Does God Change His Mind?

Does God change His mind? Does He ever alter His plans? The Bible describes several occasions in which He did this very thing. One situation occurred when Rehoboam was king over Israel.

Judgment had come because Rehoboam “had been unfaithful to the LORD.” As a result, “Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem” with a mighty force “without number,” including thousands of chariots and horsemen. As this army approached Jerusalem, the prophet Shemaiah told Rehoboam why God was allowing this to happen: “You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you to Shishak” (vs. 1-5).

This sounds like an irrevocable decision. But when they heard this pronouncement, “the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves.”

They turned to God, saying, “The LORD is righteous” (v. 6). And God was moved by their reaction. When He “saw that they humbled themselves,” He changed His mind and granted them a “measure of deliverance” (v. 7). However, they still had to experience the consequences of their actions.

What caused God to change? It was the honest humility shown by Rehoboam and the other leaders, their genuine repentance and sorrow for their sins, and their plea for forgiveness.

These same principles still are true. Yes, the Bible teaches that we must face the consequences of our actions, for we Reap what we Sow (Galatians 6:7). But the example of Rehoboam reminds us that God can change His mind, responding to those who humbly confess their sins and seek Him with a sincere heart.