A casual reading of the OT can give us the picture of a God who is quick to mete both judgment and reward. Examples of quick judgment would include Miriam’s bout of leprosy after complaining against Moses in the wilderness; the earth swallowing Korah and his followers who rebelled against Moses; God’s quick temper against the Israelites when they grumbled (Moses reminded God of his promise to them and He decided not to destroy them); Uzzah, who touched the Ark of the Covenant to steady it and was immediately struck down; the death of David & Bathsheba’s first son; and the pestilence that came upon Israel as punishment for the census David took near the end of his reign. A few and examples of quick reward would include Hannah conceiving Samuel shortly after Eli’s blessing in the Tabernacle; the victory at the battle of Jericho; and Jonathan’s victory over the Philistine garrison.
But a casual reading also reveals a God who delays gratification and judgment as well. We all know the story of how Abraham waited for years before Sarah gave birth to Isaac, but he was born! Israel was in bondage to Egypt for hundreds of years before the Lord raised up Moses to deliver them. And while David was punished with the death of his son, there was more punishment to come (Ammon and Tamar, Absalom). And perhaps most notable of all is the fulfillment of exile on the people of Israel and Judah for their idolatry. While we do see in Judges the cycle of sin and judgment, there is always swift deliverance when the people repented. But the exile seems to be postponed, sometimes due to the prayers and actions of a single man; some of us cannot help but ask a few questions. Are the seeming delays in keeping with the character of God (specifically his justice and keeping his word)? Is God fickle in how he chooses to mete out punishment and mercy? Can we really lay all of those issues down at the feet of sovereignty and walk away?
Many of these questions also go back to the other post I wrote about prayer. Hannah asked God for a son and received one; Moses reminded God of his promise to Israel and He didn’t destroy them; Israel cried out for centuries to be freed from Egypt and God raised up Moses; Hezekiah prayed and the angel of the Lord destroyed the Assyrian armies so that Judah would not be carried off. Hannah was barren; God was angry; Israel was oppressed, and Hezekiah was surrounded by the army of a king who sent him death threats- and prayers changed the outcome of the situation. So is God’s forbearance directly tied to prayer? Did he delay punishing Israel and Judah time and time again because of the prayers of the occasional righteous man? Did he stave off exile for another two hundred years because of Josiah’s godliness, and annihilate the Assyrian army because of Hezekiah’s desperate plea for God to do something? Abraham prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah, and God still leveled those cities; although he did spare Abraham’s nephew Lot. Would Lot have been spared if Abraham had not interceded for him? The salvation of Lot eventually led to the birth of the Moabites and the Ammonites, people who would later bring trouble and false gods to Israel- so did the fact that God answered Abraham’s prayer contribute to the corruption of his people? Or did God in his sovereignty allow the origin of those peoples knowing the part they would play, both is corrupting Israel and in judging her?
The fact is, none of these situations surprised God in the least. He already had a plan to fulfill his promises to Abraham, rescue Israel from slavery, to show both mercy and judgment to his people- prayer added a human element. While in some instances prayer did not remove or stay consequences (David’s sincere repentance did not prohibit the death of his son, or his other family problems), prayer does allow people to be involved in the process and to interact directly with God. And I would still come to the same conclusion that while our prayers don’t actually change God’s mind in the larger scheme- his plans WILL be accomplished on HIS timetable- prayer does give us an active voice and a participation in what those plans look like in the flesh. God’s forbearance is influenced by our prayers to the degree that our requests coincide with his will.
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