WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.940 All right, well we are working our way through our knowing God series right now and 00:00:05.860 --> 00:00:09.800 We're trying to do this. We're calling it foundations knowing God 00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:18.019 We're trying to do a foundation series every semester a short series on on theology really and on knowing God knowing Christ knowing scripture 00:00:18.839 --> 00:00:22.519 All sorts of things like that. So of course we're working through 00:00:23.219 --> 00:00:26.060 doctrine of God here and tonight we come to 00:00:26.059 --> 00:00:31.660 The statement that God is unchangeable. So we're gonna think about that together. God is unchangeable 00:00:31.799 --> 00:00:37.339 Let me pray and then we'll dive in. Lord we ask for help as we think about you 00:00:37.339 --> 00:00:41.460 And we know God that we can't know you unless you reveal yourself 00:00:41.460 --> 00:00:45.619 And so we give thanks for your revelation and we also ask for 00:00:46.099 --> 00:00:51.340 illumination that the Holy Spirit would help us in our hearts to know and see and 00:00:51.340 --> 00:00:57.280 Learn and grow in the light of our fellowship with you. And so tonight teach us Lord 00:00:57.280 --> 00:01:04.800 What you mean by the fact that you are unchangeable speak through your word to us and show us the implications and the reality of 00:01:05.320 --> 00:01:09.580 The fact that you don't change and so we ask for that help in Christ's name. Amen 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:13.280 All right, so we're 00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:15.280 doing the series because 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:21.400 First down one we know that we have fellowship with God and we want to know the God that we fellowship with and 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:24.879 Just like any anytime you are in a relationship 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:27.859 You don't you don't progress in that relationship 00:01:28.599 --> 00:01:33.840 Without knowledge of the other of the person that you're in relationship with and so we're in covenantal relationship 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:36.000 That's the way we think about our relationship with God 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:41.040 And so we want to grow in our knowledge of him and part of that is 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:46.060 Engaging the mind so in this series and all these foundation series. We're really 00:01:46.600 --> 00:01:49.280 Listening to the command of Jesus when he tells us 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:55.560 The old commandment in a new form love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength 00:01:55.560 --> 00:01:57.560 So Christ gives a very clear 00:01:58.080 --> 00:01:59.280 command that 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:06.260 The mind of the Christian actually has to be engaged in the knowledge of God just like the will the emotional life 00:02:06.280 --> 00:02:09.480 All of it has to be engaged in the knowledge of God 00:02:09.479 --> 00:02:17.359 So we're thinking about this and really trying to grip the mind in order to change our affections as well 00:02:18.039 --> 00:02:20.199 So let me start by saying this 00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:23.839 It is difficult to talk about God 00:02:24.759 --> 00:02:31.399 It's difficult to think about God and it's difficult to talk about God and that's actually a good thing not a bad thing and 00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:37.039 What I mean by that is two things one that God is so other 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:39.039 so 00:02:39.479 --> 00:02:41.479 absolute in 00:02:41.959 --> 00:02:43.959 Contrast to our creatureliness 00:02:44.599 --> 00:02:49.840 That when we talk about him we must do it in inadequate ways we have to 00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:58.799 We can never capture him with our speech with our reflections with our thought and so a lot of times the theologians will 00:02:58.799 --> 00:03:00.799 Stay stuff like this that you can never 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:06.880 Comprehend God you can only apprehend and that's a way of getting at this distinction between 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:12.640 Knowing God as God knows God which is completely something that we can't even imagine and 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:17.680 Knowing God as we know God which is a very creaturely way of knowing God 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:21.720 And so that that's the first thing the second thing is this at the same time 00:03:22.320 --> 00:03:29.400 Our knowledge of God is completely inadequate in one sense and at the same time we say true things about God also and 00:03:29.400 --> 00:03:32.000 Both of those things are true actually simultaneously 00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:36.159 And that's been kind of the Christian confession for century after century 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:42.640 That we know we say true things about God because God has told us what to say about him 00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:48.240 Right, so how do we know that we speak true truly of God because God tells us what to say 00:03:49.080 --> 00:03:56.319 And he tells it to us in the revelation of God and mainly in holy scripture and in the revelation of Jesus Christ, right? 00:03:56.319 --> 00:03:57.520 so 00:03:57.520 --> 00:03:59.120 the Bible 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:06.360 Is it's very important to think about the Bible in this way because the Bible is God's word to us about him in 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:09.319 human words 00:04:09.759 --> 00:04:15.240 Right, so we don't believe the same thing that Islam believes about the Quran right where the Quran is actually 00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:18.639 God's word directly dictated an angelic speech 00:04:20.199 --> 00:04:26.600 Rather we think that the Bible we know that the Bible is God's word in the form of human words speaking 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:29.000 through human beings 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:32.160 By way of inspiration and so John Calvin when he talks about that 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:39.000 He says that every single sentence of the Bible everything every single thing that God says to us about himself is 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:43.360 Baby talk that's Calvin's really exact way of putting it 00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:48.560 He said that anytime you read a statement about God in the Bible and read any word in the Bible 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:50.240 It is God 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:52.240 Lisping to you like a mother 00:04:52.759 --> 00:04:54.360 Talks to their baby 00:04:54.360 --> 00:04:58.840 It's kind of him getting on one knee and saying look you can't understand the adult talk 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:04.879 Which is how God knows himself, but let me give it to you and baby talk and so our 00:05:05.280 --> 00:05:11.480 Artheology in some sense is baby talk. It's baby talk about God because it's creaturely and he's absolute 00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:18.160 And so only he knows himself as he truly is fully and we know in very limited ways very limited ways 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:22.000 And yet we know truly at the same time because it's God who gives us the baby talk 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:24.560 Okay, so that's what we're doing here and 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:30.399 That's actually a good thing because it means that God is absolute and we have a God that we can depend on 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:36.879 He's that big. He's that great that our speech about God is inadequate if it wasn't then he would be a God we could capture 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:42.000 And contain all right now that leads us directly into what we're saying today 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:44.000 I want to just give you three things three things 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:48.279 We confess we believe that God is unchangeable 00:05:48.279 --> 00:05:55.399 Unchangeable and so let me say three things that that means and why it really matters for us three things 00:05:55.399 --> 00:06:00.119 Okay, so first let's read together. We'll just have a verse for each of these and we'll flip around 00:06:00.599 --> 00:06:01.959 so 00:06:01.959 --> 00:06:06.639 I think we have Bibles out somewhere if you'd like to grab a Bible there's some of these chairs over here if you want one 00:06:07.159 --> 00:06:09.159 Psalm 102 00:06:09.359 --> 00:06:11.759 Two verses three verses from Psalm 102 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:17.240 Psalm 102 verses 26 to 28 says this 00:06:19.599 --> 00:06:21.439 They will perish 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:27.159 But you will remain that's the earth the heavens and the earth they will all wear out like a garment 00:06:28.240 --> 00:06:31.879 You will change them like a robe so God will change 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:35.120 Creation like taking off a robe and 00:06:36.519 --> 00:06:39.879 They will pass away, but you God are the same 00:06:39.879 --> 00:06:43.879 And your ears have no man you God are the same 00:06:44.279 --> 00:06:48.839 So there we've got the doctrine laid out by the psalmist right really clearly 00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:54.839 You are the same and he's directly contrasting God to the heavens and the earth 00:06:55.079 --> 00:06:58.139 You are not like the heavens and the earth they pass and they will pass 00:06:58.920 --> 00:07:01.600 But you are the same you're always the same 00:07:02.240 --> 00:07:07.680 Now last week Derek taught or last week two weeks ago Derek taught that God is 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:14.280 Eternal and infinite there was the spirit eternal and infinite those were the three attributes that he looked at 00:07:16.120 --> 00:07:20.600 What does it mean to say God does not change and 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:28.280 In some ways all we need to do is replay the talk that Derek gave two weeks ago 00:07:28.439 --> 00:07:34.980 Actually, that would be enough to treat the statement that God does not change right 00:07:34.980 --> 00:07:39.220 So let me I do this every time I teach here and it usually fails, but let's try 00:07:40.020 --> 00:07:42.819 What what does it mean to change? 00:07:43.460 --> 00:07:44.900 period 00:07:44.900 --> 00:07:47.980 Anything anything and anything anybody can shout out. What does it mean to change? 00:07:49.780 --> 00:07:55.540 To grow right so you move from something you're not to something you become 00:07:56.060 --> 00:08:01.100 right so in the in older speech when it when we talk about change we think of 00:08:02.500 --> 00:08:03.660 potential 00:08:03.660 --> 00:08:06.020 So right to be able to change is to have potential 00:08:07.020 --> 00:08:08.620 right so 00:08:08.620 --> 00:08:14.820 Rock has potential to roll and you have potential to grow and we can talk about that potential in thousands of ways 00:08:15.660 --> 00:08:21.180 Potential to grow in stature potential to grow in wisdom whatever it might be that those are all forms of change 00:08:21.700 --> 00:08:26.700 Yeah, right. What else can we say about change anything? There's no wrong answer here 00:08:26.700 --> 00:08:30.020 I don't it's hard to get the idea of change wrong. I think so 00:08:30.019 --> 00:08:33.779 To become something different absolutely now 00:08:36.620 --> 00:08:45.340 The question then is what are the conditions in which one has to be in order for change to take place and there's basically two 00:08:45.460 --> 00:08:50.699 Conditions now this sounds complicated at first, but it's actually really really easy and obvious once you hear it 00:08:52.100 --> 00:08:57.059 You are a creature of change if you live in space and time 00:08:57.059 --> 00:09:03.179 Right anything that is in space and in time 00:09:04.179 --> 00:09:10.099 Changes it has to so if you live in time, there's always change taking place 00:09:10.739 --> 00:09:18.379 Your your taking time is changing all the always in relationship to you, which means you're also changing in relationship to it 00:09:19.099 --> 00:09:22.939 So if you're if you are if you live in space time then you're changing 00:09:23.579 --> 00:09:25.579 Okay, and we all live in space time 00:09:25.580 --> 00:09:35.740 And most things do and that means that everything Derek said last week is really just the definition that God does not change 00:09:36.620 --> 00:09:41.180 Because the doctrine when we say when we say God is eternal 00:09:42.300 --> 00:09:44.820 Do you remember anybody remember what that means? 00:09:46.620 --> 00:09:50.259 It means that God has no relationship to 00:09:50.259 --> 00:09:55.340 To change to when we say God is eternal that means he is not bound by 00:09:56.259 --> 00:10:02.179 Time and when we say God is infinite it's just saying God is not bound by space 00:10:03.059 --> 00:10:04.340 so 00:10:04.340 --> 00:10:10.700 Everything we say about God is basically taking who we are and what we are in negating it first 00:10:11.659 --> 00:10:16.740 I'm bound by space and time and God is not therefore. He is eternal and infinite 00:10:16.740 --> 00:10:20.820 and that means if you're not bound by space and time then you are 00:10:21.620 --> 00:10:23.620 Unchangeable 00:10:23.620 --> 00:10:26.779 And so the Bible says God's unchangeable. It means he's not bound by space and time 00:10:26.779 --> 00:10:31.100 It's literally just to say once more he is eternal and infinite. It's really the same thing 00:10:31.620 --> 00:10:35.940 Now actually what that teaches us to bring this point home and move on 00:10:37.220 --> 00:10:42.899 Is that when you start to look at any single attribute of God and you tug on it a little bit 00:10:42.899 --> 00:10:49.819 What you find is that you're actually saying the same things about God over and over again through the lens of every other attribute 00:10:50.459 --> 00:10:55.379 So you can let's say we laid out 10 attributes of God and we picked one to talk about 00:10:56.059 --> 00:11:00.100 Immediately we have to talk about the other nine. They're all completely connected 00:11:00.620 --> 00:11:06.299 So to say God is unchangeable is the same thing as saying he's infinite eternal immutable and his being witness 00:11:06.819 --> 00:11:09.939 Wisdom goodness power justice glory. I think I've got the order wrong on that 00:11:09.940 --> 00:11:16.940 confessional statement, but we're always saying really the same things and that is to say that one of the most foundational 00:11:16.940 --> 00:11:20.340 statements we say about God and Derek mentioned this last time 00:11:21.460 --> 00:11:25.060 is just to say God we confess God is simple and 00:11:26.500 --> 00:11:32.940 That is a special word in theology that refers to the fact that God is not like me 00:11:32.940 --> 00:11:34.940 That's really what it means 00:11:34.940 --> 00:11:38.940 God is simple and the meaning of God is simple 00:11:38.940 --> 00:11:44.500 and the meaning of that is that he is not complex like I am and 00:11:45.420 --> 00:11:48.700 What does it mean to be complex? It means to be made up of stuff 00:11:49.380 --> 00:11:53.780 You know to have what are you? You're you're you're one person 00:11:54.420 --> 00:11:57.220 Nevertheless, you are full of parts all of you 00:11:58.100 --> 00:12:02.020 You know, you've got arms and legs. You've got hair. You've got feet 00:12:02.580 --> 00:12:06.140 but also you've got soul and in that soul you've got 00:12:06.139 --> 00:12:08.139 intellect will emotions 00:12:09.259 --> 00:12:12.379 All sorts of divisions and they don't all agree with each other 00:12:12.779 --> 00:12:19.220 You know, you know, your soul is kind of cut up in pieces when your emotional life doesn't make sense with your intellectual life when you're 00:12:19.659 --> 00:12:22.500 crying but your reason tells you it doesn't make any sense 00:12:23.539 --> 00:12:28.139 Right that that means that your soul is actually in some sense in pieces. It's not one thing and 00:12:30.220 --> 00:12:35.340 God is not complex in that way. He's simple simple meaning 00:12:35.340 --> 00:12:37.340 He is 00:12:37.460 --> 00:12:45.100 His being just is he's not made up of a bunch of different parts and so every time we say he's infinite. He's eternal. He's love 00:12:45.100 --> 00:12:46.540 He's justice 00:12:46.540 --> 00:12:51.860 We're really just using human language to try to talk about something we cannot comprehend 00:12:52.420 --> 00:12:54.420 Which is the fact that he is 00:12:55.420 --> 00:12:57.420 And if he is then he's unchangeable 00:12:58.060 --> 00:13:02.740 And that's what it means to say he's simple or unchangeable or infinite or eternal 00:13:02.740 --> 00:13:04.740 They're all really to say the same thing 00:13:06.019 --> 00:13:11.659 Okay, and of course you think about that and you say I don't understand what that means and exactly right exactly 00:13:11.659 --> 00:13:17.940 You know what? We don't understand what that means and that's exactly the point the fact that he and so this is the first little application 00:13:18.740 --> 00:13:20.740 and we move on a 00:13:22.139 --> 00:13:23.899 Couple things one is 00:13:23.899 --> 00:13:25.899 We don't understand that 00:13:25.899 --> 00:13:32.259 Because he is absolute and we are creaturely and that is a good thing. That is good news tonight. It's good news 00:13:32.259 --> 00:13:35.179 He's not like the other gods of the other religions 00:13:36.139 --> 00:13:38.139 Who are graspable? 00:13:38.500 --> 00:13:41.580 That's precisely why it's futile to make an idol of him 00:13:42.259 --> 00:13:45.259 To put him into wood and stone as a medium 00:13:46.220 --> 00:13:50.379 He's he's too big for that. He's too absolute his simplicity. Just want to allow it 00:13:52.259 --> 00:13:56.659 And so it's good news today that we have a simple God an unchangeable God now 00:13:56.740 --> 00:14:00.779 There's more specific reasons we're gonna come to those in the next two points. So let's go to point two 00:14:00.779 --> 00:14:05.939 Point two and let's flip over to a nut the next verse Malachi three six 00:14:10.980 --> 00:14:16.100 The last book of the English Bible Malachi three six it says 00:14:17.220 --> 00:14:19.220 What does it say it says? 00:14:21.179 --> 00:14:23.179 For I the Lord do not change 00:14:23.779 --> 00:14:25.419 Okay, so 00:14:25.419 --> 00:14:32.459 That's a straightforward verse for I the Lord do not change therefore you a children of Jacob are not consumed 00:14:32.979 --> 00:14:35.179 I the Lord do not change it says now 00:14:36.299 --> 00:14:38.779 This when we say God is unchangeable secondly 00:14:38.779 --> 00:14:45.939 It's not just about trying to speak well about God's essence, which is what we're just trying to do we're trying to 00:14:46.500 --> 00:14:50.099 Talk in human terms baby talk about the essence of God 00:14:50.579 --> 00:14:52.579 It's not just about that 00:14:52.580 --> 00:14:56.139 And this is where we come to see that that's true 00:14:57.780 --> 00:15:04.060 We don't confess God is unchangeable just to try to do a theological exercise not at all and 00:15:05.139 --> 00:15:09.780 Here he Malachi tells us why God tells us why through Malachi, okay? 00:15:09.780 --> 00:15:14.259 So let's look at the context just the next verse is all really and all we need to look at for that 00:15:14.259 --> 00:15:19.340 The Lord do not change therefore you a children of Jacob are not consumed 00:15:19.340 --> 00:15:26.060 From the days of your fathers you have turned away from my statutes. You've not obeyed you not kept the you've not kept the law 00:15:27.340 --> 00:15:33.540 Return to me and I will return to you says the Lord of Hosts, but you say how shall we return? 00:15:34.139 --> 00:15:36.660 Will man Rob God let me stop there 00:15:37.860 --> 00:15:43.580 What's the context here in which it says maybe we can have I think you can say this in just a couple words 00:15:43.580 --> 00:15:49.139 What's that? What's the what's happening here? Why why does God say I do not change? 00:15:51.500 --> 00:15:55.259 In response to what who's he comparing himself to there? 00:15:59.060 --> 00:16:06.740 Us yeah, yeah, certainly us more specifically in this context, right? It's Israel already talking about Israel, but human beings 00:16:06.740 --> 00:16:09.660 Yeah, and but more we can get more specific 00:16:09.659 --> 00:16:13.819 He's talking about the people that he's in covenant relationship with 00:16:14.500 --> 00:16:21.419 So he's specifically speaking here of people that he has bound himself to by a covenant an everlasting 00:16:21.860 --> 00:16:23.860 relationship and they to him and 00:16:24.539 --> 00:16:27.419 He's saying I don't change, but you do 00:16:28.059 --> 00:16:35.139 Meaning you humans that I have covenanted with you know a covenant is just to say you have a religious relationship with God 00:16:35.579 --> 00:16:38.179 He knows you and you know him that's a covenant and 00:16:38.179 --> 00:16:39.259 and 00:16:39.259 --> 00:16:42.059 He's saying here. I don't change 00:16:42.779 --> 00:16:47.579 Children of Jacob my covenant people, but you do and the way you change is that you break the covenant 00:16:48.339 --> 00:16:54.259 You break the conditions of the covenant you break the laws you don't honor me you make idols you disobey me constantly 00:16:54.299 --> 00:16:56.299 You're a bunch of rebels and 00:16:56.859 --> 00:16:58.859 yet 00:16:58.859 --> 00:17:05.299 What's the conclusion I Lord do neither Lord do not change therefore you are not consumed 00:17:05.299 --> 00:17:10.859 And you see what he's saying he's saying that because I don't change and 00:17:11.940 --> 00:17:18.259 Because I promised and covenanted myself to you in grace and mercy 00:17:19.539 --> 00:17:24.139 You are not consumed even though you absolutely deserve to be 00:17:24.859 --> 00:17:31.500 So that's what he's saying here now. He's comparing himself subtly to the gods of the ancient Near East and 00:17:32.059 --> 00:17:34.059 he's saying that 00:17:34.059 --> 00:17:41.259 Israel know that if if you were worshiping a demonic figure which the gods of the ancient Near East often are 00:17:42.099 --> 00:17:44.099 their capricious 00:17:44.539 --> 00:17:50.019 their little G gods meaning they're actually rebellious spirits against the true God and 00:17:51.819 --> 00:17:55.379 Any God that the nation's worship is a God who judges 00:17:57.220 --> 00:17:59.220 Directly immediately 00:17:59.220 --> 00:18:02.500 And he's saying but because I don't change I show mercy 00:18:02.500 --> 00:18:07.619 And so in other words what what God is doing here is he's appealing to his covenant promises and 00:18:08.099 --> 00:18:11.900 Saying that the essence of God the unchangeability of God's essence 00:18:12.220 --> 00:18:18.819 Manifest when he comes down into the world and it becomes the fact it becomes the God who keeps covenant 00:18:19.420 --> 00:18:25.900 And so the second dimension of the immute we unchangeability. We also call this by the way immutability 00:18:26.339 --> 00:18:30.940 God God does not change also can be just called immutability. It's the same meaning 00:18:30.940 --> 00:18:36.960 It's so important because it is the foundation of all covenant relationship 00:18:37.580 --> 00:18:40.820 All right, so understand understand what we're saying. We're saying this 00:18:41.740 --> 00:18:44.820 If God was changeable there would be no grace 00:18:45.940 --> 00:18:48.660 If God was changeable there would be no cross 00:18:49.620 --> 00:18:54.900 If God was changeable you would not have a savior nor salvation 00:18:56.059 --> 00:18:58.740 But it's God's immutability his unchangeability 00:18:58.740 --> 00:19:00.180 that 00:19:00.180 --> 00:19:04.059 Grounds all of the covenants of mercy and grace 00:19:05.019 --> 00:19:08.740 Because in every single one of them you break it and he keeps it 00:19:10.099 --> 00:19:12.700 He doesn't judge you even when you break the covenant and 00:19:13.859 --> 00:19:17.500 Jesus Christ comes through that through that covenant of grace that covenant lineage 00:19:18.059 --> 00:19:24.140 And so his covenant faithfulness, you know, that's something we talk about that's something Christians talk about is something the Bible talks about 00:19:24.140 --> 00:19:31.900 Covenant faithfulness is a product of the immutability or unchangeability of the living God 00:19:32.780 --> 00:19:37.060 Which means that when God is unchangeable in his essence and he comes down into creation 00:19:37.460 --> 00:19:42.220 He keeps it that way. He retains his attributes. He does not change 00:19:43.100 --> 00:19:45.100 Even when he condescends 00:19:45.100 --> 00:19:47.100 Okay, he's always unchangeable 00:19:47.660 --> 00:19:50.940 All right, so we can give thanks for the doctrine of God's immutability 00:19:50.940 --> 00:19:56.019 Because if you if you don't have that reality you don't have Jesus 00:19:57.620 --> 00:19:59.220 And so it's a big deal 00:19:59.220 --> 00:20:05.420 Grace is the product of the unchanging promise of the unchanging God. All right thirdly and finally 00:20:06.220 --> 00:20:14.740 So God's essence is immutable God's covenant grace is the product of his immutability and then finally 00:20:14.740 --> 00:20:23.940 I'm gonna flip over to James 117 00:20:26.859 --> 00:20:28.859 James 117 is a very famous verse 00:20:29.779 --> 00:20:34.819 For this idea it says every good and perfect gift is from above 00:20:35.620 --> 00:20:37.819 Coming down from the father of lights 00:20:38.579 --> 00:20:42.380 With whom there is no variation or shadow 00:20:42.380 --> 00:20:44.380 Due to change 00:20:47.820 --> 00:20:50.020 All right this verse I've always found tricky 00:20:51.060 --> 00:20:55.100 With God there is no variation or shadow 00:20:56.500 --> 00:20:59.700 Due to change and he is the father of lights 00:21:00.820 --> 00:21:03.620 Do you see the metaphor that's being used here? 00:21:04.500 --> 00:21:06.500 Anybody got it? What is it? 00:21:07.420 --> 00:21:09.420 He's the father of lights and 00:21:09.420 --> 00:21:13.980 He doesn't make shadows God doesn't make shadows 00:21:17.180 --> 00:21:19.180 What's the contrast I 00:21:23.019 --> 00:21:28.580 Shouldn't have asked this question. This is one of those bad. You don't do this when you're teaching moments. I always do this 00:21:29.340 --> 00:21:31.340 the contrast here is 00:21:31.580 --> 00:21:38.060 God and the and the lights right so what are the lights the lights are the Sun the moon the stars and 00:21:38.059 --> 00:21:45.659 when the Sun's out and the Sun and we well we move Sun moves a little too, but we move 00:21:46.179 --> 00:21:51.299 What happens when you're standing if you stand still in one place out in the middle of the afternoon for three hours? 00:21:51.299 --> 00:21:53.819 What do you notice about the ground around you? 00:21:54.940 --> 00:22:00.659 The shadows moving right so he is the father of lights the Sun men and stars and 00:22:01.819 --> 00:22:03.899 With him there is no shadow 00:22:03.900 --> 00:22:09.180 Meaning as God moves about he doesn't he doesn't cast a shadow 00:22:10.220 --> 00:22:12.220 That's what it's saying 00:22:12.940 --> 00:22:16.980 Therefore God unlike the Sun Moon and stars does not change 00:22:18.220 --> 00:22:23.460 So God doesn't move around like the Sun and therefore doesn't cast a shadow like the Sun does 00:22:24.019 --> 00:22:25.220 That's what it's saying there 00:22:25.220 --> 00:22:30.980 And so this is a classic New Testament statement of the immutability of God. God doesn't change like the heavenly bodies 00:22:31.500 --> 00:22:33.140 God's not 00:22:33.140 --> 00:22:36.740 Cyclical he's not moving a bet round in those ways. He doesn't change 00:22:37.940 --> 00:22:42.420 now I want to read that verse to actually create a problem for us and 00:22:43.420 --> 00:22:48.820 Let's go to this is the one one section point three that we're gonna read just a few passages very quickly 00:22:49.100 --> 00:22:51.980 Numbers back to the Old Testament to numbers 23 00:22:53.660 --> 00:22:55.660 Numbers 23 verse 00:22:56.100 --> 00:22:57.860 19 00:22:57.860 --> 00:23:00.940 And numbers 20 3 19 is another classic it says 00:23:00.940 --> 00:23:08.100 God is not a man that he should lie or a son a man that he should change his mind 00:23:08.820 --> 00:23:10.820 So it's saying that not only is God's 00:23:11.140 --> 00:23:14.539 You can't say that God's mutable based on his condescended 00:23:15.100 --> 00:23:16.140 Presence 00:23:16.140 --> 00:23:19.779 So even if God is working in the world, you can't say that he's like the Sun 00:23:20.259 --> 00:23:24.460 Casting shadows. He doesn't change even though he comes into the world. That's James 00:23:24.900 --> 00:23:27.180 Then you come back to numbers and it says also 00:23:27.180 --> 00:23:31.019 You can't say that he like a human being changes his mind 00:23:32.100 --> 00:23:35.700 So he doesn't decide to do something and think God that was a bad idea and 00:23:36.340 --> 00:23:40.180 Turn around and do it do it a different way. He doesn't he's not that he's simple 00:23:40.340 --> 00:23:44.120 He's not composed of parts his mind is his eternal will 00:23:44.539 --> 00:23:48.259 They're completely one thing and so it net there's no change there at all now 00:23:48.740 --> 00:23:50.740 Maybe you can anticipate the problem 00:23:50.740 --> 00:23:57.779 And the problem that we're gonna create for for three minutes in a dress is found in a 00:23:58.140 --> 00:24:01.859 Bunch of places, but let me give you just two two more and 00:24:02.740 --> 00:24:04.740 that would be 00:24:04.740 --> 00:24:11.220 Since we're in numbers just flip back to Genesis 6. This is probably the most famous and most difficult of the passages 00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:15.579 Genesis 6 verse 6 very famously said 00:24:16.620 --> 00:24:18.180 The Lord 00:24:18.180 --> 00:24:25.940 Regretted that he had made man and it grieved him to his heart. So then he decides to judge 00:24:27.100 --> 00:24:29.100 Heaven and earth earth with the flood 00:24:29.620 --> 00:24:35.019 So the word there is regretted. It's also the word that in Hebrews also just repent 00:24:36.500 --> 00:24:39.740 It's also the word in Hebrew that just means change the mind 00:24:40.100 --> 00:24:43.620 So you can translate it that way you can say God changed his mind. He regretted 00:24:43.980 --> 00:24:46.539 He flipped the script in his mind on this 00:24:46.539 --> 00:24:51.519 Okay, so then you've got let's just give you let's just give one more Jeremiah 00:24:52.539 --> 00:24:54.539 2613 it's the last one we'll flip to 00:25:05.019 --> 00:25:08.180 Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds 00:25:08.740 --> 00:25:13.740 Israel and obey the voice of the Lord your God and the Lord will relent of 00:25:13.740 --> 00:25:19.779 The disaster that he has pronounced against you same word for changing the mind or repenting 00:25:20.019 --> 00:25:25.980 So they're using a very specific translation here relented though if you if you will change the Lord will 00:25:26.579 --> 00:25:29.380 Repent or repentance really just means to change 00:25:30.220 --> 00:25:32.220 To he'll relent. He'll back away 00:25:32.660 --> 00:25:37.940 He'll he'll decide to do something different than he was doing. It's the same verb. It's the same word that we have there 00:25:38.259 --> 00:25:42.759 So numbers 23 don't think don't everything that the Lord is 00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:47.359 Is like a man who changes his mind or repentance and 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:52.319 Then at least five times in the Old Testament. We've got the same verb 00:25:53.400 --> 00:25:55.400 Being used of God 00:25:56.039 --> 00:25:59.019 That he does do that now. What do we say? What do we do with this? 00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:05.920 And this is important to treat because a lot of people who are questioning Christianity will bring this up 00:26:05.920 --> 00:26:07.920 This is one of the common things 00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:11.920 If they know if they know what they're talking about if they know the Bible very well at all 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:14.400 This is something that is often brought up 00:26:15.200 --> 00:26:19.320 Now what we say what we've said for centuries now as Christians 00:26:19.840 --> 00:26:22.840 And this was something that they were dealing with all the way back in the early church is 00:26:23.600 --> 00:26:29.440 That we have to always remember that because God's word is God's word. We let it we let scripture interpret scripture 00:26:30.080 --> 00:26:32.080 And so that's a fundamental rule of interpretation 00:26:32.320 --> 00:26:38.200 And so when we come across scripture and we see at least three or four major moments 00:26:38.200 --> 00:26:42.539 Where it couldn't be clear for the text to say 00:26:43.240 --> 00:26:48.840 God does not change. He does not change. He does not change and he doesn't change his mind 00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:56.360 And of course, we know that as soon as we start thinking about God that must be the case that it's a logical requirement as well 00:26:56.759 --> 00:26:59.440 As soon as we see that then we can come back and say, okay 00:27:00.160 --> 00:27:02.160 We've got a bit of a rule developed 00:27:02.960 --> 00:27:03.880 Whereas we need it 00:27:03.880 --> 00:27:09.160 We need to go and read the rest of the Bible through the lens of what we know about God and its clearest statements 00:27:10.120 --> 00:27:12.200 And so when it comes to passages like this 00:27:12.840 --> 00:27:18.880 It's actually a little easier to deal with I think then we might think and this is this is what John Calvin says about it 00:27:19.320 --> 00:27:23.920 And you can never go wrong by just saying what John says John says that 00:27:24.840 --> 00:27:29.280 John says that this is actually part of God's baby talk to us 00:27:29.279 --> 00:27:35.200 That's how he deals with it and that's how most Christians have throughout the centuries is that we need to go across the Bible and 00:27:35.319 --> 00:27:40.119 Let what God says in clarity about himself be true because it is and 00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:47.279 Then we need to go through and understand that these narritival places and these are stories these narratives 00:27:48.200 --> 00:27:50.200 these narritival places are 00:27:50.200 --> 00:27:58.759 Are speaking to us in very very human ways Calvin says this is where God's baby talk is at its maximum to us 00:27:59.600 --> 00:28:07.440 So in other words we can go to back to Genesis 6 and say there's no change here in the simple God when he says I 00:28:08.039 --> 00:28:10.039 regret that I made man 00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:13.880 instead what's being shown to us there is 00:28:14.360 --> 00:28:17.640 That God hates sin 00:28:17.640 --> 00:28:20.000 That's the actual doctrine underneath the statement 00:28:21.360 --> 00:28:25.120 And so we know God doesn't change we know God doesn't change his mind 00:28:25.120 --> 00:28:28.960 But in the way God has chosen to speak to us through that story 00:28:29.320 --> 00:28:34.160 He's chosen to say I regret and you grieve me and 00:28:34.840 --> 00:28:40.800 That's that's baby speech. There's no change in the God who stands outside of space and time 00:28:41.840 --> 00:28:45.920 In that moment none at all if there was then everything else would fall down 00:28:45.920 --> 00:28:47.920 everything we believe and 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:50.240 We've got clear enough statements to the contrary 00:28:50.800 --> 00:28:53.240 But instead what's happening in that moment is God saying 00:28:54.400 --> 00:28:57.519 Let me explain it to you like you would say to another person 00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:02.960 That sin really is so bad that it grieves me 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:07.840 But it doesn't change him in other words his plan has always been the same 00:29:08.080 --> 00:29:13.279 God knew the flood was gonna happen because his eternal will determined it from eternity 00:29:13.279 --> 00:29:16.599 And I don't even know what that means. I don't know how to talk about it 00:29:17.279 --> 00:29:19.359 But he doesn't change he doesn't change at all 00:29:19.359 --> 00:29:23.839 And so we we let the clear statements of scripture determine the harder things 00:29:24.359 --> 00:29:27.119 And especially in these narratives and so here's the last thing I'll say 00:29:27.119 --> 00:29:33.759 I think this Jeremiah 26 passage that I read actually really helps us because here the same verb is being used God 00:29:34.359 --> 00:29:36.799 Repents or relents or changes his mind 00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:44.359 But what does he say he says to Israel if you will bow the knee if you'll put away the idols if you'll repent then 00:29:45.399 --> 00:29:48.519 I'll come I'll come to you all relent from your 00:29:48.720 --> 00:29:56.359 Exilic plight that I've put upon you now that doesn't mean that the counsel of God's will has changed from eternity 00:29:56.359 --> 00:30:01.359 It doesn't have to mean that no not at all. It's simply God exercising the normal thing 00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:04.559 He always says to humans right and that's be obedient 00:30:04.559 --> 00:30:09.879 Be obedient and God honors that God wants to respond to that 00:30:10.359 --> 00:30:15.480 But it has nothing to do with changing the God who stands outside of space and time who's determined all these things 00:30:15.639 --> 00:30:17.639 From before the foundation of the world 00:30:18.159 --> 00:30:20.480 That's not a problem for us at all. I don't think 00:30:21.159 --> 00:30:22.480 now 00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:24.480 Let me close with this. Let me close with this 00:30:25.639 --> 00:30:29.720 One of the reasons that we know that and this is the last word one of the reasons that we know that is 00:30:29.720 --> 00:30:33.960 Because Jesus Christ came into the world 00:30:35.519 --> 00:30:38.960 And what we start to learn as we read the Old Testament is that 00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:44.640 Even though there are moments where God says things like I'm repenting. I'm changing my mind 00:30:45.640 --> 00:30:49.440 even even though he says that we realize throughout the Old Testament that the 00:30:50.160 --> 00:30:54.079 underlying story is actually that God has never had a plan B that 00:30:54.079 --> 00:31:01.000 That starts to come out really clearly over the course of the Old Testament and so in Genesis 50 20 you've got that famous place where 00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:07.879 Jacob God says through Jacob, you know you my brother's meant to kill me and 00:31:08.599 --> 00:31:10.599 There was only evil in your heart 00:31:11.199 --> 00:31:14.240 But God intended this and he intended it for the good 00:31:14.240 --> 00:31:21.079 And then we come to Romans 8 and we realized that everything God's done is for the good of him who purposed it all and 00:31:21.079 --> 00:31:27.599 That maximal good is in the midst of the maximal evil of the cross of Jesus Christ 00:31:27.919 --> 00:31:31.919 You know, there's been nothing more heinous in human history than murdering the Son of God and 00:31:32.839 --> 00:31:34.839 nothing that's been 00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:43.799 Nothing that's even touched upon the salvific nature right nothing that's been more good we can say in the crudest sense 00:31:44.359 --> 00:31:46.359 than the cross of Christ and 00:31:46.359 --> 00:31:52.839 So in the cross of Christ we realized that the plan of God has always stayed the same that he's immutable and unchangeable in his 00:31:52.839 --> 00:31:59.119 Covenantal purposes and we can say that in Christ the unchangeable God took on the changeable 00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:05.399 Jesus Christ is the unchangeable God who has taken on the changeable. He's taken on a changeable nature 00:32:06.319 --> 00:32:09.039 He's taken on a changeable body. He died after all 00:32:10.159 --> 00:32:12.159 that's a big change and 00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:15.279 that means 00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:21.639 That Christ is immutable from eternity the Son of God and mutable in history 00:32:23.000 --> 00:32:27.000 And that's exactly where the immutable God chooses to save us 00:32:29.039 --> 00:32:31.039 That's exactly how he chooses to save us 00:32:31.559 --> 00:32:37.559 The God who stands outside of space of space and time has come into space and time and that's been his plan from the beginning 00:32:37.559 --> 00:32:39.660 So let me leave you with this meditation one line 00:32:40.519 --> 00:32:42.519 God is 00:32:42.519 --> 00:32:46.079 All is and always will be unchangeable and 00:32:47.480 --> 00:32:51.839 He is and always will be unchangeable in his love 00:32:53.319 --> 00:32:55.319 Toward you 00:32:55.319 --> 00:32:56.639 and 00:32:56.639 --> 00:32:58.639 That's why it's so important 00:32:58.839 --> 00:33:01.920 Let's pray father. We ask now that you would apply 00:33:02.680 --> 00:33:10.480 The truth about you to our hearts that we would have assurance assurance because you are unchangeably loving to us 00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:13.440 And we pray this in Christ's name. Amen