Is It Really The Case That Yahweh Does Not Change?
By Isaac Aluochier
All scripture quotations are from the World English Bible published at http://www.ebible.org/bible/WEB/.
CONTENTS
Yahweh Says That He Does Not Change
Malachi 3:6 reads,
3:6
"For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.It should be noted that it is Yahweh himself who says that he does not change.
Yahweh Changed His Food Laws For Human Beings
Genesis 1:26-30 reads,
1:26
God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 1:27God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. 1:28God blessed them. God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 1:29God said, "Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food. 1:30To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food." And it was so.Genesis 9:1-7 reads,
9:1
God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 9:2The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that the ground teems with, and all the fish of the sea are delivered into your hand. 9:3Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As the green herb, I have given everything to you. 9:4But flesh with the life of it, the blood of it, you shall not eat. 9:5I will surely require your blood of your lives. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man. 9:6Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man will his blood be shed, for in the image of God made he man. 9:7Be fruitful, and multiply. Bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it."At the time Yahweh created man the food he gave him comprised of every herb yielding seed, on the surface of all the earth, and every tree bearing fruit yielding seed. But at the time immediately after the flood Yahweh gave man for food every moving thing that lives. This included not only herbage, but also flesh. It should also be noted that Yahweh did not give detailed specification with respect to the type of herbs or flesh to be eaten, but allowed man to eat all that had life in it. The only restriction, with respect to flesh, was not to eat it with its life - the blood - still in it.
It is noted that the food allowance that Yahweh gave man at the time of his creation is different from the food allowance that he gave man at the time of Noah. In other words, there was a change in the food allowance that Yahweh gave man at these different historical periods.
Did Yahweh's Nature Change When He Changed His Food Laws For Humans?
Can it be said - correctly - that Yahweh's nature changed, in that he changed the food allowance that he gave humans at these different historical periods?
Yahweh Remained A Giver When He Changed His Food Laws For Humans
It should be noted that the herbs and fruits Yahweh gave man at the time of his creation were his GIFTS to man. It should also be noted that the "EVERYTHING" that lives that Yahweh gave man at the time of Noah were his GIFTS to man. What Yahweh had done was to INCREASE his gifts to man. But he did not change his nature - his GIVING nature. For just as he was a GIVER at the time of Adam, so also was he a GIVER at the time of Noah and subsequently.
The Degree Of Yahweh's Gift Changed When He Changed His Food Laws For Humans
It should therefore be understood that Yahweh's giving nature did not change from Adam's time to Noah's time and subsequently. What changed was the amount of his gift with respect to his gift of food. But he did not change in giving man his gift of food.
It Is Within Yahweh's Liberty To Determine The Degree Of The Manifestation Of His Nature
It therefore appears that where Yahweh has a particular attribute, it is entirely within his liberty to determine what degree of the attribute to manifest at any given point to any given person. He can choose to manifest a great portion of it or he can choose to manifest none of it. The degree of the manifestation of the attribute is entirely within his liberty and discretion.
It therefore cannot be correctly said that his nature with respect to that attribute has changed. What can be correctly said is that he changes the degree of the manifestation of his attributes, for reasons entirely at his discretion, seeing he is at liberty to manifest or not to manifest these attributes of his.
Leviticus 11 reads,
11:1
Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 11:2"Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the living things which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth. 11:3Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat.11:4
"‘Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those who part the hoof: the camel, because he chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. 11:5The coney, because he chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. 11:6The hare, because she chews the cud but doesn’t part the hoof, she is unclean to you. 11:7The pig, because he has a split hoof, and is cloven-footed, but doesn’t chew the cud, he is unclean to you. 11:8Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you.11:9
These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, that you may eat. 11:10All that don’t have fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination to you, 11:11and you detest them. You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. 11:12Whatever has no fins nor scales in the waters, that is an abomination to you.11:13
"‘These you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the vulture, and the black vulture, 11:14and the red kite, any kind of black kite, 11:15any kind of raven, 11:16the horned owl, the screech owl, and the gull, any kind of hawk, 11:17the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, 11:18the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, 11:19the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.11:20
"‘All flying insects that walk on all fours are an abomination to you. 11:21Yet you may eat these: of all winged creeping things that go on all fours, which have legs above their feet, with which to hop on the earth. 11:22Even of these you may eat: any kind of locust, any kind of katydid, any kind of cricket, and any kind of grasshopper. 11:23But all winged creeping things which have four feet, are an abomination to you.11:24
"‘By these you will become unclean: whoever touches the carcass of them shall be unclean until the evening. 11:25Whoever carries any part of their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.11:26
"‘Every animal which parts the hoof, and is not cloven-footed, nor chews the cud, is unclean to you. Everyone who touches them shall be unclean. 11:27Whatever goes on its paws, among all animals that go on all fours, they are unclean to you. Whoever touches their carcass shall be unclean until the evening. 11:28He who carries their carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. They are unclean to you.11:29
"‘These are they which are unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, 11:30the gecko, and the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink, and the chameleon. 11:31These are they which are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead, shall be unclean until the evening. 11:32On whatever any of them falls when they are dead, it shall be unclean; whether it is any vessel of wood, or clothing, or skin, or sack, whatever vessel it is, with which any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; then it will be clean. 11:33Every earthen vessel, into which any of them falls, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it. 11:34All food which may be eaten, that on which water comes, shall be unclean; and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean. 11:35Everything whereupon part of their carcass falls shall be unclean; whether oven, or range for pots, it shall be broken in pieces: they are unclean, and shall be unclean to you. 11:36Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which water is a gathered shall be clean: but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean. 11:37If part of their carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean. 11:38But if water is put on the seed, and part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you.11:39
"‘If any animal, of which you may eat, dies; he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening. 11:40He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening.11:41
"‘Every creeping thing that creeps on the earth is an abomination. It shall not be eaten. 11:42Whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet, even all creeping things that creep on the earth, them you shall not eat; for they are an abomination. 11:43You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps, neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled thereby. 11:44For I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy: neither shall you defile yourselves with any kind of creeping thing that moves on the earth. 11:45For I am Yahweh who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.11:46
"‘This is the law of the animal, and of the bird, and of every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, 11:47to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.’"It should be noted that Yahweh's food law with respect to the children of Israel is MORE RESTRICTIVE that Yahweh's food law with respect to the children of Noah, of whom the children of Israel are. In other words, with respect to the children of Israel, Yahweh reduced his food gift to them.
As previously noted Yahweh is at liberty to manifest his attributes to whatever degree he chooses at any given point and for whatever reason he chooses. The attributes are his, and he does with what is his as he chooses. Therefore, in the case of the children of Israel, he chose to restrict the food gift to them without, apparently, doing the same with the rest of the children of Noah. The other children of Noah could therefore continue eating of all living flesh, while the children of Israel were restricted to only flesh that met Yahweh's specifications as given to them.
11:44-45 explains why Yahweh's food gift to the children of Israel was more restrictive than to the rest of the children of Noah. Yahweh had brought out the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt to be their God. They were therefore to be holy, even as he is holy. And by confining themselves only to food fulfilling Yahweh's specification to them they would indeed avoid defiling themselves and would remain holy, even as Yahweh is holy.
The rest of the children of Noah were not brought out of the land of Egypt for Yahweh to be their God. The laws that Yahweh specifically gave to Israel on this rationale therefore did not apply to the rest of the children of Noah. Therefore, with respect to food, the rest of the children of Noah could continue eating of all flesh, both the clean and the unclean, as per Yahweh's classification to the children of Israel.
Deuteronomy 14:1-21 sheds additional light in this matter. It reads,
14:1
You are the children of Yahweh your God: you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. 14:2For you are a holy people to Yahweh your God, and Yahweh has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the earth. 14:3You shall not eat any abominable thing. 14:4These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, 14:5the hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the gazelle, and the antelope, and the chamois. 14:6Every animal that parts the hoof, and has the hoof cloven in two, and chews the cud, among the animals, that may you eat. 14:7Nevertheless these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of those who have the hoof cloven: the camel, and the hare, and the rabbit; because they chew the cud but don’t part the hoof, they are unclean to you. 14:8The pig, because he doesn’t part the hoof but doesn’t chew the cud, he is unclean to you: of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. 14:9These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales may you eat; 14:10and whatever doesn’t have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean to you. 14:11Of all clean birds you may eat. 14:12But these are they of which you shall not eat: the eagle, and the gier-eagle, and the ospray, 14:13and the red kite, and the falcon, and the kite after its kind, 14:14and every raven after its kind, 14:15and the ostrich, and the night-hawk, and the sea-mew, and the hawk after its kind, 14:16the little owl, and the great owl, and the horned owl, 14:17and the pelican, and the vulture, and the cormorant, 14:18and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat. 14:19All winged creeping things are unclean to you: they shall not be eaten. 14:20Of all clean birds you may eat. 14:21You shall not eat of anything that dies of itself: you may give it to the sojourner who is within your gates, that he may eat it; or you may sell it to a foreigner: for you are a holy people to Yahweh your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.It should be noted that these food laws that Yahweh gave to the children of Israel, in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, are SPECIFIC to the children of Israel and are not applicable to the rest of the children of Noah. Deuteronomy 14:2 shows that the reason why Yahweh gave the children of Israel special laws was because he had chosen them to be a people for his own possession, above all the rest of the children of Noah. In other words, these special laws that Yahweh gave to the children of Israel were applicable only to the children of Israel and not to the rest of the children of Noah. For he had not chosen the rest of the children of Noah in the manner that he had chosen the children of Israel.
In Deuteronomy 14:21 Yahweh again makes DISTINCTION between the children of Israel and the rest of the children of Noah. Whereas he forbade the children of Israel from eating of flesh that had died of itself, he did not impose the same restriction upon the rest of the children of Noah. He instead allowed the children of Israel to dispose of such flesh by giving it to the rest of the children of Noah for food! In other words, even though flesh that had died of itself was not permitted food for the children of Israel, it was indeed permitted food for the rest of the children of Noah. This clearly shows that Yahweh's food laws in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 are specific to the children of Israel and do not apply to the rest of the children of Noah. The children of Noah can continue eating of all flesh, as Yahweh indeed permitted them in the days of Noah immediately after the flood.
Yahweh's Giving Nature Did Not Change
It should therefore be seen that even in this matter Yahweh's nature or attribute of GIVING has not changed. Just as he gave food to Adam and his children, so also did he give food to Noah and his children, and also to the children of Israel. In Adam's time his food gift covered only herbs and fruit yielding trees. In Noah's time his food gift increased to include also all flesh. Among Noah's children he singled out the children of Israel and reduced his food gift to them, for reasons of his special dealings with the children of Israel exclusive from the rest of the children of Noah.
It Is Lawful For An Owner To Do As He Pleases With What Belongs To Him
Matthew 20:1-16 reads,
20:1
"For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 20:2When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 20:3He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. 20:4To them he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way. 20:5Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 20:6About the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’20:7
"They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’"He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’
20:8When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their hire, beginning from the last to the first.’20:9
"When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. 20:10When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius. 20:11When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household, 20:12saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’20:13
"But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius? 20:14Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you. 20:15Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’ 20:16So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen."It should be noted from Yah'shuah's words in 20:15 that it is lawful for an owner to do with what belongs to him in the manner that he pleases or desires. Therefore a master can choose, out of his own pleasure, to give the same wage to people who have worked differently, or he can choose to give more to a person who has worked the same as another.
In like manner Yahweh owns the earth and all that is in it, including human beings. He chose, out of his own pleasure, to confine his food gift to Adam and his children only to herbs and fruit yielding trees. He later chose, out of his own pleasure, to increase his food gift to Noah and his children to include also all flesh. He later chose, out of his own pleasure, to single out the children of Israel and restrict his food gift to them among all flesh that he had already given to Noah and all his children. In all these actions Yahweh acted within his legal right, and it is for us humans, whom he owns, to accept this.
Returning now to Malachi 3 we can note the context in which Malachi 3:6 was spoken. Malachi 3:1-12 reads,
3:1
"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!" says Yahweh of hosts. 3:2"But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap; 3:3and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to Yahweh offerings in righteousness. 3:4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to Yahweh, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years. 3:5I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don’t fear me," says Yahweh of Hosts. 3:6"For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed. 3:7From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says Yahweh of Hosts. "But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 3:8Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings. 3:9You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation. 3:10Bring the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this," says Yahweh of hosts, "if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough for. 3:11I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field," says Yahweh of Hosts. 3:12"All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land," says Yahweh of Hosts.Yahweh's Unchangeable Attributes
Some of Yahweh's unchanging attributes can be seen from these words recorded by Malachi. 3:3 and other portions of the book of Malachi showing that Yahweh is a PURIFIER of human beings, removing sin out of their lives and replacing it with righteousness.
3:5 shows that Yahweh is a JUDGE, judging against those who violate his word, such as sorcerers, adulterers, perjurers, oppressors of hirelings, widows and the fatherless, those who deprive justice to others, and those who do not fear him.
3:7 shows that Yahweh abides with those who abide in his word. And if one has departed from Yahweh's word, the manner Yahweh abides again with such a one is by such a one departing from not abiding in Yahweh's word and returning to Yahweh and his word. In other words, Yahweh is FAITHFUL, fulfilling his word to those who fear him and observe his words.
3:8-12 shows that disobeying Yahweh brings about curses upon the disobedient, but repenting from the disobedience and returning faithfully to Yahweh, observing his word, results in the removing of the curses and the endowment of Yahweh's blessings! In other words, Yahweh BLESSES those obedient to him but allows curses to befall those disobedient to him.
These are some of Yahweh's attributes that do not change. Within these attributes Yahweh manifests them to different degrees to different people and at different times and in different places. Nevertheless, the difference in the degree of manifestation of Yahweh's attributes is not equated with a change in Yahweh's attributes. For while there are variances in the degrees of manifestation of Yahweh's attributes, there is no change in Yahweh - no change in Yahweh's attributes. The way he was in the past is the way he is in the present and is the way he will continue to be in future. Yahweh does not change!
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