A CHANGELESS GOD

Introduction

We serve a changeless God and a changeless Savior.  The Bible contains many passages that attest to this fact. Let us begin with Hebrews 13:8.  The likely author of the book of Hebrews, the Apostle Paul, writes, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Keep this verse in mind as we proceed.

Let us launch into a study of the changeless God. 

God Is Eternal

Please read Exodus 3:13-15. Moses writes in verse 14, “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’; and He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you.”” The Hebrew word translated “I am,” here, means, “to be; to exist, be in existence to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time),” according to Thayer.[1] God is. He has always been, and He always will be! 

God continues in verse 15:

Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.

The word translated, Lord, is the word used by Israel in reference to Jehovah. It comes from the Hebrew word, Y@hovah {yeh-ho-vaw'}, which is “(the) self Existent or eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God,” according to Strong.[2] So, God is eternal.

The psalmist sang in Psalm 93:2, “Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.” Micah prophesied in Micah 5:2 concerning the Messiah who would be born in Bethlehem:

But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.

God Is Eternal.

The Earth and the Heavens Will Perish, but God Will Always Be the Same

Paul writes in Hebrews 1:11-12:

They will perish, but You remain;
And they all will become old like a garment,
¹² And like a mantle You will roll them up;
Like a garment they will also be changed.
But You are the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.

These verses are from Psalm 102:25-27. Who is speaking to whom, and about what in these verses? Let us go up and start our reading in verse 1. Please read Psalm 102:1-12.

Verse 12 - “But of the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.’ That should read "Your kingdom," because the mix of pronouns from Your to His makes no sense. God is speaking to His Son and addresses Him as “O God!” 

Continue reading 9-12.  God affirms that the Son will destroy the heavens and the earth, which are the “works of His hands.” He also affirms that “thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” The psalmist continues in Psalm 102:27, “But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end.”  

God and the  Son, who are one, are the same as they have always been and always will be!

God Is Changeless in Fulfilling His Promises

God said in Malachi 3:6 - “For I, the Lord, do not change…” Why did the Lord mention this here? Please read vv. 5-6. Jehovah had promised a savior, a Messiah, who would come through the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that is, Israel. Now he promises judgment upon Israelites because of their sins. God says, “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.”

Even though the children of Israel had turned their backs on God, worshipped the idols of the people around them, committed all sorts of vile sins, and refused to repent after years of warnings from the prophets, God, who does not change, would honor His promise to send a Savior from the people of Israel, so He could not utterly destroy them!

God is changeless in fulfilling His promises.

God’s Attributes Are Changeless

Loving Kindness and Righteousness.

God’s loving kindness and righteousness are changeless. David said in Psalm 103:17-18:

But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children,
¹⁸ To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.

David said in Psalm 89:1-2:

I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever;
To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.
² For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever;
In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.”

God’s lovingkindness and righteousness are changeless.

Faithfulness.

God’s faithfulness is changeless. The psalmist sings in Psalm 100:5, “For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.”

Generosity.

God’s generosity does not change. James writes in James 1:17, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” God’s generosity does not change.

Mercy.

God’s mercy does not change. When the angel announced to Mary that she would bear the Savior, she said in Luke 1:49-51:

For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him. He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

God’s wonderful attributes do not change.

God Is Changeless in Fulfilled Prophecy

Jesus told a group of detractors in John 8:56,  “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” The Jews responded, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” (Verse 57). Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am” (Verse 58). Jesus was alive long before Abraham was born! In fact, Jesus uses the same word that God used to describe Himself in Exodus 3:13-15, “I am, which means “to be, to exist,” according to Thayer.[3]

God had promised Abraham, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Gen. 22:18). Paul points out in Galatians 4:4-5:

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, ⁵ so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Paul had written in Galatians 3:7-9:

Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. ⁸ The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

God is changeless in fulfilling prophecy.

God’s Priesthood, in the Person of His Son, Is Changeless

Please read Hebrews 7:23-25. The author writes in verse 24, “Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently.” That is important for us. Paul continues, “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Verse 25).

Jesus’ priesthood is changeless.

Conclusion

God is eternal. God and the  Son, who are one, are the same as they have always been and always will be!

God is changeless in fulfilling His promises.

God’s attributes are changeless – His loving kindness, righteousness, faithfulness, generosity, and mercy are changeless.

God is changeless in fulfilling prophecy.

God’s priesthood in the person of His Son is changeless.

We serve a changeless God!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rev 1:4, 8, 11, 17-18