#169: The Lord is Not Slack
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Then he set his countenance in a stare until he was ashamed; and the man of God wept. And Hazael said, “Why is my lord weeping?” He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: Their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword; and you will dash their children, and rip open their women with child.”So Hazael said, “But what is your servant—a dog, that he should do this gross thing?” And Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you will become king over Syria.”
II Kings 8:11-13 NKJV
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Much happens over twenty years! A generation is generally considered about twenty years. Between the end of World War 1 and the beginning of World War 2 twenty years elapsed. I started my first regular job twenty years ago. Twenty years later, twenty years does not seem to be so long a time but how much happens in twenty years – terrorist attacks, wars, tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, pandemics, regime changes, marriages, births, and deaths.
Twenty years prior to Elisha’s journey to Damascus, Elijah was on Mt. Sinai communing with the Lord about Israel’s sin. When the Lord spoke with Elijah he told him to anoint three people: Hazael king of Syria; Jehu King of Israel; and Elisha to be a prophet in Elijah’s place. During Elijah’s lifetime, only one of those tasks took place – Elijah left Mt. Sinai and anointed Elisha as a prophet. The instructions concerning Hazael and Jehu did not take place until well into Elisha’s ministry about twenty years later.
Elisha’s journey to Damascus was not the random wandering of an unwanted prophet but rather the carrying out of the mission and instruction the Lord had given to Elisha’s predecessor in the ministry many years prior. (Jehu’s anointing follows in chapter 9.) The Lord’s instruction concerning Hazael was not for the good of Israel as Elisha well knew. Hazael was going to be the instrument of God’s judgment on His wayward people. These were the Israelites who in Elijah’s day all, save 7,000, bowed their knee to Baal and kissed the idol. Despite the preaching, warnings, and signs, in Elisha’s day the situation had not materially improved. The Lord had delayed His judgment but that delay was complete and Elisha was grieved knowing the horrific destruction that was coming on his country at the hands of King Hazael of Syria.
Will God’s promises come to pass in the time frame we expect? Throughout church history each generation of believers expected the Lord to return in their generation. All the signs of the times looked just like the time when the Lord promised to return and so they watched and labored just as God called them to (Matthew 25:1-13). We too must look for the appearing of our Savior from heaven with a shout and the voice of the archangel. Either in our generation (we should pray that Christ would come today) or in a future generation, the Lord will return. However, like Hazael’s reign was for the judgment of wayward Israel so the Lord’s coming will be in part for judgment on all His enemies. The Lord held off Hazael’s reign of terror for twenty years because He was long-suffering to Israel and He has held His return 2,000 years already bringing more into His glorious Kingdom of Grace.
The twenty year gap between God’s instruction to Elijah and Elisha’s mission in Damascus should remind us of another text, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:8-9).
While the Lord tarries labor well in His kingdom like Elisha. Watch and pray, for His return. Labor for the cause of Christ among the current generation of the people of God and for the generations of Christians that will follow if God sees fit to tarry a further thousand years. Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes (Luke 12:43).
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