“And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the forth generation they shall come hither again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” Genesis 15:15,16
All through the Scriptures sinful man is brought face to face with a perfectly righteous God. He is righteous because He IS His own standard for what is right. When Jesus declared in John’s gospel that He was the way, the truth, and the life, He set before men a perfect standard of what was the right way, the absolute truth, and the source and essence of true Life. The eternal nature of God, as expressed in His own words to Moses: “I AM THAT I AM,” fills every true description and meaning of His person. He is eternal in every aspect of His being, unchanging, perfectly just and righteous, but also merciful. Equally true is the fact that He is perfect love and goodness. So, when we consider the justice of God, we must also consider that He knows all things, weighs all things upon the scales of His righteousness, mercy and love, ever desirous that all men should be saved from the wrath to come, working through men to bring this to pass, and yet, there is a point where mercy will not go. It is God alone who decides where that point is, but there are several examples in Scripture where we see approximately when a person, or people reached that point.
In God’s dealings with Abraham, speaking of His future dealings with the descendants of Abraham, He speaks of their servitude which will last approximately four hundred years. God told Abraham concerning the nation that would rule over his people, that He would judge that nation. This He did, and in a very monumental way. Why? In examining the “light” that God gave to Egypt through His people, and then through Moses with the miracles that God performed by his hands, one would have thought that they would believe, and obey God. That was not the case. Their leader hardened his heart, and also those that followed him. They crossed a line of deliberate, reckless, heartless unbelief, refusing the revelation. God then judged them, and the army of Pharaoh perished in the Red Sea.
With regard to the Amorites who lived in the land of Canaan, where the children of Israel were destined, they had come full circle in their iniquity, defying the true and eternal God by embracing the worship of murderous gods. In spite of the revelation of God by His working with Israel, delivering them from the Egyptians and their enemies on the other side of the Jordan River, the inhabitants of Jericho would not yield to God’s mercy. Only Rahab, with her family, would be saved. Judgement had come to Jericoh, for the light of God had been fully rejected.
In the story of Jonah and the Ninevites, we find the prophet being called of God to go and to preach God’s message to the enemies of God. Jonah knew that if God was sending him, there was a good possibility that the Ninevites would repent and not perish. He knew that God was gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, who would turn from His wrath if there was true repentance. Jonah was right. Nineveh, faced with the judgement of God in forty days, repented, and believed God. God turned from His wrath and spared her for many years. At a certain point, His mercy met His judgement.
In Josiah’s day, a young king who followed the Lord fully, a copy of the book of the covenant, the Law of Moses, was found while the temple was being repaired. Upon hearing the book read, Josiah, only eighteen years old, tore his garments, as he was gripped powerfully by a very terrible realization: God’s wrath was upon the nation because of past sins. It would be by the humility, and obedience of Josiah, that God would choose to defer His judgement.
Gracious Father, show Thy mercy today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.