God the Immutable

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.

To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee.


In researching for Zgroups on Tuesday (I'm presenting on the immutability of God) I've discovered amazing and fascinating things about our God. Truly - awesome. In almost every reference to his unchanging nature that I've come across (Ps. 102:25-28; Malachi 3:6; Num. 23:19-20; Ps. 33:11-12; Hebrews 6:17-20) God's immutability is tied to the covenants, generally giving assurance of God's faithfulness to his covenants.

What I've found even more amazing is that the references to God changing his plans or "relenting" from a course of action are all couched in covenantal language as well.
Noah
"The Lord was sorry he had made man on the earth": from this comes judgment of the unrighteous, but also a covenant with Noah and his offspring.
Abraham, Isaac and the ram
The Lord tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son, indeed the promise of the covenant. Abraham does not hesitate but shows his faith in offering up even his son. "Abraham must learn that the promise does not depend on Isaac, but on God alone" (Bonhoeffer). God ransoms Isaac and provides the offering himself and then reaffirms his covenant with Abraham and his offspring.
Golden Calf episode
Ex. 32 "The Lord said to Moses, 'I have seen this people and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.'"
Here we have the Lord wanting to destroy the people of Israel, in order to make a great nation of Moses. I'm seeing another covenantal test, like with Abraham.
Moses is faithful, however, and replies, "Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self and said to them 'I will multiply your offspring." "And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people".
Again - disaster and covenant. This time, the Lord chose not to destroy the people - but I think that this is an example of his long-suffering and not him changing his mind. Indeed, the wicked shall be judged. The Lord allows the world time that he might draw his own to him, but this period will end in judgment of the world.
Finally -
Jonah and Ninevah
The people of Ninevah repent of their wickedness and (Jonah 3:10)"when God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it".
This one is quite a bit more difficult, as there is no covenant with Ninevah, but I think a principle from the preceding example: God does eventually destroy Ninevah, that wicked city. His 'relenting' at this time is merely him holding back his wrath in his long-suffering in order that the righteous may be called to himself.