Can faith change God's plan?

In more instances than one you can see the stupendous power of prayer — stupendous because God-given. It can even turn the mighty God from His purpose when He means to deal in judgment. Think of that! Consider Moses' pleading with Jehovah after the golden calf had been set up and worshipped by Israel. The Lord, righteously indignant, says to His servant, "Thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves… I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation." But Moses would not let the Lord alone, would not let God make of him a great nation at so great a cost to stiff-necked Israel. So he answers, "Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against Thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou swarest by Thine own self, and saidst, I will multiply your seed, as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the LORD repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people." In Jeremiah 26:1, 13, we see how readily the Lord turns from wrath to mercy and pardon, and there is nothing like pleading and intercession to cause this wonderful change in Him. And if He is so ready to pardon, how much more to bless when besought to do so

Men say that they do not understand how a perfect and omniscient God can repent. Yet when I read that "the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto the people" after the impassioned and devoted intercession of Moses for them, I find it easy to believe exactly what is stated; and if I cannot understand how it is so, I find it tenfold more difficult to understand how it could be otherwise. And this is true of a large class of scripture difficulties. When it is difficult to conceive how the original statement can be true, consider for a moment how much more difficult it is to conceive anything else of the matter to be true. Is it difficult to believe that God was filled with anger against the wickedness of Israel, and yet that He exercised forbearance toward them when His beloved and honoured servant offered to give himself up in their stead? Perhaps it is difficult, but it is impossible to believe otherwise, that is assuming the main historical events to be true, of course.

Perhaps we should make a remark on what Jonah says of God: "Thou … repentest Thee of the evil." We have already pointed out that repentance in man means to "think again," or a change of thought or a change of mind. In another place in Scripture (1 Samuel 15:29), we read: "The Hope of Israel will not lie nor repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent." What then does Jonah mean when he says "Thou … repentest Thee of the evil"? It does not mean a change of mind on God's part, but a change of action caused by a change of mind on man's part. God sends warnings to man, in order that man may change his mind, may repent, so that God may change His action from judgment to mercy. God has not changed His mind. God's mind has ever been toward mercy: "Thou art a gracious God, and merciful;" but man's sin must bring down the righteous judgment of God, even though He is slow to anger. There is only one way of escape, and that is by repentance on the part of sinful man. With this object in view God sends warnings to individuals and to nations. If they hear and repent, then God may act according to the desires of His heart, and show mercy. If man will not repent, there is no other way, and judgment must fall.

"And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not." In cases of repentance, God deals with nations as He does with individuals. Where He sees real repentance in departing from evil, He also repents of the evil,* that is, of His threatened judgment upon the evil, and punishment being no longer necessary, He does not carry it out.

[* God is not a man, that He should repent as to His eternal and unchangeable counsels and unconditional promises, which "are without repentance." But in His grace He may repent of, i.e., not carry out, a threatened judgment, as in the case of Nineveh. We must remember, that the Spirit of God condescends to express Himself after the human way of speaking, on account of our infirmities.]

In His great mercy God often warns nations, as well as individuals, of the judgment that is about to come upon them because of their evil doings, as in the case of Nineveh. When Jonah warned the men of Nineveh about the coming judgment they repented, and God repented of the judgment, so that they were spared. This divine principle of God’s government of the nations is clearly stated in Jeremiah 18:7–10, and we have examples in the Scriptures of those who repent and are spared, and of those who refuse to repent and are punished.

The chapter concludes with the action of God consequent upon Nineveh's repentance — "And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not." We see again what is in the heart of God towards men — that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked; and hence, that if He proclaim judgment it is with the object of turning them from their evil way. The people of Nineveh did not know what He would do. They only said, "Who can tell if God will turn and repent?" And God responded to this feeble faith, as He ever does, and spared them from destruction. It is but a human mode of speech, it need scarcely be added, when it says that He repented. His aim was to produce repentance on the part of Nineveh; and this having been done, He could, consistently with His ways in government, show His compassion and forgiveness. What abundant encouragement for the sinner is found in this record.

"Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of Jehovah your God; and Jehovah will repent Him of the evil that He has pronounced against you." Jeremiah's prophecies are more conditional than any other, save only that of Jonah. Indeed, they are more conditionally expressed than even Jonah's. Jonah did not put forward a condition; "If you repent, God will spare Nineveh." But Jeremiah does state the condition; "If you repent, Jehovah will repent of what He means to do."

What then is to be done—what should be done? “If that nation,” says God, “turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I had thought to do unto them.” That is as plain as it is gracious.

As to punishment which He has threatened, or blessing He has promised. When Israel turned from their evil ways and sought God, He often repented of the punishment He had meditated. 2 Sam. 24:16, etc. On the other hand, the promises to bless Israel when in the land were made conditionally on their obedience, so that God would, if they did evil, turn from or repent of the good that He had said He would do, either to Israel or in fact to any nation. Jer. 18:8-10. He would alter the order of His dealings towards them, and as to Israel He said, "I am weary with repenting." Jer. 15:6. In all this the responsibility of man is concerned, as well as the divine government.

But the unconditional promises of God, as made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are not subject to repentance. "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance." Rom. 11:29. "God is not a man that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it?" Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29; Malachi 3:6. And this must hold good in regard to every purpose of His will.

But we must observe the historical evidences of this introduction of mediation as a support to the old covenant, or the foundation of a new one. "And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and behold it is a stiff-necked people: now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them, … and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land which I have spoken of will I give unto thy seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the Lord repented of the evil that he thought to do unto his people," Ex. 32:9-14. Here was the principle.