God's Perfect Timing
Introduction
God has his own sense of timing: ‘With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day’ (2 Peter 3:8). He has perfect timing: never early, never late. God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time.
We see in today’s passages that the Lord is sovereign over the future (Daniel 4:32). ‘We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth’ (2 Peter 3:13). God is going to vindicate his people (Psalm 135:14).
But what do you do while you are waiting for God to do what he has promised to do?
Psalm 135:13–21
13 Your name, LORD, endures forever,
your renown, LORD, through all generations.
14 For the LORD will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
17 They have ears, but cannot hear,
nor is there breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.
19 All you Israelites, praise the LORD;
house of Aaron, praise the LORD;
20 house of Levi, praise the LORD;
you who fear him, praise the LORD.
21 Praise be to the Lord from Zion,
to him who dwells in Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD.
Commentary
Trust in the Lord
When your prayers don’t seem to be answered, you may be tempted to stop trusting the Lord and start chasing other ‘gods’.
Trusting in the Lord may seem a little old fashioned. But the psalmist says, ‘God, your name is eternal, God, you’ll never be out-of-date’ (v.13, MSG).
The great biblical truth is that you become like that in which you put your trust. If you put your trust in ‘gods’ of silver or gold, then you will be like them – spiritually lifeless, blind and deaf (vv.16–18). If you trust in God, you will be filled with life and joy as you become like him.
Keep trusting God, ‘For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants’ (v.14). ‘God stands up for his people, God holds the hands of his people’ (v.14, MSG). Hence, you are called to praise and honour the Lord (vv.19–21).
Remain totally dependent on God and look for him to vindicate you. When things aren’t working out as you wish, be patient. Stop trying to move ahead of God. His timing is perfect. Trust him.
Prayer
2 Peter 3:1–18
The Day of the Lord
3 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Saviour through your apostles.
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Commentary
Turn to the Lord
When you look at all the evil in the world – all the wars, environmental damage, violence, institutional torture, injustice, horrific crimes and the amount of suffering – you might wonder why Jesus does not come back now and sort it all out.
Why does God delay? Why has the Lord not returned already?
Peter warns us that people will mock us and say, ‘So what’s happened to the promise of his Coming?’ (v.4, MSG). He says there is a very good reason for the delay. The reason that the Lord has not come already is to give people more time to repent.
God is not in a hurry. ‘With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day’ (v.8).
God is not being slow in keeping his promise. Rather, the delay comes from his patience: ‘He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance’ (v.9). ‘God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change’ (v.9, MSG).
Repentance is all about a change of direction in your life. It is turning away from all the bad stuff and turning to Jesus. By giving people time to repent God is lovingly holding the door open for their salvation. ‘Interpret our Master’s patient restraint for what it is: salvation’ (v.15, MSG).
This theme of salvation is one of the great themes of Paul’s letters, and so at this point Peter refers to them. I find it encouraging that he describes them as sometimes ‘hard to understand’ (v.16) – if you struggle to understand them, you are in good company!
Significantly, Peter then goes on to compare them with the Old Testament (‘the other scriptures’, v.16). In doing so, he demonstrates that the early church and apostles understood the New Testament writings as having the same divine authority as those of the Old Testament.
The Lord will come at a time when we don’t expect him (‘like a thief’, v.10). The world as we know it will be ‘laid bare’ (v.10). There will be ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ (v.13). The New Testament vision of the future is not so much of people ‘going up to heaven’ – rather it is that there will be ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ (v.13).
Again and again, Peter points out that God is faithful to his word and his promises (vv.2,5,7,9,13). The truth is that what God says will definitely happen.
The way to prepare for this certain, but delayed, future is ‘to live a holy life’ and ‘daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival’ (v.11, MSG), and ‘be found living at your best, in purity and peace’ (v.14, MSG), and to ‘grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Saviour, Jesus Christ’ (v.18, MSG).
Grace is undeserved love. You grow in grace as you turn to the Lord, dependent on him in every situation you face, bringing your needs to him day by day, as you eagerly expect his return.
Prayer
Daniel 4:19–5:16
Daniel Interprets the Dream
19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.”
Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! 20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds — 22 Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.
23 “Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’
24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue. ”
The Dream Is Fulfilled
28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”
31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”
33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.
34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honoured and glorified him who lives forever.
His dominion is an eternal dominion;
his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35 All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: “What have you done?”
36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honour and splendour were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
The Writing on the Wall
5 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.
7 The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9 So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.
10 The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. 12 He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means. ”
13 So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15 The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 16 Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
Commentary
Thank the Lord
Pride comes before a fall – as I have discovered many times in my own life. Everything we have comes from God. We are dependent upon him for our next breath. He is in control of the past, present and future. Thanksgiving prompts humility.
‘When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude,’ wrote G.K. Chesterton.
It is relatively easy to pass on a message of encouragement from the Lord. It is less easy to convey a message of rebuke. Daniel found it perplexing and alarming, but he was obedient to the Lord (4:19 onwards).
The mistake Nebuchadnezzar made, and that all of us possibly make from time to time, is to think that what he had achieved was all his own doing: ‘Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?’ (v.30). Be wary of using ‘I’ and ‘my’ in this way!
The lesson that God had to teach Nebuchadnezzar, and sometimes has to teach us, is that everything you have is a gift from God – ‘the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes’ (v.32).
Our spiritual gifts, bodies, families, homes, intellect, looks, money, sporting abilities – are all gifts from God. Your reaction to any success should not be one of pride, self-importance or self-congratulation, but one of praise and thanks to God – honouring him and exalting him for what he has given you (vv.34–37).
Nebuchadnezzar took things for granted and failed to give thanks and glory to the Lord for what the Lord had done for him. Rather, he saw it all as the work of his own hands.
When Nebuchadnezzar was restored he realised that everything he had came from God. Instead of taking the glory himself, he thanked and glorified God, ‘singing and praising the King of Heaven’ (vv.34–37, MSG).
Humility does not mean pretending that you do not have what you have, but rather it means recognising the source of what you have, and giving the praise where it is due: ‘Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just’ (v.37).
His testimony is summed up with these words, ‘He knows how to turn a proud person into a humble man or woman’ (v.37b, MSG).
Daniel says to Nebuchadnezzar, ‘So, king, take my advice: Make a clean break with your sins and start living for others. Quit your wicked life and look after the needs of the down-and-out. Then you will continue to have a good life’ (v.27, MSG).
The next generation did not learn the lessons of the past. King Belshazzar broke the command to worship God alone, and ‘praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone’ (5:4).
As with Nebuchadnezzar, beneath the surface there was a deep-rooted fear in Belshazzar’s life – he did not have peace with God. Both were warned by God and told what to do. The difference is that Nebuchadnezzar repented, humbled himself, acknowledged and thanked God, whereas Belshazzar did not.
Daniel himself was ‘well known for his intellectual brilliance and spiritual wisdom’ (v.11, MSG). He was full of the Holy Spirit. There must have been a great temptation to pride. Yet Daniel remained humbly dependent on God, giving him all the glory and honour and thanksgiving.
Prayer
Pippa adds
2 Peter 3:10 says:
‘But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.’
The ‘day of the Lord’ does sound rather terrifying, but verse 11 just tells us to get on with living ‘holy and godly lives’. And verse 12 says to ‘look forward to [and therefore not dread] the day of God and to speed its coming’.
Verse of the Day
Psalm 134:14
The LORD will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants.
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References
G.K. Chesterton, Irish Impressions (London: Collins, 1919), p.24.
The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel (commentary formerly known as Bible in One Year) ©Alpha International 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Compilation of daily Bible readings © Hodder & Stoughton Limited 1988. Published by Hodder & Stoughton Limited as the Bible in One Year.
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.