GOD - Reluctant In Judgment

This lesson is to show how the LORD tolerates evil but only for a certain amount of time.
The scriptures give good insight to the patience of the LORD. God made the world and
put man into it. In Genesis we can see that the LORD was disappointed with mankind’s
conduct.

Genesis 6: 5-6 & 11-13 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth,
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 ¶ And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at
his heart.
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had
corrupted his (God’s) way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is
filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Violence and wicked imagination have corrupted mankind’s purpose on earth. Yet, in the
book of John (3:16) we can see that God loves and is concerned for the world and
humankind.

Genesis 15:12-16 ¶ And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram;
and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land
that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they
come out with great substance.
15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the
Amorites is not yet full.

This is an interesting scripture because it shows us the long patience God has with
mankind. The Amorites were doing bad, but the evil had not yet climaxed to the point the
LORD deemed it worthy of judgment. We can see this also in the example of Sodom and
Gomorrah.

Genesis 13:13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD
exceedingly.

The LORD informs Abraham that he is going to investigate if Sodom and Gomorrah’s sin
had arisen to the point that judgment was necessary.

Genesis 18:20-21 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great,
and because their sin is very grievous;
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry
of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
Attached to this is the story where Abraham asks the LORD if there were fifty righteous
men in the city would he spare it? The LORD say’s he would not destroy it if there were
even ten righteous men in it. This shows how reluctant the LORD is to inflict
punishment.

Psalms 86:15 But thou, O LORD, art a God full of compassion, and gracious,
longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

A good example of how longsuffering the LORD is can be found in the parable Jesus
taught of the wheat and tares. Tares are plants that while young are hard to distinguish
from wheat, it is a weed that is injurious wheat. Tares are more hardy than wheat, and
will choke out the wheat.

Matthew 13:25-30 ¶ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of
heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his
way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares
also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow
good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou
then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with
them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the
reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but
gather the wheat into my barn.

Matthew 13:36-39 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his
disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares
are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the
reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of
this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom
all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of
teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who
hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The LORD sees fit to allow the wicked to dwell with the good.
There is a thought in among the Hebrew sages, that if evil did not dwell among us we
would not be able to choose between right and wrong or be given the opportunity to
exercise our free will.

Psalms 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in
mercy.

Nahum 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the
wicked:

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance.

The LORD wants everyone to be saved.

James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the
husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it,
until he receive the early and latter rain.

The LORD has long patience and is waiting for the precious fruit of the earth (those who
He will save). And he wants us to also be patience, even with the evil people.
We should not worry ourselves with the question of why evil dwells in the earth.
Everything is right on time. His will, is this very day being fulfilled. Fret Not.

Psalms 37:1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the
workers of iniquity.

Psalms 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of
him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Psalms 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Proverbs 24:19 Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the
wicked;

2 Thessalonians 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the
patient waiting for Christ.

We are all one, all are the creation of God, learn to love the differences in each other.
Don’t hate, even people you perceive as evil.
Matthew 5:44-46 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute
you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his
sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans
the same?

Jesus while hanging on the cross said……

Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And
they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

Copyright © 2010 J. Wilder & The Wilder Family Trust dated 2/13/04

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