Justice Delayed Means God’s Longsuffering Extended
Injustice—whether among our indigenous people or in Yemen, Russia or Myanmar—may move us to cry, “Why doesn’t God do something?” In a recent
incident, hundreds of schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria. Hundreds of those kidnapped in previous years have still not been found. Why doesn’t God stop this evil?
On a personal level we pray over years for the salvation of loved ones and the heavens seem brass. Why? We pray for revival and instead complacency spreads. Why?
Part of the answer to our perplexity is that God’s expects us to step up and act, to witness to our loved ones. Perhaps we should write letters urging politicians to act. But sometimes there is nothing we can do but continue to pray.
Strange as it may seem, God’s apparent delay in acting is due to his goodness as expressed in his longsuffering. God’s delay in pouring judgment on evil is not because he can’t but because he longs for people to repent and be saved.
In the Old Testament we read repeatedly of God’s patience with rebellious Israel. Even after being delivered from Egyptian slavery through mighty miracles, the nation complained in the desert. The book of Judges recounts seven spirals of descent into idolatry and oppression by cruel nations followed by Israel’s appeal for God’s deliverance. Each time God sent a deliverer, but shortly thereafter the nation again degenerated.
The book of Jonah describes God’s directive that the prophet Jonah go to Nineveh and call them to repentance. We read of Jonah’s flight from the divine commission due to his hatred of Nineveh. We can understand his desire to see this wicked, cruel nation destroyed. He didn’t want to see them having any chance of repentance. He said, “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity” (Jonah 4:2). Too often we fail to appreciate God’s long
suffering.
Fifteen hundred years after giving the law to Moses and seeing Israel rebel again and again, “in the fulness of time” Jesus was born. What a long-suffering God! Long-suffering in Hebrew means; long breathe.
But even when Jesus, the Saviour came God was not in a hurry. It wasn’t until Jesus was 30 that God sent him into kingdom ministry. Then he embraced the cross. No quick death. Six hours of agony bearing our sins. The long-suffering Jesus.
Romans 1-3 sketches human sinfulness in searing terms. Then Paul warns his readers, do you think “you will escape God’s judgement? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance” (Rom. 2:2-4)?
Peter gives a similar warning to those who scoffed at the delay in the coming of God’s Day of Judgement. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish” (2 Peter 3:9).
How fortunate we are for the long suffering of God! Even after we are saved from the consequence of our sins by being forgiven, we still struggle day by day to throw off their cloying presence. Our sanctification is a long process. We pray for patience, love, and control of our tongues and then we stick our foot in our mouth again. Fortunately, God is there to forgive us in Jesus’ name. God is so-o-o patient with us. Why? Because he loves us.
Lord, help us to celebrate your longsuffering love but not take advantage of your patience by becoming careless and complacent.
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