I am reading Isaiah right now and I stumbled on a perplexing verse. I was reading Isaiah 30. If you're not familiar I'll break it down a little. The chapter starts out with, "Woe to the rebellious children!" Any time you see a 'Woe' statement in the Bible it's usually not good. It usually means that the Lord is not to happy with the situation at hand. Any way the verses following precede to tell of all the things that the 'rebellious children' have done that they would deserve a 'Woe' statement. Things like seeking counsel but not from God and making plans with out God's Spirit. Also going to other pagan countries to get advice. Later in the chapter He says that they are telling the prophets to prophecy false things. They says things like, "Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” He says they trust oppression and perversity and rely on them. In the hearts they desire to running from the Lord as ones on swift horses. He calls them walls who are ready to break.
But in the mists of all this sin and in a generation intentionally running from righteousness, God break in with this incredible verse. Verse 18 "Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him."
This is a incredible hard verse for me to comprehend! The Lord is a God of justice. Why is He waiting? and what is He waiting for?!?
I think I have a really skewed view of who God really is. God desires people who will worship Him in Spirit and truth. I desire to know the truth of who God is.
My version of justice is to stop or 'take out' the evil doer. Its to call out and condemn the ones that are purpose full about their sin. When I find out that someone is choosing not to do right or to follow the Lord my heart's first response at times is to disconnect from them and to expose them, 'write them off'.
But God's response is so different then my humanistic, finite understanding of justice and love.
God says, Oh, wicked generation that purposefully rebels and tries to hide. I will wait. I will be gracious to you.
The word gracious in this verse actually means to stoop in kindness to an inferior.
Romans 2:4 says it so well, "...do you think lightly of or despise the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?"
God's justice is to wait and to continue to be kind, forbearing, and patient giving you time to repent. So that He will be exalted in your heart and He can have mercy on you!
If He's this kind to those who on purpose run from Him, reject Him, hide from Him and tell others to lie to them and say, 'Tell us everything is okay', how much more gracious and kind is He to those who diligently seek Him?
He is a God of justice. It just looks different then my idea of justice. He is the God who is patient, long-suffering, and kind.
He is the God who waits.
Truly 'Blessed are all those who wait for Him.'
