Why does God tend to delay in bringing judgment?
When He warned of impending judgment in the Old Testament, it usually didn't come for a generation or more.
And when Jesus told of the coming destruction of Jerusalem, it didn't arrive until almost 40 years later.
Even in America -- a land that has turned from its heritage and defiantly rejected the Lord -- we see this tendency of delayed judgment.
Yes, we have growing signs of judgment -- as evident through our many divisions and depravities.
Yet so far, we've been spared the full measure of biblical judgments like famine and slavery to foreign nations.
But why?
Why does God take His time in letting judgment loose?
The immediate answer must be because He is merciful and patient... not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Pet.3:9).
True enough.
But there's something more at work...
And that's that while God eventually does bring judgment when repeatedly provoked, He never loses sight of His intent to renew and restore...
...and preparing His people for renewal takes time.
So...
Back in the days of the OT you have the prophet Elisha taking time to gather people and prepare them to be agents of renewal after the fall of the Northern Kingdom.
And in the years prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, God gave people time to come out of their unbelief and turn to Jesus as Lord, so they would be among those to bring about something new after the city was in ashes.
All of this instructs us.
As greater judgment threatens here, God is still giving us time...
... time to prepare for the renewal coming on the other side.
Because even though it's within God's capacity to deliver judgment... even more, He's intent on bringing renewal -- and in this He won't be stopped.
The death and resurrection of Jesus proves it.
And turning to Him and obeying Him is where getting ready for renewal begins for everyone.