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=> Email to Ray => Topic started by: Craig on October 04, 2009, 01:03:06 PM
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Dear William: I will make a few COMMENTS in your email.............
Subject: Can prayer change God's mind?
How would you interpret this passage?
It seems here that Hezekiah's prayer
changed God's mind on the matter of his time of death
COMMENT: It may "seem" that way to you, but I assure you God did not
"change" His mind, seeing that [1] He always knows the end from the beginning,
and [2] God doesn't "change" (Mal. 3:6, Isa. 46:10, Rom. 4:3 etc.).
During his extended life,
which appeared to not be God's original will,
COMMENT: On what fact are you basing your assumption? Do you know what
God's "original" will was? Was it God's "original will" that Hezekiah die 15 years sooner
than he actually did? So did God "change" His mind and contradict Mal. 3:6? Was God
unable to "declare Hezekiah's true end of life from the beginning? So did God contradict
His declaration in Isa. 46:10)? Was God unable to "call" the correct date of Hezekiah's
death before he died and before He told Hezekiah that He would extend His life? Did
God contradict His statement in Isa. 46:10. Surely not.
Hezekiah fathered one of the most evil kings
to come to Israel's history, Menashe
COMMENT: Your statement has absolutely nothing to do with whether God changes His
mind or not.
Perhaps the Lord will give you what you ask for
even when he clearly states it is not what he planned...
COMMENT: Again, you are presuming something that is not Scriptural. Nowhere does
it say that God didn't intend "from the beginning" to extend Hezekiah's life beyond what
Hezekiah thought would be the end of his life.
After all, cannot God change his will if he wants to?
COMMENT: But He doesn't "want to change" His will. His plans, purpose, intentions,
and will are perfect and never need adjusting or fine-tuning.
Isaiah 38:1-5
In those days
Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death
The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said,
"This is what the LORD says:
Put your house in order,
because you are going to die; you will not recover
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,
Remember, O LORD,
how I have walked before you faithfully
and with wholehearted devotion and have done
what is good in your eyes"
And Hezekiah wept bitterly
Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah:
Go and tell Hezekiah,
'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says:
I have heard your prayer and seen your tears;
I will add fifteen years to your life'
COMMENT: Were in all these statement does it say that God did not
know what He was going to do in Hezekiah's life BEFORE He extended
his life, or BEFORE Hezekiah was even born? It was from Hezekiah's
perspective that his life was extended 15 years. From God's perspective
He always knew exactly how long Hezekiah would live, and when Hezekiah
would die. The Scriptures do not contradict.
God be with you,
Ray