God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and Racist?

by David T. Lamb

When Does God Change or Not Change in the Old Testaments The Old Testament references below use the Hebrew verb naham (except Num 14:20 and Mal 3:6), which has three primary meanings: 1. To relent, repent or change one’s mind. The references below fit this meaning. 2. To regret or feel sorry. Yahweh regrets making the humans (Gen 6:6, 7). 3. To comfort or show compassion. Yahweh will comfort Zion (Zech 1:17). God does not change. He is faithful, consistent and dependable. There are four divine immutability Old Testament references: 1. Balak of Moab tries to force Balaam to make Yahweh curse Israel, but Yahweh has promised to bless Israel, so he won’t change and curse them (Num 23:19). 2. Yahweh won’t change his mind about removing Saul from the throne (1 Sam 15:29). But the context also says Yahweh regretted (naham) making Saul king (1 Sam 15:11, 35). 3. Yahweh won’t change and remove the messianic figure from the priesthood (Ps 110:4). 4. Yahweh doesn’t change, so Israel has not perished (Mal 3:6). God changes. He is merciful, compassionate and gracious. There are sixteen divine mutability Old Testament references: 1. Twice Moses intercedes and Yahweh relents, so the judgment against his people is reduced (Ex 32:14; Num 14:20). 2. David’s census. Yahweh relents and stops the pestilence (2 Sam 24:16; 1 Chron 21:15). 3. Yahweh heard the cry of his people and relented according to his hesed (Ps 106:45). 4. Yahweh relents so much he gets tired of it (Jer 15:6). Yahweh may rel...

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