The word of the Lord came to Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” (1 Samuel 15:10-11, ESV)
“And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.” (29, ESV)
And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. (35, ESV)
Just reflecting on those verses today. The word translated “regret” can also mean “change one’s mind.” (CSB).
How can it be that God does not regret and yet he does?
Is God one that easily changes his mind?
I think that one key to understanding this all is Samuel’s words in verse 29: “God is not a man, that he should have regret.”
Or as the CSB puts it, “the Eternal One of Israel…is not man who changes his mind.”
People are finite in their knowledge, and make mistakes because of it. They also do stupid things due to their passions. And they can be very fickle, changing their minds on a whim.
God is not like that.
God knows everything, past, present, and future. He knew what Saul would do.
So it’s not like God said, “Man, I messed up! I just didn’t know that Saul would end up like this!”
Nor did he say, “What a stupid choice? What in the world was I thinking? I knew better than that.”
Everything God does is purposeful with full knowledge of what will happen.
And yet, God is not emotionless. Just because he knew what would happen did not take away from his pain at seeing Saul actually sin.
Why did God choose Saul in the first place? We don’t know.
Perhaps one reason is that the people pressed for a king instead of waiting just a few more years for God to appoint one, one who would be a man after God’s own heart.
Perhaps another reason is that they wanted “a king like all the other nations had.” And God needed to show them what that looked like. He needed to show them what a terrible idea that was.
Whatever his reasons, they were good ones. Nevertheless, when he saw Saul’s sin and rebellion, he grieved. He “regretted.”
Not because God had messed up. Not because God suddenly realized he had made a bad decision.
Rather it was more God saying, “I wish this didn’t have to be.”
“God doesn’t change his mind like a man does.”
That’s a very comforting thought. God is not fickle. God is very consistent in his ways.
And one thing that is very consistent about him is that while he will judge sin, he is always looking to show mercy toward repentant sinners. (Ezekiel 33:10-16)
You see this played out in the Bible time and again. (1 Kings 21:17-28, 2 Kings 22:15-20, 2 Chronicles 12:5-8; 33:1-13, Jonah 3)
Because of his mercy, he will also often listen to the intercessions of his people and relent on judgment. (Exodus 32:9-14)
But because he is also a just God, there eventually comes a time when God says, “Enough. It is time for judgment for these people who refuse to repent.” (Jeremiah 7:16, Jeremiah 11:14, Jeremiah 14:11)
The unfortunate thing in this story is that Saul never truly repented. Instead he made excuses.
And when he finally “repented,” it was not because of sorrow over his sin, but rather over fear that he might lose his position. And so ultimately, God judged him and set him aside as king.
To sum up:
1. God is utterly consistent in his character. He is merciful and patient, forgiving the repentant, and giving time to all for repentance.
But he is also just, ultimately bringing justice to those who refuse to repent.
2. Everything God does is for a good reason, and he is never caught off guard by events. But knowing all this does not take away from his pain when he sees sin, and all the hurt that comes from sin. And in that sense, he “regrets.”
But through everything, he is working for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
I don’t know about you, but I’m glad that I serve such a good God.
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 