A few days ago, I was taking our School of Ministry class through the book of Exodus. As we went through the book, we began discussing one of the messages – that God is always on time. But if you are anything like me, you’ve questioned whether or not He is even listening to your prayers because of how long He is taking!
It’s not a good feeling to think God is neglecting you. Can you imagine how God’s people felt after being in slavery under the hand of Egypt for 400 years?
You can’t study the Book of Exodus without first knowing a prophetic passage in Genesis 15:13-16. In this chapter, God makes a covenant with Abraham and discusses his future line.
“Then the Lord said to him, ‘Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward, they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.’”
As we read the account in Genesis, we learn a few things about God’s timing and why the plan was the way it was.
- This was His growth plan. Did you know that growth doesn’t happen without tension? Everything in life grows better because something is pushing against it. Even as you study church history, we see that the church grows best when persecution is most present. Here in Genesis, we see the same thing. Not only do we find out that God is accumulating wealth for His people through this time of tension but, paired with a passage in Exodus (1:12), we find out His people grew in great numbers.
We like to complain about God’s plan because no one likes pain but, without the tension, we would never be shaped into the people God is calling us to be! We ask Him to take away the very tool He is using to grow us!
- We serve a merciful and patient God. In Genesis 15:16, there is a quick mention of the Amorite people. Why? Well, the Amorites were enemies of Israel, and in this passage, we see God patiently waiting for them to stop sinning and come to repentance. God waited four generations to lead His people back to Canaan in the hopes that the Amorites would turn to Him.
As we read about it, it reminds us of Romans 3:25-26, “He did this to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—He did it to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time…”
Like with us, God was merciful and patient until the right things were moved into place so that every man would be without excuse.
As we think about God’s attribute of being on time, let us remember that He is faithful to accomplish His promises. And, in the times of waiting, let us remember that He is building something, not ignoring us.
Chad Fagundes is Men’s and Outreach Pastor at Koinonia Church in Hanford, CA. He can be reached at chad@kchanford.com or 559-582-1528