Weekly Devotional 7-17-17 God’s Patience
“And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years” (Genesis 6:3 NKJV).
This was God’s proclamation through Noah that His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) would not continue to strive with man about his soul. There was a limit to that striving. God gave that generation of man 120 years from the time of said proclamation to repent. Looking back in the record we find that although the genealogical line of humanity through Seth began to call upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:26), there was a lack of true devotion to Him. As years passed, even this godly line of Seth became corrupted. Corrupted to the point that God’s judgment of them and all others was that “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Scripture tells us that this judgment resulted with God destroying all humanity except eight persons including Noah and his family. Even they survived only because of God’s unmerited favor to them.
We also find from the record that God’s patience with Israel was not unlimited. He had chosen them to be a holy people unto Himself, and His witnesses to the rest of humanity. He personally dwelt with them for forty years as they wandered in the wilderness, blessing them when they trusted Him, and brought chastisement on them when they grumbled against Him. Because of their grumbling and lack of trust, He would not allow those that were over twenty years of age (when He drew them out of bondage in Egypt) to enter the land He had promised their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. His patience had run out with them. As we continue reading the record, we find that God’s patience finally ran out with Israel’s disobedience which included their chasing false gods. He finally allowed them to go into captivity and eventually be dispersed from those captivities into the nations.
Should we think of God’s patience in a different way today? (I am speaking from a human perspective as God does have a sovereign plan in all of this and is bringing it to pass as He has decreed). Many, perhaps most of us, Christian and non-Christian, live as though God is not really interested in what any of us are doing or how we live. Scripture says otherwise. Time, and God’s patience, humanly speaking, is running out for the earth and its inhabitants. Speaking of humanity in general, we read from Haggai; “20And again the word of the LORD came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21’Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying’: ‘I will shake heaven and earth. 22I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots And those who ride in them; The horses and their riders shall come down, Everyone by the sword of his brother’” (Haggai 2:20-22 NKJV).
This message to be delivered by Haggai looked past the governance of Zerubbabel over Judah to the millennial kingdom of Christ. Before that kingdom begins, God will bring judgment against the nations as He overthrows them. This judgment will not occur until the last Gentile that is to be saved has been saved as Romans 11:25 informs. The point is, eventually, perhaps soon, God will judge the peoples of the nations. Time and God’s patience is running out for them. But what about God’s patience concerning those who are yet to become saved? Second Peter 3:1-9 addresses this; ”1Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’ 5For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
Again, as Romans 11:25 informs us, there will come a time when the last person who is to be redeemed will be redeemed and then, the end. God’s patience will have run out. “10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10 NKJV).
Where are you in all of this? What will be your end?
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