2 Peter 3:4 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.”
We are an impatient people. Generally, we have a very difficult time waiting, whether it is waiting in the doctor’s office or in the line at the checkout counter. We rush through traffic, we order online, and we expect the end of the semester to come quickly. We are impatient.
These types of everyday waits can build up in us. This is often caused by an inflated sense of self. We are important. And we expect others to recognize our importance and “part the waters” so that we can go to the head of the line. And when this doesn’t happen, we usually get frustrated and express our frustration to the outside world.
When it is an unseen, future event, we are really stumped. We look at the world as it is now, and we assume that the world has always been this way and that it will continue this way into the future. We don’t want facts about changes in the past to get in the way of our view of the present or future.
Some in the early Church had this problem. Jesus had promised His return, but His return had not happened yet. Their expectation got in the way of their living faithfully in the present moment. Instead of seeing the delay in Jesus’ coming as a grace moment, filled with possibilities for reaching more with the message, they became suspicious of the message of the Gospel itself.
And thus our writer reminds the readers of some changes that have taken place in the past, changes that shook up the known world. Their view of a steady-state world was incorrect. God had intervened and made great changes to the way the world works.
The world had a beginning, all at the hand of the LORD. This beginning represented a change in the status quo. But the LORD wasn’t done with changes. He sent a flood that reset life on this planet. Plant and animal life had to start over from the “seed” that was contained in the Ark.
This perspective from the past is being brought into the present and future for the readers as a way to encourage them to patience. When they loose this longterm perspective, they loose sight of the faithfulness of the LORD. When He makes a promise, it will come to pass in His timing, in His way.
There is another big event that will once again reshape the world as we know it. Later in this chapter the author speaks of a fire that will reshape both heaven and earth. This fire is a symbol of God’s judgment. There will be a remaking of this place when Jesus returns and sets up His Kingdom. Sin will be eliminated, and life will take over.
But for those of us who are impatient, the author reminds us that our timetable is not the same as the LORD’s timetable. One thousand years is like a day! The LORD isn’t slow, just much more patient that we are.
So next time you are tempted to get impatient, And I know I need to hear this, take a moment and consider God’s timeframe. He is patient with us on a scale we can’t fully picture. He has held off judgment on this world in order to give the greatest number the opportunity to repent.
And He waits for us as well.
The Arnold Journey 