THE POWER OF PATIENCE
Through a splendid display of the Power of the Kingdom of God against the power of the kingdom of darkness. Miracles out-performing magic. Yet, Israel displayed great impatience with God and their constant murmuring caused them to perish in the wilderness and forfeit the grace of their deliverance into a land flowing with milk and honey. They both tested and extended God's patience. He had to wait another 40 years to fulfil His promise to His people.
Samson is another example of patience being tested. His patience was persistently harassed to the point of crumbling and collapsing and giving in and what was meant to be a great predestined victory for God and His Kingdom, became a story of great embarrassment. The patience of the kingdom of darkness prevailed over Samson and changed the course of history in and for the Kingdom of Heaven.
When we read of the Prophet Haggai, we see another illustration of patience in progress. This time where the beauty of patience conquered the sin of unrighteousness against God. A priest getting married to a prostitute as a commandment from God. This seems like total insanity and absolutely contrary to the Gospel. Haggai was obedient in obscurity to God. He married the prostitute and in all her absolute unfaithfulness, he remained faithful to her and to God. The purpose of the Book of Haggai was to show off God's patience with sin. God's love for Israel as a gross adulterous nation and scornful lover of God. Israel had a reputation of schizophrenic love for God. In love, out of love. Always running after the false god's and their sensual offerings. Yet Haggai (God) patiently endured all the rejection, patiently waited, raised the children, and eventually went so far as to buy back the obstinate prostitute (Israel) back from slavery. Patient endurance.
God has much patience when he raises up leaders. David was in the meadows as a shepherd boy while his kingship was predestined, and even though his brothers rejected him, Goliath mocked him and King Saul persecuted him, the patience of God saw him enthroned as King.
Moses was rescued from death and raised and trained as an Egyptian ruler. The son of a King. Yet he knew that he was a foreigner. He traded the security of his adopted home and family for the protection of a Hebrew. He had to take flight to escape death and lived in his father in law's house in the desert for 40 years. By the time Moses was 80 and sufficiently equipped according to God's requirement for his assignment, God released Moses to deliver His people. Patience working character and virtue and wisdom in one of the Great Leaders in the Bible.
Esther was a Kinsmen Redeemer. Esther the orphan. Living with her uncle Mordecai. They did not know and neither was it prophesied or foretold to them by an Angel of God or any special messenger that God was working a great plan of salvation for Israel into her life story. Her canvas was painted with the picture of a Queen long before she was born. On that canvas there was inscribed these powerful words: BORN FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS. Yet both Esther and Mordecai and King Xerxes were oblivious to God's plan to rescue Israel from total extinction. Patience.
Jesus. Patience. From before the beginning of creation and chronological time, Jesus effected patience. He waited for His turn to be born. He waited His turn to be scorned. He waited His turn to be baptised, he waited His turn to preach. Jesus had to patiently wait to return to God. Jesus had to wait to save mankind. Jesus had to be patient in the Garden of Suffering. He had to patiently give up His will in order for The Will of His Father to reign supreme. Jesus had to patiently become sin so He could receive the wrath of God. Patience turned the Tree of Shame to The Throne of Glory. Patience turned history into quandary. Patience makes the wisdom of this world folly. Patience makes a message of a mess, turns tragedy to triumph and turns ashes to beauty.
PSALM 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord
PROVERBS 19:11 A man's wisdom gives him patience
ROMANS 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction
1 CORINTHIANS 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind
LOVE & PATIENCE. POWER TWINS.