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Waiting and Wondering
Today's passage is at its heart very simple in its message. I don't think we need to start taking the "thousand years is as a day" and make up some complicated formula to predict the end of the world. That's kind of missing the point.
The point is that from the very beginning people have been doubting God and His promises. They say that He's not going to be faithful and fulfill them. They say He is weak.
This passage says in essence not to listen to them - there have always been doubters, but God has always been faithful to fulfill His promise. Just as people in the Old Testament waited for Jesus' first coming and weren't disappointed, so we can now also have faith in His second coming and will not be disappointed. The Old Testament is chock full of proof that God fulfills His promises. Even when it seemed really bad during the exile, still the people trusted in God's faithfulness and were correct - God DID fulfill His promises. Trust in Him.
"To Christians wondering about God’s delayed return, Peter offers a three-part challenge.
1. When has God ever failed to keep a promise? Never, and God will not fail now.
2. When has God ever fulfilled a promise in quite the exact way all of us smart people think he should? Never. So don’t get too smart now.
3. What could God possibly be waiting for? Well, look around at needy souls, lost without a Savior, ignorant of God’s promise. If you don’t have a tear in your eye, you’ve missed the point of God’s patience. Stop wondering; start spreading the word. Don’t let any human reasoning deter you from your hope and your duty." [1]
Waiting and Wondering
Today's passage is at its heart very simple in its message. I don't think we need to start taking the "thousand years is as a day" and make up some complicated formula to predict the end of the world. That's kind of missing the point.
The point is that from the very beginning people have been doubting God and His promises. They say that He's not going to be faithful and fulfill them. They say He is weak.
This passage says in essence not to listen to them - there have always been doubters, but God has always been faithful to fulfill His promise. Just as people in the Old Testament waited for Jesus' first coming and weren't disappointed, so we can now also have faith in His second coming and will not be disappointed. The Old Testament is chock full of proof that God fulfills His promises. Even when it seemed really bad during the exile, still the people trusted in God's faithfulness and were correct - God DID fulfill His promises. Trust in Him.
"To Christians wondering about God’s delayed return, Peter offers a three-part challenge.
1. When has God ever failed to keep a promise? Never, and God will not fail now.
2. When has God ever fulfilled a promise in quite the exact way all of us smart people think he should? Never. So don’t get too smart now.
3. What could God possibly be waiting for? Well, look around at needy souls, lost without a Savior, ignorant of God’s promise. If you don’t have a tear in your eye, you’ve missed the point of God’s patience. Stop wondering; start spreading the word. Don’t let any human reasoning deter you from your hope and your duty." [1]
[1] Bruce B. Barton, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Jude, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 1995), 211.
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