David Bahn – Reflections

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But before [the men who came to Sodom and entered Lot’s house] lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. ⁵ And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” ⁶ Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, ⁷ and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. ⁸ Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.” ⁹ But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down.
– Genesis 19:4-9

“Don’t strike out on the first pitch,” he said. For some reason that resonated with me. It spoke to a tendency I sometimes must fight. If things don’t seem to be working, I give up. Not on everything. Not even on the most difficult things. But if I’m not really sold on an idea, I won’t push. I’ve been down the road, also, of winning at all costs, but learning much later that the real cost was no win at all. It’s true: A person convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. So I tend toward planting the seeds of truth, grace, and faith, and I hope for a harvest of righteousness. 

Evil, however, doesn’t give up so easily. The devil is a roaring lion (cf. 1 Peter 5:8). Our hope against this is two-fold. Evil will ultimately collapse under its own weight. It cannot sustain itself indefinitely. An even greater hope is that Jesus has come and destroyed the works of the devil. And his means of destroying is quite different from the ways of the world – or even this ensuing encounter with the angels and the people of Sodom. In fact, their intervention is more or less a fast forward of the self-destructive nature of evil. 

But evil does not go down easily. When the men of the city seize upon Lot’s house and demand the men he had hosted be brought out to them it was amazingly audacious. It was not only audacious, it was also only the first play in their effort to satisfy their evil desires. They were bold and relentless in their pursuit of their lustful desires. “Bring those visitors out to us!” When Lot refuses they threaten him and were going to break down the door to his house in search of their prey. And they were focused. Lot’s scandalous offering of his daughters to these debaucherous men does not satisfy their wanton greed.

Somehow it must be stopped. And sometimes God steps in. Dramatically. Decisively. Ending it all. Mafia wars can be an example of evil caving in on itself. STDs can be another. Sodom will stand as a prime example of God’s decisive move. Ananias and Sapphira’s deaths (Acts 5) are another. It’s dangerous to draw too many conclusions today. They can often be misunderstood. 

But let no one misunderstand what Jesus did when he died on the cross. He stood the devil down. He did not give in – even when forsaken by his Father. He did not let their jeers, taunts, and torture dissuade him from his perfect love for God and lost sinners reaching its pinnacle. He died in faith, sacrificing himself for the sake of sinners. And he destroyed the power of the devil. We may wish for a more obvious and dramatic show of God’s judgment. But when it does not come we must remember why God seems slow. He is waiting for us to repent. And in that moment he shows his complete defeat of the evil one. For repentance robs Satan of his power. It overthrows his reign. It severs the cords of death. For God is relentless in his pursuit of sinners so that he can show his merciful lovingkindness and give us the riches of his grace. 

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The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth ² and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.” ³ But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

⁴ But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. ⁵ And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.” ⁶ Lot went out to the men at the entrance, shut the door after him, ⁷ and said, “I beg you, my brothers, do not act so wickedly. ⁸ Behold, I have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Only do nothing to these men, for they have come under the shelter of my roof.” ⁹ But they said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. ¹⁰ But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. ¹¹ And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door.

¹² Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. ¹³ For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” ¹⁴ So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting. – Genesis 19:1-14

I’ve gotten myself into trouble on more than one occasion by making a comment in jest that was not understood or received as a light-hearted or in jest. I offended some brothers by a cavalier and insensitive comment to them when they were in a vulnerable place. I once also spoke too quickly about a somewhat controversial issue only to be trapped by one of the people who was party to the controversy. Words can have powerful impact – even when spoken in jest. I even did that to my granddaughter today! Needless to say we patched things up, and I learned a lesson. Kind words spoken in a fitting moment are like golden apples in silver baskets (Cf. Proverbs 25:11). 

The words of this section of Genesis are sometimes golden, sometimes rotten to the core, and sometimes rejected out of hand by those who ought to hear them. 

The words of gold are those spoken by Lot to the angel visitors. He invites them to come into his home and stay. He also speaks words rotten to the core when he invites the men of the city to take his daughters and have their way with them in place of the visitors. Thankfully the angels rescue Lot and inflict blindness upon the men who are menacing Lot and his family. But when the time comes for the angels to leave, and they warn Lot of the impending doom of Sodom, those Lot warns dismiss Lot’s warnings a so much jesting. They understood sincere words of warning as exaggerated hyperbole. They were so wrong in doing so. 

Lot and his family (who dismiss Lot’s and the angels’ warnings) were submerged in an atmosphere of sin. No doubt – as shown here – the obvious sin was that of a flagrant and petulant homosexual lifestyle. But in Ezekiel 16, Israel is called the sister of Sodom and the sins of Sodom that made them targets of judgment were the sins of pride, idleness, injustice to the poor, and such. Leave aside the homosexual sin, the wanton and unbridled desire of a person for sexual pleasure at all costs betrays a brokenness far deeper. 

A life of gluttonous indulgence of any kind certainly does not honor God. And pride in any sort of lifestyle that does not honor God is idolatry of the worst kind. I have no doubt that the most obvious sin of Sodom seen here is a lustful homosexual desire. But I know from my own heart that sin too easily deceives. And warnings that we might dismiss as excessive and unnecessary ought not to be taken lightly, nor spoken in jest. 

For your personal meditation and edification on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 29:1-2

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the Lordglory and strength.
² Ascribe to the Lordthe glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

Psalm 59:9-10, 16-17

O my Strength, I will watch for you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress.
¹⁰ My God in his steadfast love will meet me;
    God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.

¹⁶ But I will sing of your strength;
    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
    and a refuge in the day of my distress.
¹⁷ O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
    for you, O God, are my fortress,
    the God who shows me steadfast love.

Psalm 89:1-2, 15-16

I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
    with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
² For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;
    in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

¹⁵ Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
    who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
¹⁶ who exult in your name all the day
    and in your righteousness are exalted.

Psalm 149:1-4

Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of the godly!
² Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
    let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
³ Let them praise his name with dancing,
    making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
⁴ For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with salvation.

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From there the men turned and went on toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing in front of the Lord. ²³ Abraham came closer and asked, “Are you really going to sweep away the innocent with the guilty? ²⁴ What if there are 50 innocent people in the city? Are you really going to sweep them away? Won’t you spare that place for the sake of the 50 innocent people who are in it? ²⁵ It would be unthinkable for you to do such a thing, to treat the innocent and the guilty alike and to kill the innocent with the guilty. That would be unthinkable! Won’t the judge of the whole earth do what is fair?”

²⁶ The Lord said, “If I find 50 innocent people inside the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

²⁷ Abraham asked, “Consider now, if I may be so bold as to ask you, although I’m ⌞only⌟ dust and ashes, ²⁸ what if there are 45 innocent people? Will you destroy the whole city because of 5 fewer people?”

The Lord answered, “I will not destroy it if I find 45 there.”

²⁹ Abraham asked him again, “What if 40 are found there?”

He answered, “For the sake of the 40 I will not do it.”

³⁰ “Please don’t be angry if I speak again,” Abraham said. “What if 30 are found there?”

He answered, “If I find 30 there, I will not do it.”

³¹ “Look now, if I may be so bold as to ask you,” Abraham said. “What if 20 are found there?”

He answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the 20.”

³² “Please don’t be angry if I speak only one more time,” Abraham said. “What if 10 are found there?”

He answered, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the 10.” ³³ When the Lordfinished speaking to Abraham, he left. Abraham returned home. – Genesis 18:22-33

In a recent email exchange a colleague urged a disgruntled person to be salt and light in the situation the man was complaining about. In other words, be part of the solution, not just one who calls attention to the problem. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis is credited with writing that “Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” 

“You are the salt of the earth,” Jesus says. “You are the light of the world.” Salt is meant to be used. Light is meant to be shed. They have a positive impact on life. They bring spice and reveal truth. 

And while I’ve cut way back on using salt, it does accomplish three things. I creates thirst. It adds flavor. And it preserves. It may not be the best preservative, but it is one of two images Jesus used in speaking about his followers. 

Abraham is laying out a case before God that Sodom and Gomorrah is redeemable if there are but 10 righteous people there. They would surely preserve that community. They would bring light into darkness. They would make things better. 

But if there are not even 10, what can you do?

There was a time when the people of God were so decimated, dispirited, and discouraged that Elijah came to the conclusion: “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away” (1 Kings 19:10). God reminded him, “There are 7000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Jesus encouraged his followers: “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). 

We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We can have a positive impact in the world. We can enlighten people about the reign and rule of God. And in the process, perhaps we can prevent the catastrophic consequences of sin from having free reign and destroying our communities and us. 

There are times we need to stand in the gap for loved ones and difficult situations. Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and others have done this. Maybe you have too. Thanks be to God for Jesus who stood in the gap for us, and by whom we are saved, preserved, and enlightened. As his followers we must do all we can to be salt and light in a world that is rapidly decaying, and in the grip of darkness. 

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So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. ²³ Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵ Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” ²⁶ And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” – Genesis 17:22-26

We were watching a baseball game. “That umpire’s got a crazy strike zone,” I said. “Yes. Completely inconsistent,” she replied. “That makes it really hard to know how to pitch or whether to take a ball or not.” 

I’m reading a book by Ken Follett. He’s a very good story-teller, and several of his books are historical fiction. They give a good picture of certain periods of history. One of the things we take for granted these days has to do with money. You give me a quarter, and I know its worth. But in the last part of the first millennium an English penny was 90% silver and 10% copper. It weighed a certain amount. In one incident a gambler was taken advantage of by forgers who used a 50/50 combination of copper and silver. He was found out by the weight of the coins. Weighed and caught lacking (cf. Daniel 5:27).

As far as human enterprise goes, many tend toward a policy of judging a person on the basis of the totality of their life. One little misstep won’t put someone out of favor. You don’t lose a job in most cases because you were late once. But make a habit of it, and… 

You might think that is what God is willing to do in regard to Sodom and Gomorra. Abraham will stand before the Lord and argue for leniency for the sake of 50, then 40, then 30, then 20 and even 10 righteous people. In the end, God agrees: “I will not destroy the city for the sake of 10 righteous people.” Ten righteous people will redeem a city. Ten righteous people will prevent a catastrophic judgment. God will withhold brutal judgment for the sake of 10. 

But that is a moot point in this case. For there will not be 10 righteous people found there. Judgment will come. Destruction will be swift and decisive. 

It seems, however, that nothing less than 100% purity is sufficient for our standing before God. James 2:10 tells us clearly that, “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” And Paul tells us, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the Law, and do them” (Galatians 3:10). Jesus himself tells us that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees if we are to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). 

So what are we to do? I don’t know anyone who is 100% without sin. I’m not sure I know anyone who is 90% without sin. (Sorry, Dear Reader, not even you!). Well, that’s not actually true…the 100% without sin part. I do know someone like that. His name is Jesus of Nazareth. And those who repent of their sins and believe in him are clothed with his righteousness. 

Remember how Abraham believed in the Lord and he was reckoned righteous by God (Genesis 15:6)? That same faith, now focused on Jesus will avail before God. God reckons the one who believes in Jesus as righteous. When we put the righteousness of Christ on the scale, we will not be found lacking. And that is our only hope.

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Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. ¹⁷ The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, ¹⁸ seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? ¹⁹ For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” ²⁰ Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, ²¹ I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

²² So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.  – Genesis 17:16-22

I don’t like to think of myself as a gossip. But I really do lean in when I hear of someone I know in an interesting situation. Interesting as in troubled, challenging, exciting, or newly-relieved. A family dynamic that is worthy of Jerry Springer. A challenge worthy of three episodes of the Intervention TV program. A financial crisis that would make the top ten list of Dave Ramsey’s dire situations. Or maybe even hints at these.

Quite honestly, I don’t seek these out. And I really don’t hear that many. Sometimes, moreover, it is important to know what you’re walking into when you try to help out a church. If the chairman of the congregation wants to do things by the book and there are some folks who want to do an end run, it will be helpful for me to know if I’m going to visit that congregation. If a pastor is really struggling with his health, it will be good to take that into consideration as I talk with him about the challenges his church is facing. It’s not just my desire to be in the know. It’s so that I may be more helpful. 

Abraham will have some inside information about God’s plans because he will become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. With blessing comes responsibility. With great blessing becomes great responsibility. So Abraham, who has been blessed, will have a responsibility toward the news God is about to reveal to him. I’m not certain Abraham undertook his conversation with God because he felt responsible for the wellbeing of all people, but it would certainly add up. 

Abraham will be the one through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. That leverages this encounter with God in a very powerful way. There is a distant connection between the word for blessing and the idea of a weight. I love the image of laying hands on someone to give a blessing as being a time when the hands are laid heavily on the one being blessed. The weight in this case is knowing what God is going to do in Sodom. This is nothing to be taken lightly. 

We have been told by God of his intent for the future of the whole world. We’ve learned of this through his word. This is no trivial factoid. There is a weight that goes with this knowledge. As we think on that, it might even shape our desire to know of our neighbor’s latest bit of gossip. Knowing of our neighbor’s need brings the weight of acting in love toward that neighbor. Helping him. Praying for her. Listening to their stories. Walking with her through the dark valleys. Rejoicing with him on the mountaintops. 

Has God revealed something to you that you can leverage for his kingdom’s purposes? Maybe this is a good time to pray about that. 

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Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. ¹⁷ The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, ¹⁸ seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? ¹⁹ For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” ²⁰ Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, ²¹ I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

²² So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord.  – Genesis 17:16-22

I’m a fairly respectful person. I don’t need to stand on formalities of title or position. On the other hand, I’m inclined to “show respect where respect is due” (cf. Romans 13:7). I see no benefit from refusing to acknowledge someone’s authority or position – even if I don’t agree with him or her. It’s “Mr. President” for me whether it’s my guy in the White House or not. 

Along with that goes a certain reticence to challenge authority. I’m not a windmill tilter, nor a protester. I don’t say that to brag. It’s just the way I’m wired. And I’ve not been convinced that I need to recalibrate that. I’m happy when others speak out against injustice. I’m thankful that there are those who are willing to challenge immoral, unethical, and unrighteous behavior. 

But look at Abraham! He is not only willing to speak out, he’s willing to speak out to God! He stands before the Lord: “Abraham still stood before the Lord.” That’s bold. That’s brave. That’s gutsy! Or maybe, just maybe that’s what bold faith looks like. 

Martin Luther prayed for his friend and invaluable colleague, Philip Melanchthon:

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Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. ¹⁷ The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, ¹⁸ seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? ¹⁹ For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” ²⁰ Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, ²¹ I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

²² So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. ²³ Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? ²⁵ Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” ²⁶ And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

²⁷ Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. ²⁸ Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” ²⁹ Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” ³⁰ Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” ³¹ He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” ³² Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” ³³ And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. – Genesis 18:16-33

I recently learned of a podcast that deals with IPO’s and their trajectory from start up to success…or not. They mentioned Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple, as well as a few I don’t recall. I don’t recall them because they are not going to limit the conversation to successful launches, but they will feature also those that didn’t do so well. In other words, those that failed to launch. For a moment or two, I thought it would be great to have known when Apple first launched and I had invested $1000 there. But then I wondered…did it ever tank – even temporarily? Would I have held on? What would being independently wealthy do to me? To my soul? Would I really like to know the future?

God muses over whether to tell Abraham what he intends to do in regard to Sodom and Gomorrah. It’s not even about Abraham’s future. It’s about the future of the people living there. It would also be about his nephew Lot and Lot’s family. And in the end, he determined to let Abraham know of his plans. He was on his way to determine for himself how evil was the city, and to destroy it for the evil that was there. 

I wonder: did God really not already know? Did he really need a reconnaissance mission to determine what he would do? Did he not realize that the evil there was so vile and rampant? 

God is giving Abraham a view of his plans in order to allow Abraham to do this incredible thing. He would allow Abraham to intercede for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. And so he does. Abraham asks, in effect, Will you destroy the good with the wicked? And then the intercession begins. 

God is willing to allow people to intercede in behalf of others. Are you such a one? Is there someone for whom you need to intercede? Can you call upon God to do good for the sake of the One Righteous One, his Son, Jesus Christ? Do you know someone who needs Jesus?

God may let us know of things so that we may be warned. It could be that his intent and even his revelation of that intent (consider the book of Revelation for example), is so that we may be warned. It might also be so that we are prepared. In other words, as we read the prophecies of Scripture (think again of Revelation), those ought to prepare us for the challenges we may face, and remind us of God’s justice, holiness, and most of all his love. 

I may need that reminder now and again. And I suspect you might too. 

For your personal meditation and edification on this Lord’s Day.

Psalm 22 [1000 years before Jesus David prophecies of the suffering Jesus would endure on the cross!]
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.
Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.
Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
Our ancestors trusted in you,
and you rescued them.
They cried out to you and were saved.
They trusted in you and were never disgraced.
But I am a worm and not a man.
I am scorned and despised by all!
Everyone who sees me mocks me.
They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
“Is this the one who relies on the LORD?
Then let the LORD save him!
If the LORD loves him so much,
let the LORD rescue him!”
Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb
and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast.
I was thrust into your arms at my birth.
You have been my God from the moment I was born.
Do not stay so far from me,
for trouble is near,
and no one else can help me.
My enemies surround me like a herd of bulls;
fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in!
Like lions they open their jaws against me,
roaring and tearing into their prey.
My life is poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax,
melting within me.
My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.
My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;
an evil gang closes in on me.
They have pierced my hands and feet.
I can count all my bones.
My enemies stare at me and gloat.
They divide my garments among themselves
and throw dice for my clothing.

Psalm 52:9
I will praise you forever, O God,
for what you have done.
I will trust in your good name
in the presence of your faithful people.

Psalm 82:3-4
Give justice to the poor and the orphan;
uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
Rescue the poor and helpless;
deliver them from the grasp of evil people.

Psalm 112:1
Praise the LORD!
How joyful are those who fear the LORD
and delight in obeying his commands.

Psalm 142:1-5
I cry out to the LORD;
I plead for the LORD’s mercy.
I pour out my complaints before him
and tell him all my troubles.
When I am overwhelmed,
you alone know the way I should turn.
Wherever I go,
my enemies have set traps for me.
I look for someone to come and help me,
but no one gives me a passing thought!
No one will help me;
no one cares a bit what happens to me.
Then I pray to you, O LORD.
I say, “You are my place of refuge.
You are all I really want in life.

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The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too marvelous for the Lord to do? [NASB] At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” ¹⁵ But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.” – Genesis 18:13-15

My son and his soon-to-be wife climbed into the car, ready for a road trip from Seward, Nebraska to Arlington, Texas. Two friends were along for the ride. As soon as they got in the car and buckled up, one of their friends asked, “Are we there yet?” Matt’s answer: “Yes. Now get out!” Clever? No doubt. Kind? Maybe not. Telling? You tell me. 

I’ve been accused of being impatient and impulsive. I want to see things happen. I want to get things done. Grass does not often grow under my feet. That can be a strength and a weakness. It’s true: Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. But sometimes heroes must rush into the burning building. Rescue the threatened. Take the hill. Wisdom lies in knowing when to wait and when to take charge. When to let it be and when to put the pedal to the metal. 

It’s been said that God is seldom in a hurry and never late. His timing is perfect. God lives outside of time. Hence the joke:

Hey God! I’ve been reading the Bible and it says that with you a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are as a day. 

“Yes,” God says. “And?”

“Well I was thinking, a million dollars would be like a dollar to you, right?”

“Yes.”

“So could I have a million dollars?”

“Sure. Just wait a minute.” [Rim shot here!]

More seriously, the timing of God is a mystery beyond finding out. How is it possible that an angel would be dispatched to the aid of Daniel but would be detained for 14 days before he was able to get to him? Why is there need for battles between angels, demons, powers and principalities in the heavenly realm? Why did Abraham and Sarah have to wait for a whole year longer before they would bear a son? Isn’t God able to do the most marvelous things imaginable? 

Two answers spring to mind immediately. First of all, God lives outside of time, but we do not. He may be able to see the whole sweep of history in one view. But we must live it out minute by minute, day by day. And, two, and most importantly: God is patient with us, wanting us to come to repentance. He’s “slow” in our estimation because sometimes we are just too stubborn. 

Speculation alert: Might Abraham and Sarah not have conceived a child because they hadn’t tried? Was it too marvelous for them to imagine? Was it beyond imagination and therefore not worth even trying to live into that possibility? 

The timing of God is an elegant and marvelous thing. He is seldom in a hurry. Never late. Never early either. And while we wait for his promises to become reality we must do all we can to live into them, and act on those things over which we do have control…all the while imagining how wonderful it will be to experience the fullness of their fulfillment.

And experience them we will. For that is God’s promise to us, secured in his Son, Jesus Christ, to be fully and completely realized at the end of all time.