 |  |
'Return, O Lord, how long? and let it repent Thee concerning Thy
servants' (Psa. 90:13).
'Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, when He heard their cry:
and He remembered for them His covenant, and repented according to the
multitude of His mercies' (Psa. 106:44,45).
The reader will find nearly a score more passages in Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
Joel, Amos, Jonah, Zechariah and elsewhere. In each case this 'repentance'
is contingent. Saul's disobedience, Israel's groaning, or the prospect of
the destruction of Jerusalem, are definitely put forward as reasons for this
change of mind and plan. We are morally certain that many of our readers
have been waiting for us to quote the 'proof text' that God does not repent.
It is one of the most glaring examples of falsifying the intention of
Scripture that we know, to quote 1 Samuel 15:29 to prove that 'God does not
repent'. Here are the words divorced from their context.
'The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man,
that He should repent' (1 Sam. 15:29).
The intended effect upon the mind of this 'proof text' is that God
never did and never can repent, and that all the passages quoted must somehow
be modified in view of this oracular statement. The exact opposite is the
inspired intention. Samuel told Saul that nothing he did or promised to do
would cause God to change His mind as to repenting that He had made him king.
If we hold the truth we shall welcome the context of any passage. Here it
is:
'Saul said ... I have sinned ... And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not
return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the
Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel ... the Lord ...
hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. And
also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a
man, that He should repent' (1 Sam. 15:24-29).
Lest we should think that God did 'repent of His repentance', Samuel
reiterates in verse 35 what he had said in verse 11. Let us proceed then to
examine other passages that bear upon this most important truth:
'How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel?
how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboiim? Mine
heart is turned within Me, My repentings are kindled together. I will
not execute the fierceness of Mine anger, I will not return to destroy
Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee:
and I will not enter into the city' (Hos. 11:8,9). (A reference to
Sodom and Gomorrah, as Admah and Zeboiim, Gen. 14:8 proves).
What a blessed passage, what a light upon the nature of God! Some say,
'He is God and not man', therefore He will remain adamant in His purpose, His
decrees are inflexible, but the Scripture says, 'He is God and not man', and
so does and will at times turn from His purpose of visiting the wickedness of
His people with punishment. We will not pursue this theme further. Enough
has been said under the heading of Repentance4. Let us look at other aspects
of the subject.