has passed for the people of Israel, but God's promises have not. If God has not fulfilled His promises yet, that does not mean anything other than He is not finished yet.
(v19c)) God always keeps His promises.
- Throughout the Bible, we cannot find a single instance in which someone was promised something and the Lord did not fulfill that promise. There are many times when people did not do their part when God gave a conditional promise. However, God has never failed anyone... ever.