“I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed." (Malachi 3:6 NIV)
God does not change.
This is a very good thing. His changelessness reflects Him as our Rock, our Fortress, our Foundation.
It also reflects His perfection: God does not need to change. This is in contrast to say, me, who very much needs to change. There will always be something about me that needs to become more like Jesus, and that requires change. So God, mercifully, changes me, for my good and His glory. This continues a long history of His affecting change for the good of His children and for His own reputation. I'm not sure any pair of examples in all of God's Word better shows the Unchanging bringing about good and glorious change than Daniel 6:17 and Matthew 27:62-65.
"A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed" (Daniel 6:17).
It also reflects His perfection: God does not need to change. This is in contrast to say, me, who very much needs to change. There will always be something about me that needs to become more like Jesus, and that requires change. So God, mercifully, changes me, for my good and His glory. This continues a long history of His affecting change for the good of His children and for His own reputation. I'm not sure any pair of examples in all of God's Word better shows the Unchanging bringing about good and glorious change than Daniel 6:17 and Matthew 27:62-65.
"A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed" (Daniel 6:17).
"The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 'Sir,' they said, 'we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.' 'Take a guard,' Pilate answered. 'Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.' So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard" (Matthew 27:62-65).
I mean, seriously: doesn't the connectedness and parallelism of God's story just FLOOR you? Look at the example from Daniel: a stone was put over the mouth of what was supposed to be a tomb and given an official seal "so that" a "situation might not be changed."
Centuries later, another stone was put over the mouth of what was supposed to be a tomb and given an official seal so that another situation might not be changed.
Oh, but God. The Unchanging changed Daniels' situation. He changed ours. He's still changing it.
Is there a sealed stone in your life right now that's been rolled in so that some "situation might not be changed"? Maybe you feel like you're in a tomb behind that stone. Maybe you feel as though you can easily insert your name into Daniel's predicament: "a stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring...so that __________'s situation might not be changed."
Oh, but God. The Unchanging is the Changer of situations. And when He changes ours, the declaration of a king who witnessed His goodness and glory firsthand is ours, too: "He is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves" (Daniel 6:26,27).
I mean, seriously: doesn't the connectedness and parallelism of God's story just FLOOR you? Look at the example from Daniel: a stone was put over the mouth of what was supposed to be a tomb and given an official seal "so that" a "situation might not be changed."
Centuries later, another stone was put over the mouth of what was supposed to be a tomb and given an official seal so that another situation might not be changed.
Oh, but God. The Unchanging changed Daniels' situation. He changed ours. He's still changing it.
Is there a sealed stone in your life right now that's been rolled in so that some "situation might not be changed"? Maybe you feel like you're in a tomb behind that stone. Maybe you feel as though you can easily insert your name into Daniel's predicament: "a stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring...so that __________'s situation might not be changed."
Oh, but God. The Unchanging is the Changer of situations. And when He changes ours, the declaration of a king who witnessed His goodness and glory firsthand is ours, too: "He is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves" (Daniel 6:26,27).
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!