God Never Changes

“He stood and measured the earth; He looked and shook nations, and the everlasting mountains were shattered; the eternal hills bowed down. His ways are everlasting.” (Habakkuk 3:6)

I wondered about the Habakkuk’s prayer when he mentions that the Lord measured the earth. He is revealing God’s sovereignty over the earth and over mankind. Habakkuk’s revelation is recorded in a couple of Scriptures. Scripture tells how the Lord measured out the nations to the sons of Adam and proportioned what was to go to the sons of Jacob (Israel). “When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the sons of Israel. For Jehovah's portion is His people. Jacob is the lot of His inheritance.” (Deuteronomy 32:8-9) And Luke writes in Acts, “And He has made all nations of men of one blood to dwell on all the face of the earth, ordaining fore-appointed seasons and boundaries of their dwelling,” (Acts 17:26)

Habakkuk writes his prayer as if it has already happened when he writes about the mountains shattered and the hills bowed down. This has reference to Mount Sinai when the Lord spoke to Moses. “And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God. And they stood at the lower part of the mountain. And Mount Sinai was smoking, all of it, because Jehovah came down upon it in fire. And the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and became very strong, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice.” (Exodus 19:17-19) Habakkuk describes the mountains as everlasting and the hills as eternal. They have been there since ancient times, but when Jesus comes, they will shake and be leveled. Isaiah prophesied, “Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak lovingly to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is done, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received of Jehovah's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him who cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Jehovah, make straight a highway in the desert for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked places shall be made level, and the rough places smooth; and the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Jehovah has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:1-5)

This verse ends with a description of God’s ways. They are everlasting. They were from the beginning, never changing and will continue forever and ever. He is God who formed the earth and only He can bring down the mountains. He is God and from before He formed the earth, He loved and had mercy on His crowned creation, man. He provided for man from the beginning all that he would need for spirit, soul and body. His mercy and love demonstrated from the beginning to the end of time. “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall become old like a garment; and its inhabitants shall die in the same way. But My salvation shall be forever, and My righteousness shall not be broken.” (Isaiah 51:6) His mercy is everlasting, forever for those who have entered into covenant with Him. “But the mercy of Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness is to sons of sons; to those who keep His covenant, and to those who remember to do His Commandments.” (Psalms 103:17-18) And when man fails, He remembers His covenant and keeps His part. “He has remembered His covenant forever, the Word which He commanded to a thousand generations;” (Psalms 105:8) His Word is truth and what He has established will not change because He is a God that changes not. Malichi prophesied, “For I am Jehovah, I change not. Because of this you sons of Jacob are not destroyed.” (Malachi 3:6) Paul also writes, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) God never changes and He keeps His covenant.