83 Does God ever change his mind

 

The Old Testament Book of Numbers says God doesn't change his mind

Numbers 23:19 God is not ... a son of man, that he should change his mind.

The Old Testament Book of Malachi says it too

Malachi 3:6 I the LORD do not change.

I infer from it that God wouln't ever change the commands he gave to humans, either.


But in the Old Testament book of Genesis, just green plants were food before the great Flood. After the great Flood, Noah walked out of the ark and God said everything was fit to eat now, plants and meat

Genesis 9:3 Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

Later God changed his mind and named which animals were fit to eat, not just any old animals like before

Leviticus 11:1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 2 "Say to the Israelites: 'Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat.’”

And also which kinds of fishes were fit to eat now

10 [A]ll creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales--whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water--you are to detest.

And what kinds of birds were edible now

13 These are the birds you are to detest and not eat because they are detestable....

Thus God changed his commands.

Recap: God changed his mind and commanded new diets. It could be argued that God planned it all along, that there was a changeable master plan despite what food was okay in Genesis 9.

Or Biblicists could argue that God didn’t change but only his commands did. But I say it only squares the circle; in other words, their explanation doesn't jibe.

Related post on my other blog:
88 Should we overlook the differences in the Gospels