Seems like my blog mojo is coming back to me, because I've been M.I.A for a cool minute. The post today is about whether God is ALLOWED to change his mind. First for God to be allowed to change his mind, I must first prove that he is capable of changing his mind. Please before I continue, this post may be confusing to some who don't read their bible on the regular. You know yourselves lol.
In 1 Samuel 15:29
It says "And also the God of Israel will not lie or change his mind; for He is not a man that he should change his mind". This verse states that God can not change his mind because he is not man.
I will then show you all an instance in the bible where God did change his mind. In Isaiah 38, God changes his mind about killing Hezekiah. He first says Hezekiah is going to die, and then after he saves him from dying
" In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."
Then in verse 4 God says this - "4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5 "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life."
This is not the first instance in the bible where God has demonstrated a propensity to change his mind, he also changed his mind concerning the people of Israel in Exodus 32:14.
"So the Lord changed his mind about the harm which he said He would do to his people".
Now most of you are probably wondering what my point is, so what if God changed his mind? Am not even trying to say there is anything wrong with it. This post came to my mind as I was reading my Koran, on the back of my Koran it said "The Quran is a complete and original compilation of the Final Revelation from God to mankind through the last Prophet, Muhammad, Peace be upon Him." It also makes a reference to both Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus as being prior prophets/people God revealed stuff to
What drew my mind to that statement was the fact where it referred to Muhammad as the 'LAST' prophet. Now most people would read that and not probably pick up on that word "LAST". It didn't mean there wouldn't be other men of God like pastors/imams etc, rather it referred to Mohammed as the last prophet God revealed anything to vis a vis - Holy Book. The Torah is a Holy Book, Bible is a Holy Book, Quran is a Holy book also. It was saying that Mohammed in my opinion is the last prophet God revealed a Holy Book to? Idk if you guys get my meaning.
Anyhoo, I had always wondered, lets say God decided to 'inspire' people to write another Holy Book would people take that book as being a real Holy book on the level of the bible/koran? Because I feel that even christians and muslims would be skeptical if somebody came out with maybe a Third Testament of the bible? Or Second Testament of the Koran. The Koran passage stated that Mohammed was the last prophet, and am assuming that Allah/God told Mohammed that he would be the last prophet. My main question is this, since God has showed an ability to CHANGE HIS MIND, is it then not possible that he could change his mind about having Mohammed be the last prophet and send another prophet to us? And if that prophet were to then come, would we accept him? Or would we cast him out as a false prophet? Would pastors/Imams not proclaim such a prophet as being a false prophet? And would they be wrong for condemning said prophet? Afterall in their very own holy books it tells them that Mohammed was the last prophet?
For the christians reading, some of you will be like why am I grouping muslims and christians together. Well, I will now focus on the christians. Most of you believe that Christ is the last messiah abi? And the next time he comes it will be for him to come usher us into heaven and rapture and blah blah blah.. Am asking then, is it not possible for God to change his mind about the Jesus coming back a 2nd time plan. And send another person to come do some other work? And if such a person were to come, would we not use the same Holy Bible given to us by God to argue against the person sent from God? But even at that, the same bible has shown that God has a propensity to change his mind.
I came across this quote, yall should check it out. Hopefully it makes sense to some of you.
"Suppose, however, that God did give this law to the Jews, and did tell them that whenever a man preached a heresy, or proposed to worship any other God that they should kill him; and suppose that afterward this same God took upon himself flesh, and came to this very chosen people and taught a different religion, and that thereupon the Jews crucified him; I ask you, did he not reap exactly what he had sown? What right would this god have to complain of a crucifixion suffered in accordance with his own command?"
34 comments:
Wouldn't God not being allowed to change his mind would kind of defeat the purpose of him being God?
lol but the same bible if u read the post well, said that he does not change his mind..
Did u read the post @ all?
It's like in the first paragraph.
I like your blog btw. @ NenyeN
I don't think god can change her mind. It might appear like she can to us mere mortals, but since she sees all, including the end from the begining (being an extratemporal entity,) SHe already knows how everything plays out.
Perhaps....
SHe's always got her mind made up from the start, but she's manipulative. she goes ahead to say what she's NOT going to do knowing fully well that at the appointed time someone would pray and she'll act like she's changed her mind based on the prayer, when in fact that's what she knew from the start she always intended to do. Divine misdirection. AKA telling lies
God can never change her mind but she does lie.
I love heaven logic mehn
LOL
i've learned not to rely on the bible or think of it as a history book, learning aid, maybe, valid historic manuscript, no. They are not even God's exact words, it's like a bunch of guys coming together 300 years after Obama's passing to say what he said and didn't say, did and didn't do, doesn't always mean it is true. Reading the psalms it's like it was written by some war general, then you get to the new testament and it's like if someone slaps you, turn the other cheek. So really the whole God changing his mind thing, is basically two different people's answers to the same question. I don't think God changes his mind
So u say there are teo different stories yet u believe the one that says God does not change his mind??
Does ur brand of christianity demand cherrypicking as a rite to passage??
hmm, "cherry picking"? lol.
My brand of christainity as you so aptly put it, is mostly based on morals, and common sense; do unto others as you would yourself, forgive and forget, e.t.c and yes cherry picking, (will use the term more often, lol), just because I'm not to sure of the validity of it's contents doesn't mean it should be written off completely, You can't really claim to know it all, even you Mr. Atheist can admit that.
2ndly, you seem to misunderstand me a bit, the bible is God's biography written by a bunch of people right? What I mean is that it is not technically God changing his mind, it it the changing authors. Now let's say you and I write a book about, say, the sky for example. I might say "the sky is blue and white fluffy clouds floating in it" and you might say " the sky is not indeed blue as we think, It is colorless, and the colour we see is the sunlight undergoing diffraction. We we are both talking about this one sky, however our descriptions are obviously quite different, hence the many contradictions in the bible, that I have to cherry pick my way through.
Also remember that the bible was not written in english and has been butchered by modern translations. ( Abeg Azazel I have exams tommorow stop distracting me with these kinds of posts ah ah).
@lahlah "They are not even God's exact words, it's like a bunch of guys coming together 300 years after Obama's passing to say what he said and didn't say, did and didn't do, doesn't always mean it is true." The difference is be Obama will be too dead to try to amend it, so are you implying that's the case with God? Why would He claim this is His word, and not amend the nonsense put in it? Maybe it goes back to the last post on whether God is dead.
God has never changed his mind, but his mind has been changed. God did not change his mind, Hezekiah changed God's mind. Marinate on that...lol
Happy you finally started reading the Qu'ran, thats one thing i cant do, do not have the time... i get my knowledge by arguing with Muslims and reading middle eastern literature. But yea they believe The Qu'ran is the third and final revelation of God, they believe that the other revelations have been corrupted by man.... which leads me to ask, how do i know the third and final revelation has not also been corrupted?
So the bible is God's biography written by men but approved by God @ Lahlah..
Sorry hun, but the onus is on u because people will want u to expantiate on ur comments..
Is the bible the word of God or is it the word of men???
Lol @ realist..
Bro sometimes u crack me up with ur failed attempts @ cuteness with words..
If person persuades u to change ur mind, that means that u urself changed ur mind. Gerrit?
@ Messiah
I think u are right, it does go back to the last post about whether God is dead.
i dont think God said that, samuel made that statement.before i came to your blog,i saw the statement and i was like ofcourse He has changed His mind a lotttt of times.
you should read the history of the mormons, i think you;d find that both fascinating and funny and then you'd wonder at religion and how we all come to believe what we believe.then maybe take a look of scientology?lol, that will sure get your blogging mojo really bacl.
and come to think of it, i loved enoch's answer.
sorry for spamming you but:
i do agree with realist on the translation stuff.the bible was translated so many things were obviously lost.
do you know that when the wanted to translate the bible to the cameroun language patua, they chose the igbo bible to do that.
you know the igbo language is a tonal language, so something like
igwe-bicycle
igwe-heaven
igwe-metal
so a sentence like:
God is in heaven and is surrounded by his angels
was translated in patua to mean
God is on a bicycle surrounded by his angels.
translation also plays a huge part on a lot of misunderstandings.
and as for muslims claiming that their qu'ran is never been corrupted is a bit far-fetched, how many years ago was it written?
okay, im done.
and yeah, i got the who translation thing on TED, if you are wondering and you should listen to the TED speeches they are awesome.
okay, im really done.
Read all your june posts & i was wandering who is this guy that wrote most of my thoughts out?...really..WHO ARE YOU?..not a SANCTIMONIOUS-HOLIER-THAN-THOU-XTAIN from all your posts..but someone seeking for the TRUTH!..i ache for so many answers from the bible & ask some church heads..end up more confused!.can't it be simply said or put without any of the SPIRITUAL INTERPRETATION?...I BELIEVE IN GOD, JESUS, HOLY SPIRIT & ANGELS. especially IN PRAYERS..& I KNOW THE FORCES OF EVIL DO EXIST.
How do we RELATE to GOD more as a FRIEND rather than a distant BEING?..Who is HE as a friend since we are built in HIS LIKENESS?...wo! i beta stop here..or else..i go bombard you with lots of questions?...weldone.
My comment wasn't directed at the post specifically, just the idea of God not being allowed to change his mind... he's supposed to be God for a reason, no?
As for my [somewhat defunct] blog.. thanks.
Lol Legggy..
Wasn't samuel one of the greatest prophets in the bible??
Is it possible that he lied about God not being able to change his mind?
Why would he do that?
And why did the lord not smite him where he stood for lying with his name?
Leggy I will say this about the Koran, there is a certain feeling of authencity to it than there is to the bible in my opinion.
But about what u were saying about translations, what are u trying to say exactly?
That the bible is not true in some aspects or?
@ Nittygritty
Lol @ how can we relate to God more as a friend. My sister have u tried befriending a dictator before? It's very hard, especially when he is friends with approx 3 billion other people lol.
@NenyeN
And am saying if u read the blog, u would see that in 1 Samuel God is explicitly stated as Not being a God who will change his mind...
I can't bring myself to read my bible these days again sef. So many contradictions. I like to believe that there's a God o, but na this bible I just can't seem to believe in any longer.
im saying that so many things are lost when you translate stuff.
the real meaning and intent of the writer is lost.
and the qu'ran was translated wasn't it? i dont think one is more authentic than the other.humans still wrote it didnt they?
and im not saying samuel was lying.
the bible wasnt written as a collection, like all those apostles didnt come together and write it.
if after high school, i say..'wow, mr. adawusi is so wicked'.
and someone who graduates after me goes..'thats a lie, hes so funny'.
whos right and whos wrong?
we just saw two different sides of him.
for example: if i say:'isiakwu dara n'ala aja edetula ya'.now thats igbo, if a yoruba friend asks me what it means, ill go something like this:'well, it just means that once you do something bad, you've done it, you cant change it'.now thats not what it actually means, but i dont know how to explain it in english and thats only as close as i can get to the real thing.
now the yoruba person takes what i said and translates it into yoruba.the meaning is lost dont you think?
@ messiah, see the kind of question you're asking me, "why would he claim the words as his" Really? But I understand where your coming from, I won't claim I understand why God does what God does. Why doesn't he come down and strike all the evil out of the world? I don't know, but that is not to say that he is dead.
@ azazel lmao, ok oh, my answer, honestly, technically, it is the word of men. But as leggy has added, meanings are often lost in translation, there are just some languages that should not be translated into english.
You've really got your mojo back Azazel, first in so many blogs eh? I am liking the arguments of Lahlah and Leggy sha.
You've really got your mojo back Azazel, first in so many blogs eh? I am liking the arguments of Lahlah and Leggy sha.
Ok Lahlah and leggy amma need both of u to settle on what the two of u are saying.. I see tomuch straddling of fence..
Leggy ur saying that the translations could be lost etc etc, I get that. But does that mean the truth was also lost in translation?
If that is what ur saying then how much of the truth of the bible has been lost in translation?
I am assuming that in reference to this post, ur saying that the verses I posted were probably lost in translation. Ok .
Why then could it not be also possible that Jesus turning water into wine was lost in translation? Or Jesus walking on water lost in translation also? maybe they did not mean he walked on water literally, maybe he just stepped on top of a puddle.
Leggy also when u say that there are two different sides to the particular story. U are right.
But then God is also said to have inspired this men, why would God be willing to allow confusion to foster over something he created??
If Samuel lied about God's unchangeability, why would GOd let other prophets down the road to say that he is a changeable GOd??
@ Lahlah
Ur saying that the bible is the word of men and not the word of God?
Ok I think I can agree with u on that. Even though I know most christians would not agree..
im saying that the verses you posted written by different apostles were the way they viewed God during the period that they lived.and i repeat, i didn't say that Samuel is lying, im saying those apostles saw God's different sides. like for example, matthew, mark, luke and john all reported the crucifixion but all those accounts are different because thats the way they saw it.that was the way they viewed it.
so im saying that samuel viewed God that way while the other apostles viewed God the other way.
so you cant say that one is right and the other is wrong.
therefore, personally, i think that God can change his minds about people and stuff, how is He a merciful God if He wont change His mind even when we repent.
lol@Azazel
I was just typing some BS, its clear that God changed his mind, the bible verse said it himself, there is nothing to argue
And since no one has disputed it... @leggy
The Qu'ran wasnt translated. "Allah" spoke to Muhammad(pbuh) in the language that Muhammad understood and then his followers wrote down what he said. No translation was needed. And the revelation was between 610 and 632 AD... over 600 yrs after the books in the New Testaments were written.
I find your opinions , most true and as such, disturbing..
Makes me wonder if there's a true prophet living at this time that I criticize when I tend to do a lot.
Now the last paragraph, God willed it that way so that was why Christ died.. If he didn't wouldn't have happened at all..
So other than that, for once,I agree with you.
My interest is not in what the Bible is saying. I'm only just simply stating something. That's all.
noo, but the fence is so damn comfy, ok my point is the bible is filled with words of men, some (emphasis on some) of which were inspired by God and his words/ acts and some based on personal bias.
@ leggy
Matthew, luke, john and mark all came to the same conclusion did they not??
That Jesus died on the cross..
Stop trying to act that people can't describe things differently but still arrive at the truth..
What ur saying is that Samuel saw God as an unchangeable God, then other prophets or events in the bible show God as being capable of change..
There is a huge disconnect between th two..
Either God is a changing God, or is he unchanging..
Stop dillydallying abeg..
@ Lahlah
How then does one decide which ones are inspired by God and which ones are inspired by men???
my friend! remove that automatic music thingy from your blog. What is wrong with you?
Off to read.
(I'm not kidding oh!)
Was going to make a point but Lahlah touched on it - it is well recognized that the Bible as we know it today was 'compiled' by human beings. For that reason, I don't really see God changing his mind as contradictory.
Nevertheless, I find your point about God sending someone other than Jesus etc. Interesting concept. Personally, I think the bigger question is whether we Xtians (collectively) are capable of recognizing Jesus if and when he were to return (if I am free to assume that he will, who knows, he might just change his mind on us). If that were the case, it wouldn't be an issue of whether or not God sent a replacement (which begs the question of why would he? would seem like too much work after how many years of building up to a conclusion).
And I'm going to stop now, because the music on your blog is frankly throwing me off. :P
hmm, il be back with my thoughts on this
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