A proper understanding of two OT prayers, one by Hezekiah and one by Moses, helps in determining whether prayer is the means by which God gets His will done on earth or the means by which the believer's will is accomplished in heaven. A chronological arrangement of the three records of Hezekiah's prayer in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, and Isaiah reveals the arrogance of Hezekiah in his plea for God to heal him. Because Hezekiah missed the opportunity to repent of his self-centered attitude, God revealed that his descendants would become slaves in Babylon, but Hezekiah's arrogance kept him from being concerned about his children and grandchildren. His pride further showed itself in his inability to trust God for defense against the Assyrians. God healed Hezekiah, not so much because of his prayer, but because of the promises that God had made to Hezekiah's ancestors about sustaining the Davidic line of kings. Hezekiah's prayer changed Hezekiah, not God. Moses' prayer in Exodus 32 sought a change from God's expressed intention of putting an end to Israel and starting over again with just Moses. This suggestion was not something that the Lord ever intended to occur,- such a course would have voided His expressed purpose for the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 49). God did not change His mind regarding His plan for the twelve tribes; He rather altered His timing in order to keep His promises to them. What He did in response to Moses' prayer cannot be taken as normative action. His "change of mind" was a tool to elicit a change of response in Moses. Moses' prayer changed Moses, not God.

          Two very different views of prayer pervade the church today. The first view teaches that prayer is one of the means by which God gets His will done on earth: "Effective prayer is, as John said, asking in God's will (John 15:7). Prayer is not a means by which we get our will done in heaven. Rather, it is a means by which

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God gets his will done on earth.¹
          The second view proclaims that prayer is one of the instruments by which the believer's will is accomplished in heaven. This view holds that prayer can change God:

Prayer affects God more powerfully than His own purposes. God's will, words and purposes are all subject to review when the mighty potencies of prayer come in. How mighty prayer is with God may be seen as he readily sets aside His own fixed and declared purposes in answer to prayer.²

Open theists present the prayer of Hezekiah as an example of prayer changing God's mind.⁵ Error in open theists' approach to this prayer is partially due to their failure to examine all three records of Hezekiah's prayer (2 Kgs 20: 1 -1 1; 2 Chr 32:24; Isa 38:1-8) in their respective contexts.

Hezekiah's Arrogance

King Hezekiah repeatedly manifested an arrogant mindset. What was admirable about Hezekiah was that, in spite of that arrogance and egotism, he was

¹Norman L. Geisler, Creating God in the Image of Man? (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1997) 86.

²E. M. Bounds, The Reality of Prayer (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980) 41.

³Gregory A. Boyd, God of the Possible: A Biblical Introduction to the Open View of God (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000) 58: "God sometimes expresses uncertainty about it" (the future)—based on passages like Gen 22:12. ". . . [S]ometimes God tells us that things turn out differently than he expected" (59) —based on passages like Isa 5:2-4. "Scripture teaches us that God literally finds out how people will choose when they choose" (65)—based on passages like I Sam 15:1 1. "God is also perfectly certain about a good deal of what is actually going to take place in the future" (150). Clark H. Pinnock, "Systematic Theology," in The Openness of God: A Biblical Challenge to the Traditional Understanding of God (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1994) 122: "In saying 'perhaps,' God also indicates that he does not possess complete knowledge of the future'—based on passages like Jer 26:3.

⁴John Sanders, The God Who Risks: A Theology of Providence (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1998) 205.

⁵See Boyd, God of the Possible 82; Sanders, The God Who Risks 70-71, 271.

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yet sensitive to the leading of God through the words of the prophet Isaiah. The king allowed himself to be rebuked, would demonstrate a sincere change of mind, and turn to God in faith. Close scrutiny of the order of events in Hezekiah's fourteenth year reveal the king's arrogance as well as his moments of faithfulness.
          Old Testament scholars recognize that the biblical records of Hezekiah's reign are not in chronological order.⁶ Prior to his illness, Hezekiah had already been on the throne for 14 years of his 29-year reign (2 Kgs 18:2, 13).⁷ At the time God granted him healing and an extended life, He also promised to deliver both Hezekiah and Jerusalem from the Assyrians (2 Kgs 20:5-6; Isa 38:6). Clearly, therefore, that deliverance had not occurred prior to Hezekiah's healing. When Merodach-baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with a letter and a gift for the restored Hezekiah (Isa 39: 1), the proud king showed them his stored treasures (39:2- 4). Thus, the stripping of Jerusalem to pay tribute to Sennacherib had to have taken place subsequent to that event. Careful reconstruction of the events of Hezekiah's fourteenth year as king reveals that it was a very busy year:

1. Sennacherib invaded Judah (2 Kgs 18:13; 2 Chr 32: 1; Isa 36: 1).
   
2. Hezekiah became mortally ill (2 Kgs 20: 1; 2 Chr 3 2:24; Isa 3 8:1-3).
   
3. Hezekiah was healed and granted an additional 15 years of life (2 Kgs 20:5-6; Isa 38:4-22).
   
4. Merodach-baladan's envoys bring Hezekiah a letter and gift because Babylon had heard of the Judean king's illness (2 Kgs 20:12; Isa 39: 1).
5. Hezekiah showed off his wealth to the Babylonian envoys (2 Kgs 20:13-15; Isa 39:2).
6. Isaiah informed the king that one day his own descendants would serve in the palace of Babylon's king (2 Kgs 20:16-19; Isa 39:3-8).
7. Hezekiah constructed the Siloam water tunnel, strengthened the walls of Jerusalem, and prepared weapons to defend the city (2 Chr 32:2-8). Sennacherib, sensing Hezekiah's fear and weakness, sent his officers to demand the unconditional surrender of Jerusalem (2 Kgs 18:17-19:7; 2 Chr 32:9- 19; Isa 36:2-37:7).
8. The Assyrian officers left Jerusalem and rejoined Sennacherib at Lachish (2 Kgs 19:8; Isa 37:8).
9. Rumor of the Ethiopian king's intent to attack Sennacherib resulted in renewed pressure upon Hezekiah to surrender (2 Kgs 19:9-13; Isa 37:9-13).
10. In what the writer of 2 Kings and Isaiah both present as a significant act of faith,

⁶John C. Whitcomb, Jr., Solomon to the Exile: Studies in Kings and Chronicles (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1971) 125.

⁷Cf T. R. Hobbs, 2 Kings, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 13 (Waco, Tex.: Word, 1985) 288-89.

⁸Whether this was just a weakening of his resolve to resist Sennacherib or a ploy to buy time for further strengthening of Jerusalem's fortifications, it is evidence that Hezekiah was depending upon his own actions rather than upon the living God's protection.

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Hezekiah took the letter demanding surrender into the Temple and prayed for deliverance (2 Kgs 19:14-34; 2 Chr 32:20; Isa 37:14-20).

13. Isaiah prophesied about the Assyrian king's removal from Jerusalem (2 Kgs 19:20- 34; Isa 37:21-35).
14. Assyrian troops surrounded Jerusalem; 185,000 were slain by divine intervention; and Sennacherib returned to Nineveh (2 Kgs 19:35-36; 2 Chr 32:21-22; Isa 37:36-37).
15. 5. The people bestowed such an abundance of gifts on Hezekiah that even the nations around Israel began to exalt him (2 Chr 32:23).

⁹Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from the New American Standard Bible (I 977).

¹⁰Cf. Hobbs, 2 Kings 290.

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he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem" (2 Chr 32:25).
          God gave Hezekiah the opportunity to show that his mortal illness and divine healing had changed his attitude (2 Chr 32:3 1). Finding no such change, God sent Isaiah to prophesy that Hezekiah's descendants would become slaves in Babylon. But all that the king could think about was that he would be spared such an indignity. He showed no concern for his children or grandchildren (2 Kgs 20:19; Isa 39:8).

Hezekiah was one of the most truly human of the kings, and his portrait here accords with what is recorded elsewhere. He was a man whose heart was genuinely moved towards the Lord but whose will was fickle under the pressures and temptations of life. Like the David who was his ancestor, and unlike the greater David who was his descendant, his first thoughts were for himself On hearing of his imminent death his only cry amounted to 'I do not want to die' (38:2-3), and on hearing of a dark future for his sons his private thought was 'There will be peace . . . in my lifetime' (39:8).¹¹

¹¹J. Alec Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction &Commentary (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1993) 290.

¹²Hobbs, 2 Kings 295.

¹³Motyer, The Prophecy of Isaiah 29 1.

¹⁴Whitcomb, Solomon to the Exile 126.

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Jerusalem, amassing armaments, and seeking advantageous political alliances.

Hezekiah's Ancestry
          Why did God heal Hezekiah? One possible reason would be that Manasseh, who began his reign at the age of 12 when his father died (2 Kgs 20:21-2 1: 1), might not have been born yet. However, that has been disputed. The Israelite system of co-regencies makes it possible that

Manasseh . . . was probably a co-regent with his father—perhaps for 10 years—since his 55-year reign is difficult to fit into the history without such a co-regency. Hezekiah appears to have failed to provide Manasseh with sufficient reason to be a godly king. However, he may have played a part in Manasseh's later repentance (2 Chr 3 3:12-13).¹⁵

As Young notes, if it is correct that Hezekiah had no heir at this time (see on 38:3), then the opportunity to declare God's faithfulness to his children through the added years of life would have been a special blessing. Given Manasseh's apostasy, one can only wonder whether Hezekiah then missed the opportunity when it was given him.¹⁶

¹⁵Ibid., 127.

¹⁶John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 1-39, New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986) 689. Herbert Lockyer concurs: "His prayer was heard and his tears seen. God added fifteen years to Hezekiah's life, during which time a son was born to him, Manasseh, who became an abomination unto the Lord. It might have been better for Hezekiah had he died when the divine announcement reached him. There are occasions when God grants our request, but with it comes leanness of soul" (All the Prayers of the Bible [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1959] 80). Cf., however, "Nor did God punish Hezekiah by giving him the full measure of his 'wrongful prayer' as some have suggested. Indeed selfish, misdirected prayer (James 4:3) and petitions that are contrary to God's will are not granted (cf. Deut 3:23-26; 2 Cor 12:8 with 2 Chr 7:14; John 15:7)" (Richard D. Patterson and Hermann J. Austel, "I, 2 Kings," in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, ed. by Frank E. Gaebelein [Grand Rapids: Regency/Zondervan, 1988] 4:274).

¹⁷Hobbs, 2 Kings 282.

18 Hobbs proposes that the reference to David as Hezekiah's "father" is followed by the promise to add to Hezekiah's days (2 Kgs 20:6) because the "only commandment with a promise attached grants length of days for honoring parents."¹⁹
          In other words, the answer to Hezekiah's prayer had more to do with the welfare of the nation and with sustaining the Davidic line than with the prayer of Hezekiah. "It is a sobering thought that when God answers one's prayer, He can also be considering others in the larger picture, not just him."²⁰ Oswalt seconds this concept: "Hezekiah's recovery is not merely because God has changed his mind but because of his willingness to keep faith with those to whom he has committed himself in the past (Dent. 4:37, 38)."²¹

Did Hezekiah's Prayer Change God's Mind?
          God did not change His mind because of Hezekiah's prayer. Nowhere in the text of 2 Kings 20, 2 Chronicles 32, or Isaiah 38 is the claim made that God changed His mind. Absence of such a statement in Scripture does not, however, prevent open theists from making that claim. Their claim flies in the face of all that the Scripture has to say regarding God's relationship to the Davidic line.

1 Sam 15:29 affirms that Yahweh's choice of David and his dynasty is irrevocable, unlike his choice of Saul. Nathan's statement to David in 2 Sam 7:15 concurs. 1 Sam 24:21; 2 Sam 3:9-10; 7:12, 16; Pss 89:4-5, 36-37; 132:11 all connect Yahweh's irretractable oath to his promise to David and his descendants. Thus, I Sam 15:11, 29, and 35 all come from the same Davidic circle, which advocated that whereas Yahweh repented over his choice of Saul, he would never repent of his choice of David and his dynasty.²²

¹⁸Ibid., 287.

¹⁹Ibid.
James E. Rosscup, unpublished manuscript on prayer, 36.

²¹Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah 677.

²²John T. Willis, "The 'Repentance' of God in the Books of Samuel, Jeremiah, and Jonah," Horizons in Biblical Theology 16/2 (December 1994):173, referring to the reasoning of Joachim Jeremias, Die Reue Gottes: Aspekle alttestamentlicher Gottesvorstellung, Biblische Studien 65 (Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Veriag, 1975) 34-36.

²³Bruce A. Ware, God's Lesser Glory: The Diminished God of Open Theism (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 2000) 97.

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focus is not really Hezekiah. "I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David's sake" (Isa 37:35) does not include "for your sake."²⁴
          God will never contradict what He has said or promised elsewhere. He knew what He had promised in the Davidic covenant and would not violate it. Divine provision and care for the nation and for the Davidic dynasty superseded any immediate death sentence on Hezekiah, no matter how much it might have been justified. The illness was designed, not to kill Hezekiah, but to humble him. Its purpose was to teach the arrogant king that he was insignificant in God's overall plan. Likewise, there was no change in anything that the Lord had planned with regard to the length of Hezekiah's life (cf. Ps 139:16"). As far as Hezekiah's limited grasp of reality was concerned, God had added the 15 years at the time of his prayer. The Lord spoke of them from Hezekiah's Standpoint.²⁶
          A reprieve had been granted to Hezekiah. However, that reprieve was primarily for Jerusalem's benefit, not his. As a matter of fact, the reprieve was "only a temporary one. And it is conditional. The life of a man or of a city is solely in the hand of God."²⁷
          Interestingly, God's specific declaration that Hezekiah's life would be extended 15 years is, in itself, inconsistent with Open Theism.

God granted to Hezekiah fifteen years of extended life-not two, not twenty, and certainly not "we'll both see how long you live," but fifteen years exactly. Does it not seem a bit odd that this favorite text of open theists, which purportedly demonstrates that God does not know the future and so changes his mind when Hezekiah prays, also shows that God knows precisely and exactly how much longer Hezekiah will live? On openness grounds, how could God know this? Over a fifteen-year time span, the contingencies are staggering !²⁸

          Exodus 32 is another passage contested by the two views of prayer introduced at the beginning of this essay. Open theists parade it as evidence that prayer changes God's mind.²⁹ The chapter describes the role of Moses' prayer in

²⁴Isa 38:6's parallel in 2 Kgs 20:6 adds a nearly identical statement: "I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David's sake."

²⁵Boyd tortures the text in order to gain support for his opinion that the length of one's life may be altered (God of the Possible 40-42).

²⁶Rosscup, Manuscript on prayer, 36.

²⁷Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah 673. Oswalt introduced this declaration with an astute observation regarding the theme of Isa 38: "the major thrust of the chapter, including the psalm (vv. 9-20), is upon the mortality of the flesh."

²⁸'Ware, God's Lesser Glory 95.

²⁹Richard Rice, "Biblical Support for a New Perspective," in The Openness of God: A Biblical Challenge to the Traditional Understanding of God (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1994) 27-29.

The openness of God: Does Prayer Change God?       157

God's dealing with Israel's rebellious and idolatrous worship of the golden calf at Sinai.

          That idolatry aroused God's anger. As a result, He spoke of putting an end to the nation and starting over again with just Moses (Exod 32: 10). Did the Lord make a legitimate offer to Moses? Is it possible that God had only made an announcement, not a decree, therefore He was free to change His mind about its implementation?³⁰ Could the Lord nullify the prophecies concerning the individual tribes of Israel (cf Genesis 49) or the prior promises to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3) in order to produce a new nation from Moses? Did Moses' prayer permanently remove the sentence of death from the nation?
          Unlike the biblical accounts concerning Hezekiah's prayer, Exodus 32 specifies that "the LORD changed His mind" (v. 14). What is involved in God changing His mind or relenting? Is it the retraction of declared punishment in an act of forgiveness? Parunak³¹ offers parallelism, idiom, and context as indicators for determining the meaning of [Hebrew script] (nhm, "He changed His mind"). Are these sufficient for determining the meaning in this text? Since a postponement of inevitable judgment would allow time for the rise of a new generation of Israelites to replace the one to be destroyed, was the change of mind a matter of expediency?
          Who was changed? God or Moses? How does prayer relate to the petitioner's will and God's will? Is prayer a means of training leadership and/or testing leadership? Is prayer the means of human participation in God's programs If so, what kind of participation? Does anthropomorphic interpretation apply well to the concept of God changing His mind or regretting His actions?³² In such matters, is there anything to Graham Cole's comment that "it may not be so much a matter of God being anthropopathic (human like) but of our being theopathic (God like) as bearers of the divine image"?³³
          In this examination of Exodus 32 the text itself is enlisted as the primary witness. Therefore, the study will be organized according to the order of the text. Donald Gowan makes the important observation that the Book of Exodus "reaches its theological conclusion with chapters 32-34, for they explain how it can be that

³⁰Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., "Does God 'Change His Mind'?," BSac 152/609 (October 1995):396.

³¹H. Van Dyke Parunak, "A Semantic Survey of NHM," Biblica 56/4 (1975):512-32.

³²"The Scriptures, however, which come to us as a revelation from God, often bear an anthropomorphic character. All our speaking of God must, in fact, be anthropomorphic. We need not, on that account, devaluate Scripture's ascription of longsuffering to God. To do so consistently would be to rob Scripture of much of its own vocabulary" (G. C. Berkouwer, The Providence of God, Studies in Dogmatics [reprint of 1983 ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983] 73-74). Berkouwer is discussing the forbearance of God in the days of Noah when God patiently held back judgment for a time while the call to repentance was given. This same discussion of anthropomorphism could be equally applied to concepts of God "regretting" or "repenting" of his actions.

³³Graham A. Cole, "The Living God: Anthropomorphic or Antbropopathic?" The Reformed Theological Review 59/1 (April 2600):24.

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the covenant relationship continues in spite of perennial sinfulness."³⁴ Thus the context itself emphasizes the Lord's faithfulness in spite of Israel's unfaithfulness.

Israel's Disobedience and Idolatry (32:1-6)
          While Moses was on Mt. Sinai, the Israelites and Aaron made a golden calf idol for themselves and attributed to it their deliverance out of Egypt. The people had deliberately committed the sin of idolatry; therefore they deserved to die (cf. Deut 7:4; 8:19; 29:17-20; 32:15-25). By his later actions, Moses demonstrated that he recognized the justice of the death sentence for his people because of their wickedness (Exod 32:27-29).³⁵ When he had seen for himself what the Lord had already seen, Moses' actions mirrored those of God: anger, determination to remove the idolatry, and ordering the execution of the idolaters.

The Divine Declaration of Judgment (32:7-10)
          "Go down at once, for your people ... have corrupted themselves" (32:7). When the Lord revealed the crisis to Moses, He changed the possessive pronoun to indicate "that he was disowning Israel (contrast 'my people' of 3: 1 0 et al.)."³⁶ Then He proceeded to offer Moses the opportunity to start over with a different people who might not be so stubbornly disobedient. Gowan claims that the offer to Moses reveals the "vulnerability" of God.³⁷ He quickly adds,

Having said that, I must immediately emphasize that in this passage God's vulnerability is set alongside strong statements concerning his sovereignty. . . . Yet this sovereign God, who is fully in charge. . . . is also represented as a God who will change his plans as a result of human intervention, and more than that; he indicates that he has subjected himself to some extent to the will of Moses.³⁸

³⁴Donald E. Gowan, Theology in Exodus: Biblical Theology in the Form of a Commentary (Louisville, Ky.: Westminster/John Knox, 1994) 218.

³⁵Identifying the idol and dealing with questions of polytheism and syncretism will not be handled in this study.

³⁶Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., "Exodus," in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, ed. by Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids: Regcncy/Zondervan, 1990) 2:478.

³⁷Gowan, Theology in Exodus 222.

³⁸Ibid.

³⁹Kaiser, "Exodus," in Expositor's Bible Commentary 2:479.

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and others claim that "it is actually God's invitation to Moses to intercede."⁴⁰ To claim that God is "unwilling to act without Moses' 'permission'⁴¹ seems to be making too little of God in the situation. Fretheirn argues that

For such a word to make sense, one must assume that, while God has decided to execute wrath (see v. 14), the decision has not reached an irretrievable point; the will of God is not set on the matter. Moses could conceivably contribute something to the divine deliberation that might occasion a future for Israel other than wrath. In fact, God seems to anticipate that Moses would resist what is being said . . . . God thereby does leave the door of Israel's future open.⁴²

⁴⁰Gowan, Theology in Exodus 223. Brevard S. Childs, The Book of Exodus: A Critical, Theological Commentary, Old Testament Library (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1974) 567: "The effect is that God himself leaves the door open for intercession. He allows himself to be persuaded. That is what a mediator is for! As B. Jacob correctly observes, God could have shut the door—indeed slammed it—as he did in Deut. 3.26 when Moses requested permission to enter the promised land. Moreover, the personal promise to Moses to make him into a great nation picked up the identical words of the prior promise to Abraham (Gen. 12.2), giving Moses his strongest argument by which to counter the threat."

⁴¹Ibid.

⁴²Terence E. Fretheim, Exodus, Interpretation (Louisville, Ky.: John Knox, 1991) 283-84.

⁴³R. W. L. Moberly, At the Mountain of God: Story and Theology in Exodus 32-34, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series, 22 (Sheffield, England: JSOT Press, 1983) 50.

⁴⁴Ibid., 51.

⁴⁵Fretheim, Exodus 284.

⁴⁶Gowan, Theology in Exodus 224-25.

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intrusion in the Scriptures. It is more logical and consistent to understand the divine offer as a test intended to prepare Moses for the remaining 39 years of leading Israel in the wilderness.
          The position taken by Robert Chisholm is that God had only made an announcement, not a decree, therefore He was free to change His mind about its implementation.⁴⁷ His position, however, has several problems. First, grammatically the distinction between decree and announcement is not sufficiently diverse. Imperative + jussive + cohortative is not exegetically distinct from waw + imperative + waw + cohortative.⁴⁸ Second, contextually it does not take into account the direct ties to the Abrahamic Covenant (Exod 32:10 [cf Gen 12:2] and Exod 32:13) and the final declaration of unretracted judgment (32:34, 35). Exodus 32 shares elements in common with Elijah's judgment speech against Ahab in 1 Kings 21:20-24—it would still come to pass because "it was a divine decree that could not be altered.⁴⁹
          Third, theologically it does not make sense that Moses could "persuade Him to change His mind."⁵⁰ O Chisholm's ultimate conclusion is not consistent with the contents of the passage as a whole: "In every case where such a change is envisioned or reported, God had not yet decreed a course of action or an outcome. Instead He chose to wait patiently, hoping His warnings might bring people to their senses and make judgment unnecessary."⁵¹ The Lord had decreed what He would do in the first half (up to the athnach in the Hebrew) of 32:10. The last half of the verse is obviously inconsistent with what He had decreed concerning the twelve tribes of Israel in Genesis 49. Perhaps it would be best to keep in mind Chisholm's final word (his last sentence): "At the same time such passages should not be overextended. God can and often does decree a course of action."⁵²
          Was there anything conditional about God's declaration? No new condition was given, but God had repeatedly declared His principles of justice and compassion (cf. Gen 18:19, 25; Exod 33:19; 34:6-7).

Moses' Prayer and Its Answer (32:11-14)
          The petition of Moses was heard by God and He "changed His mind" (32:14). What does that phrase mean? It is the Hebrew verb [Hebrew script] (nhm). Unfortunately, the entry on nbm in NIDOTTE⁵³ is woefully inadequate and overly brief in

⁴⁷ Chisholm, "Does God 'Change His Mind'?," BSac 396.

⁴⁸Ibid., 390,396.

⁴⁹Ibid., 391.

⁵⁰lbid., 396.

⁵¹Ibid., 399 [emphasis added].

⁵²Ibid.

⁵³Mike Butterworth, "[Hebrew script]" in New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, 5 vols., ed. by Willem A. VanGemeren (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997) 3:81-83.

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its discussion, offering virtually no help at all for someone struggling with its utilization in passages like Exodus 32:14. The entry in TLOT⁵⁴ is a little more extensive in its discussion and of more help. Note especially Stoebe's observation that nhm in the Niphal "is never sorrowful resignation but always has concrete consequences. Consequently, 'and he regrets the evil' can elaborate 'he is gracious and merciful' (Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; ... )."⁵⁵ Fortunately, the entry in TD0T⁵⁶ is substantial.⁵⁷ Simian-Yofre concludes, "The nhm of Yahweh is thus presented as a response to Moses' appeasement. Yahweh's repentance is a change of purpose incidental to the circumstances, not a modification of the circumstances."⁵⁸ Although he did not directly apply it to Exodus 32, one of Simian-Yofre's observations is pertinent to our current discussion: "The only element common to all meanings of nhm appears to be the attempt to influence a situation: by changing the course of events, rejecting an obligation, or refraining from an action, when the focus is on the present."⁵⁹ In Exodus 32 God is obviously refraining from an action—indeed, He is temporarily postponing the inevitable judgment. That postponement is not a change in His purpose-it was a planned postponement in order to allow time for the rise of a new generation of Israelites to replace the generation He will destroy in the wilderness. God's action was a temporary delay of punishment in order to allow for a replacement generation to arise.

The reprieve is only temporary, because the people are still in open rebellion and obviously Yahweh will not tolerate apostasy and idolatry . . . . Unless there is a radical change on the part of the people, the grace period will elapse and the judgment will be reinstituted . . . . intercession can only produce a temporary reversal; the basic situation must be rectified.⁶⁰

⁵⁴H. J.Stoebe, "[Hebrew script]." in Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament, 3 vols., ed. by Emst Jenni and Claus Westertnann, trans. by Mark E. Biddle (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1997) 2:734-39.

⁵⁵Ibid., 2:738.

⁵⁶H. Simian-Yofre and H.-J. Fabry, "[Hebrew script]," in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, ed. by G. Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren, and Heinz-Josef Fabry, trans. by David E. Green (Grand Rapids/Cambridge, U.K.: Eerdmans, 1998) 9:340-55.

⁵⁷However, the contribution to the study of Exodus 32 is marred by Simian-Yofre's adherence to the documentarian views of Martin Noth: "Ex. 32:9-14 is an addition in Deuteronomistic style that inappropriately anticipates the question of Israel's punishment" (ibid., 9:345 [emphasis added]).

⁵⁸Ibid.

⁵⁹Ibid., 9:342.

⁶⁰Francis 1. Andersen and David Noel Freedman, Amos: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, The Anchor Bible (New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1989) 648. Cf also "Excursus: When God Repents" (638-79).

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Furthermore, God did not change His mind regarding His plan for the twelve tribes of Israel. He merely altered His timing in order to keep His promises to the tribes in Genesis 49 as well as His promise of judgment on the entire nation. In the light of this conclusion, it is significant that six of the thirty times the Old Testament speaks of God repenting or changing His mind emphasize that He does not repent or change His mind (Num 23:19; 1 Sam 15:29; Jer 4:28; 20:16; Ezek 24:14; Zech 8:14).⁶¹ God will never do that which would contradict His previously revealed declarations.
          At no time did Moses attempt to justify the idolatry of the Israelites. "He realizes that they committed a great sin, and that strict justice requires them to be severely punished, but he appeals to the Divine attribute of mercy, and relies on the Lord's paternal love for his people."⁶² To explain how Moses' prayer could actually change God's mind, adherents of open theism appeal to "the fellowship model" in which "God is genuinely responsive to us . . . . God changed his mind to accommodate Moses' desires."⁶³ A milder, but nonetheless equally anthropocentric approach explains that

God is always ready to be entreated. He is unchanging in his intention to bless his creatures and is willing to change his word if people turn to him in intensity of faith (Jon. 4:2). This does not mean that matters will always turn out as we wish. But it does mean that prayer can change the course of events, and that failure to pray is not necessarily a sign of submission to God's intractable will. Rather, it may be a sign of apathy and unwillingness to wrestle with God (note Jacob's refusal to let go of the man with whom he wrestled, Gen. 32:26).⁶⁴

⁶¹'Gowan, Theology in Exodus 225-26.

⁶²U. Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Exodus, trans. by Israel Abrahams (reprint of 1967 English ed.; Jerusalem: Magnes, 1997) 415.

Sanders, The God Who Risks 271.

⁶⁴Oswalt, The Book Of Isaiah 675.

⁶⁵Gowan, Theology in Exodus 226.

⁶⁶Ware, God's Lesser Glory 97.

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would keep faith with those to whom he had committed himself in the past (cf. Deut 4:37, 38). As John Sailhamer declares, "When the Lord did act mercifully with them as a result of Moses' intercession (v. 14), the basis of his actions was not any merit of Aaron or the people, but rather his own oath sworn to the patriarchs (vv. 12-13)."⁶⁷
           Fretheim's conclusions are a classic example of the explanation offered by open theists:

The God of Israel is revealed as one who is open to change. God will move from decisions made, from courses charted, in view of the ongoing interaction with those affected. God treats the relationship with the people with an integrity that is responsive to what they do and say. Hence human prayer (in this case, intercession) is honored by God as a contribution to a conversation that has the capacity to change future directions for God, people, and world. God may well adjust modes and directions (though not ultimate goals) in view of such human responsiveness. This means that there is genuine openness to the future on God's part, fundamentally in order that God's salvific will for all might be realized as fully as possible. It is this openness to change that reveals what it is about God that is unchangeable: God's steadfastness has to do with God's love; God's faithfulness has to do with God's promises; God's will is for the salvation of all. God will always act, even make changes, in order to be true to these unchangeable ways and to accomplish these unchangeable goals.⁶⁸

⁶⁷John H. Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992) 31 1.

⁶⁸Fretheim, Exodus, 287.

⁶⁹Andersen and Freedman, Amos 644.

⁷⁰1bid., 645.

⁷¹Ibid., 649.

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is based upon three observations. First, parallelism with [Hebrew script] (sûb) (another expression meaning forgiveness) in Exod 32:12 might support such a conclusion. Second, the Hebrew phraseology (the use of i>nhm in association with [Hebrew script] ['l] followed by a term referring to the proposed judgment—note Exod 32:12, 14) is capable of bearing such a meaning. Third, context can be an indicator for this meaning of nhm in cases where there is "a contextual reference to punishment, and usually to its withdrawal on condition of a change in the sinner."⁷² However, these factors together do not trump the overall force of the passage and its context as a whole.⁷³

Moses' Actions and Their Results (32:15-29)
          Although Moses prayed for mercy while he was still on the mountain, when he descended and beheld what had occurred, his actions were swift and bloody (32:27-29). It was as though he changed his mind and began to agree with the Lord's assessment of the seriousness of Israel's sinful rebellion. In a parallel passage (Dent 9:7-2 1) Moses gave a few additional details about the incident that occurred at Sinai. His reference to the events was to support his sermonic declaration that the Israelites were not chosen by the Lord because of any righteousness they possessed (Dent 9:4-6). He had not only led the slaying of about three thousand (Exod 32:28), he had also spent another forty days and nights in prayer (Dent 9:18).

Moses' Intercession and God's Response (32:30-35)
          God revealed that even Moses' prayer could not remove the irrevocable sentence of death that the people had incurred (Exod 32:34-35). Had God really determined to destroy the Israelites? Was His statement to Moses an unalterable decree or a mere threat? It was obviously a decree (cf. Ps 95:8-1 1). The punishment was inevitable, even if it were temporarily delayed (Exod 32:34-35). It was delayed, not because of Moses' prayer nor because of any righteous action or confession by the Israelites, but because of the sworn promise the Lord had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Dent 9:5).

Moses' action bought time only, time to remedy the situation, because a holy God cannot dwell in the midst of an idolatrous people, and unless the idolatry and the apostasy are eliminated the great experiment will end at its birth . . . . Moses achieved a more permanent rescission of the judgment. The temporary suspension of judgment was confirmed, and with some reservations Yahweh agreed to keep his people and lead them

⁷²Parunak, "A Semantic Survey of NUM," Biblica 524.

⁷³Cf. Childs, The Book of Exodus 568: "The writer brings this scene to a close by an explicit reference to its effect on God. Yahweh changes his mind regarding his intention to destroy Israel. If this sentence is read by itself, it makes the God of Israel as arbitrary as Zeus. If it is read in its full context, it epitomizes the essential paradox of the Hebrew faith: God is 'merciful and gracious . . . but will not clear the guilty' (34.7)."

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to the holy land.⁷⁴

Only in the last verse of the chapter do we see God himself acting in that judgment. The reason for this focus on Moses' role in judgment rather than God's is apparently the writer's desire to stress God's gracious response to Israel's sin. The central theme of the subsequent narrative (Ex 33) is God's great mercy and compassion (33:19). God's dealings with Israel henceforth emphasize his goodness and compassion. What the present narrative shows, however, is that God's gracious dealings with his people are not accomplished in the absence of a clear acknowledgment of his wrath.⁷⁷

Concluding Thoughts

          Why prayer? Because it lifts man from being an observer in God's arena to being a participant. He does not idly watch God's will being done in history; he earnestly seeks it. He asks for each need and praises for each victory. In prayer we see God near His humblest point: He allows men to do what He could do so easily. In prayer we see men at their highest pinnacle: bringing fire from heaven, raising the dead, feeding the hungry, winning lost souls, and learning to fellowship with their Maker. In God's goal of discipline men, nothing is more effective than prayer.
          Our argument for prayer is that prayer changes me. How so? (1). It leads us to earnestly desire what He desires; my will becomes merged with His. (2). We become