Malachi 3:6

NASB	NLT	VOICE
6 “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.	6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed.	6 Because I am the Eternal One, I never change; as a result, you children of Jacob have not been destroyed through your blessing may have been delayed.

Exodus 32:14

NASB	NLT	VOICE
14 So the Lord relented of the harm which He said He would do to His people.	14 So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.	14 So the Eternal relented and decided not to destroy the people as He had threatened to do.

Introduction: Is God Unchanging?

Malachi says that the Lord doesn’t change. Moses says the Lord changed his mind. What do you do when the Bible seems to contradict itself? Malachi said God doesn’t change and that’s what kept them alive. Moses changed his mind about God bringing destruction to them. So there seems to be a small change in perspective in what happened here. Let’s dive into this.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Do you see a contradiction in these verses?

Malachi’s Perspective: God’s Unchanging Power

God’s unchanging nature is a source of comfort and assurance for us as Christians. His promises and reminders remain constant. The immutability of God is key to understanding his faith and reliability. For Malachi’s audience, they would have connected to the covenant relationship between God and the people of Israel. Jacob is the patriarch from whom the twelve tribes of Israel came from. It’s a reminder to Malachi’s audience about their identity as God’s chosen people and the responsibilities that comes with it. Throughout history, the Israelites faced many threats and challenges – yet they were safe due to God’s grace.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How have you seen God remained stable in your life?

Moses’ Perspective: God’s Unchanging Grace

In the context of Exodus 32, the Israelites were committing idolatry through worshiping the golden calf. Moses was interceding on behalf of the Israelites, asking God to spare them. Different translations will say that God “relented.” The term relented doesn’t imply a  change in God’s nature or character. It reflects a responsiveness from God to our repentance and intercession. God was ready to execute the Israelites for their sin of idolatry. Thanks to Moses’ intercession – it was avoided. This shows us how merciful and graceful God is. The threat of judgment was a way to deter sin and focus on repentance. This shows us how the covenant relationship was between God and Israel was like. The blessings and curses of God were dependent upon obeying or not.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How would you respond if you were God? How would you respond if you were Moses? How would you respond if you were the Israelites?

Final Call: No Contradiction is Shown

There is no contradiction in these passages. Malachi teaches us that God’s promises and reminders are eternal (remaining the same past, present, and future). God’s unchanging character is a source of our faith, understanding that we can believe in our Heavenly creator to be the same for us yesterday, today, and forever. Moses shows us that His character doesn’t change. God’s response to our actions will be according to His grace and mercy. God was ready to send the consequences for disobedience, but he changed his mind according to His unchanging behavior. His mercy and grace didn’t change. His character didn’t change. Like with us, our response to certain external factors changed.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: What changes do you need to make?

Next part: Tests vs. Temptations || Contradicting the Word || Part 2