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Does God Regret?
What 1 Samuel 15 Teaches About God’s Heart
By Alex Reznichenko, Lead Pastor of Pillar Church
Introduction
I was reading 1 Samuel 15 one morning during my devotion time, and I came across a verse that made me stop and think:
“I regret that I made Saul king,” the Lord said, “for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” — 1 Samuel 15:11 (NLT)
Immediately, I paused and thought, Wait… God regrets something? That’s a big statement. Does that mean God made a mistake?
However, just a few verses later, we read something that sounds very different:
“He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!” — 1 Samuel 15:29 (NLT)
So how do we make sense of this? Did God mess up? Or is something deeper going on?
Let’s unpack it together.
Does God Regret Like We Do?
At first glance, the word “regret” can throw us off. In our everyday language, it usually means we made a bad decision. However, in the Bible, the original Hebrew word—נָחַם (nacham)—goes much deeper. It can be translated as:
- To grieve
- To feel sorrow
- To experience emotional pain
In other words, this isn’t about God making a mistake. Rather, it’s about God expressing sorrow over Saul’s failure and disobedience.
Yes, God is perfect and sovereign—He never miscalculates. But more importantly, He is personal. He’s emotionally invested in His people. When they reject His ways, it genuinely grieves Him.
Why Did God Make Saul King If He Knew This Would Happen?
This is a good and fair question.
After all, if God knew Saul would fail, why allow it?
The answer lies in how God honors human choice. He gives us real freedom—not so we can fail, but so we can choose obedience and relationship. Saul had potential. He had opportunity. However, he chose pride, fear of people, and disobedience.
So, God didn’t make a mistake. Instead, He grieved the results of Saul’s choices.
This reminds us:
- God doesn’t regret giving us responsibility.
- But He sorrows when we reject that responsibility.
- And yet, He still uses even our failures to lead to something greater.
Other Times God “Regretted” or Grieved
This is not an isolated case. In fact, Scripture includes several other moments when God grieved over human choices:
- Genesis 6:6 – “The Lord regretted that He had made human beings on the earth, and His heart was deeply troubled.”
- Jonah 3:10 – God “relented” from destroying Nineveh when the people repented.
Clearly, God doesn’t regret in the human sense of wishing He had chosen differently. Rather, these moments show us that God is emotionally responsive. He feels deeply. His heart breaks when His creation walks away from Him.
So, while God is unchanging in His character, He is also responsive in relationship.
When Grief Is Personal: A Picture We Can All Feel
Theologically, this may make sense. But practically, what does it look like?
Sometimes it helps to bring theology closer to real life. One of the most relatable pictures of grief is this:
A friend hurt by betrayal
When someone you love walks away or betrays your trust, it doesn’t mean loving them was a mistake. Instead, it shows that your love was real—and so is the pain of watching it be rejected.
It’s not regret like, “I wish I’d never loved them.”
It’s more of a sorrow that the relationship had to end when it could have been something beautiful.
🧭 How This Connects to 1 Samuel 15
This brings us back to Saul.
When God said He regretted making Saul king, He wasn’t saying, “I miscalculated.”
Rather, He was expressing deep sorrow that Saul had walked away from the purpose he was called to.
It’s the grief of a Creator watching His creation misuse its freedom.
It’s the sorrow of a King whose servant has betrayed his mission.
And it’s the heartbreak of a Father whose child has chosen pride over relationship.
God doesn’t regret loving Saul. But He does grieve how Saul rejected that love.
Jesus: The Better King
Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there.
After Saul, God chose David—a man after His own heart. David was far from perfect, but he was willing to repent. His heart remained open to God. David’s life points forward to someone even greater: Jesus.
In contrast to Saul and David, Jesus is the perfect King:
- He always obeyed the Father.
- He led with love and humility.
- He never failed—but took on all our failures at the cross.
“He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins… and by His wounds we are healed.” — Isaiah 53:5 (NLT)
Through Jesus, we receive grace for our regrets and healing for what’s been broken.
So, Does God Regret?
The answer is yes—but not how we often think.
God does not regret like humans do. He doesn’t make mistakes. He doesn’t wish He could undo what He has done.
But He does grieve. He feels sorrow when His people reject Him. He is emotionally present when things fall apart. And He is always moving toward redemption.
If you’re carrying regret, here’s your hope:
God’s grace is bigger than your worst decision.
He may grieve what was lost—but He’s not done with your story.
Looking for a Place to Grow in God’s Word?
At Pillar Church in Commerce City, we don’t pretend to have it all together. We’re building a place where people can grow, ask hard questions, and find hope through God’s Word.
📍 Meeting at: Reunion, Commerce City, Colorado
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