Why Did God Wait So Long?

[Bendito]

So I'm reading about a Cosmic Chess Match....Satan made his move..Tempted Havah to eat the fruit whereupon Adam chose to disobey God and lost his inheritance, giving it to Satan... God made His counter move....He promised His messiah.....

Question.... Why did God wait four thousand years to send the messiah?

Hint....I don't know the answer to this...I only have opinions...

 

[robaston]

He didn't wait bud, it was instant-He is outside time

 

[Bendito]

He didn't wait bud, it was instant-He is outside time

LOL What a good answer! It's true.

 

[rag4aCrown]

Human procrastination, delaying God's will. ???

Why is it taking so long for His return?

 

[Brad Huber]

It has something to do with increasing wisdom so that the same sort of mistake wont happen again. Making eternal beings that wont listen to wisdom is what created Satan. Remember the barrier to keep us from the tree of life.

 

[rag4aCrown]

God created ALL things. By Him, for Him were ALL things created. And nothing consist without Him. There is ONE GOD, not two. And He has given us the same power, authority, and dominion upon this earth.

However, have "The people" walked in His power, His authority, His dominion?
So if it has been being done according to His will, why has the world not taken attention and repented? Sure is dark outside, and the Son shining so bright.

If the world can not see nor hear the working power and authority of God within the "believers", where does that leave them?

If the righteous scarcely be saved, where does that leave The rest?

 

[Bendito]

It has something to do with increasing wisdom so that the same sort of mistake wont happen again. Making eternal beings that wont listen to wisdom is what created Satan. Remember the barrier to keep us from the tree of life.

Yeah God made a mistake when He made Lucifer...Joke there.....Actually I don't think that's the way you meant to say that

 

[rag4aCrown]

Yeah God made a mistake when He made Lucifer...Joke there.....Actually I don't think that's the way you meant to say that

Did Satan create himself? Or did God create a place for those who rebel against Him to go?

Does Lucifer answer to himself? Or God?

There is ONE GOD, who created ALL things.

Father God is Lord of all; least He be King of kings, and Lord of lords.
All glory be unto God Amen

 

[Christ4Ever]

Count it a blessing that He waited or we very well might never have know how blessed we are to know Him!

These verses really have more to do with His Second coming, but could easily as in the case of Acts 3:21 include the OT as well.

Is He not preparing a place for us? Maybe, it is not yet done! "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

His desire that more would come to repentance? The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

The best answer I can find is that the appointed date has not yet arrived! because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17:31

His Word that has ordained that certain things must happen first.............whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. Acts 3:21

I guess we could really build on this list if we put ear to His Word. I'm sure that I don't only speak for myself, but I'm glad He waited and I long for His return!

With the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC
Nick
<><

 

[Brad Huber]

Yeah God made a mistake when He made Lucifer...Joke there.....Actually I don't think that's the way you meant to say that

God doesn't make mistake, but created beings do. Why was David a man after God's own heart. Don't let your theology distract you from the truth.

 

[Bendito]

God doesn't make mistake, but created beings do. Why was David a man after God's own heart. Don't let your theology distract you from the truth.

Huh? You lost me there my friend...

 

[rag4aCrown]

Yes, David!!! He rose in power and favor, then he did sin against God.

 

[Brad Huber]

David respected even those who did evil to himself and others because he loved them, not for the evil but for the good he had seen in them, like Saul, and his own sons (not all his sons, but many). He put himself in danger, and lived on a shoestring, rather than stamp out the evil they had become. He was truly longsuffering like the Lord our God. Man needs to see the futility of power hungry people and how their acquired power does them no good in the long run. We need to grow wiser to prepare us better for this world and the next.

 

[hoghead]

He didn't wait bud, it was instant-He is outside time

Thinking of God as outside of time is a very traditional notion, true. However, it does create problems, especially as it is a largely Hellenic notion, not a truly biblical one. If God is truly outside of time, then time is but an illusion on our part. As one of the fathers out it, God is truth, but creatures in time are not true. The other problem is that if there is no time in God, no before or after, no successiveness, then God can't create anything, as causality would be impossible. Remember, causality assumes a before and an after. And then there is also the problem of how God could ever know us who are in time. According to the Bible God is the lord of history, and that means the must tuneful, the most conscious of time there could ever be.
God works like a skillful carpenter. God works with the grain, not over and against it. God can't move any faster than we are willing to go. hence, the Messiah came when the time was right for that kind of intervention.

 

[hoghead]

Yeah God made a mistake when He made Lucifer...Joke there.....Actually I don't think that's the way you meant to say that

I think all creatures have genuine freedom and therefore create themselves. That does not at all leave God out of the process. it dos mean that all creatures have some real degree of say and responsibility in how they turn out. God provides us all with creative aims for our becoming, but it's up to us to carry them out.

 

[Bendito]

Thinking of God as outside of time is a very traditional notion, true. However, it does create problems, especially as it is a largely Hellenic notion, not a truly biblical one. If God is truly outside of time, then time is but an illusion on our part. As one of the fathers out it, God is truth, but creatures in time are not true. The other problem is that if there is no time in God, no before or after, no successiveness, then God can't create anything, as causality would be impossible. Remember, causality assumes a before and an after. And then there is also the problem of how God could ever know us who are in time. According to the Bible God is the lord of history, and that means the must tuneful, the most conscious of time there could ever be.
God works like a skillful carpenter. God works with the grain, not over and against it. God can't move any faster than we are willing to go. hence, the Messiah came when the time was right for that kind of intervention.

Who says God cannot do things in a set order even outside of time? Time began when God created thee material world...and why is it so difficult to see God outside of the timeline? If you make yourself a sandwich, does that place you into the sandwich?

 

[Christ4Ever]

Thinking of God as outside of time is a very traditional notion, true. However, it does create problems, especially as it is a largely Hellenic notion, not a truly biblical one. If God is truly outside of time, then time is but an illusion on our part. As one of the fathers out it, God is truth, but creatures in time are not true. The other problem is that if there is no time in God, no before or after, no successiveness, then God can't create anything, as causality would be impossible. Remember, causality assumes a before and an after. And then there is also the problem of how God could ever know us who are in time. According to the Bible God is the lord of history, and that means the must tuneful, the most conscious of time there could ever be.
God works like a skillful carpenter. God works with the grain, not over and against it. God can't move any faster than we are willing to go. hence, the Messiah came when the time was right for that kind of intervention.

Hello @hoghead
One would have to first define the construct of time and assume that definition firstly is correct and secondly can have an affect on and not just constrain His ability to manipulate what we know to be His own creation. It becomes necessary to take into account what the effect the timelessness of who He is and know completely what He has built into the laws He has created.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8

And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME." Revelation 4:8

God is the creator of Laws, and this is why when He speaks it happens. You might be able to come up with an analogy that would even describe this. PC folks might think of it in a programmers lingo, while other areas of the mechanical might use other terminology, science defines different ones as well physics and the list goes on and on. However, the functionality might be different but they all accomplish a predetermined task/function. Push button, turn key, hit enter, scientific definitions, etc.

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;It will not return to Me empty,Without accomplishing what I desire,And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

I think all creatures have genuine freedom and therefore create themselves. That does not at all leave God out of the process. it dos mean that all creatures have some real degree of say and responsibility in how they turn out. God provides us all with creative aims for our becoming, but it's up to us to carry them out.

Agreed. As long as one remembers that how things turn out are within the framework that God has created. That is why one can easily ascribe the Bible as being "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth". :wink:

With the Love of Christ Jesus.
Nick
<><

 

[hoghead]

Hello @hoghead
One would have to first define the construct of time and assume that definition firstly is correct and secondly can have an affect on and not just constrain His ability to manipulate what we know to be His own creation. It becomes necessary to take into account what the effect the timelessness of who He is and know completely what He has built into the laws He has created.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8

And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME." Revelation 4:8

God is the creator of Laws, and this is why when He speaks it happens. You might be able to come up with an analogy that would even describe this. PC folks might think of it in a programmers lingo, while other areas of the mechanical might use other terminology, science defines different ones as well physics and the list goes on and on. However, the functionality might be different but they all accomplish a predetermined task/function. Push button, turn key, hit enter, scientific definitions, etc.

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;It will not return to Me empty,Without accomplishing what I desire,And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11



Agreed. As long as one remembers that how things turn out are within the framework that God has created. That is why one can easily ascribe the Bible as being "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth". :wink:

With the Love of Christ Jesus.
Nick
<><

I think of time as motion, change, something happening, successiveness. Classical theism, the traditional picture of God as he is in his own nature, came largely from Hellenic schools of philosophy which viewed the world of time and change as a big illusion. Hence, God was defined as immutable, timeless. I hold this model of God is unbiblical and irrational. I don't think of God as a cosmic dictator who dictates everything that happens. Again, I hold that is unbiblical and irrational. I think of God as eternally creative. That means laws of nature are important, but certainly not the whole story. God is continually ushering in genuine novelty, not jus insisting on the endless repetition of past patterns.
As to the Bible being an instruction book, I think that is a bit naïve. There are many, many biblical laws we do not hold with and for good reason.

 

[hoghead]

Who says God cannot do things in a set order even outside of time? Time began when God created thee material world...and why is it so difficult to see God outside of the timeline? If you make yourself a sandwich, does that place you into the sandwich?

If God is doing things in a set order, then God is working via time. Time is motion change, something happening. A God outside of time would be a God who is wholly static, can't move an inch, "without even the shadow of movement," as Augustine says of God.
The sandwich example isn't at all relevant here and backfires. If you are making yourself a sandwich, then yes, you are very conscious of time. Do this, then that, then that. You would be aware of a number of before-and-after sequences, which you work through.

 

[Christ4Ever]

Sorry couldn't help it. It was the naive part that got me @hoghead. Just because we would not follow them now doesn't mean that those biblical laws in their day somehow lacked validity. It would be a bit presumptuous of us enlightened folks of this age to believe so don't you think? :wink:

You can hold whatever belief you desire, but since I believe the Bible as being the inerrant Word of God, it would be difficult for me to find your position valid. I'm sure you don't find the Bible as being the inerrant Word of God, and so cannot come to the position that I hold to be true.

Notice that some of the scripture that I used, predates the Hellenistic School of thought. Unless of cause this concept originated with our Adversary, which would predate even our own existence........hummmm

I've always find it interesting how finite minds will always attempt to place the infinite into a box. It seems that is the only way we can come to believe that we understand what we are currently incapable of comprehending. I do have to thank-you hoghead. It makes me appreciate John 17:3 all the more! Much to learn and much to know! Maybe, I am a bit naive!
Love you Hoghead! With the Love of Christ Jesus.
Nick
<><