“And [the younger son] arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him...
But [the older son] was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him”
—Luke 15:20, 25, 28a
“And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
—Luke 18:7-8
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
—James 1:19-20
We don't need a tachometer to measure the speed of a snail or a tortoise. But we do need one for an automobile engine or other power source that exceeds what human eyes can detect.
Five of the Psalms in the ESV pray for the Lord to “make haste”. Two more plead for Him to respond “quickly”. But we can't dismiss them as nothing more than requests of people who are hurting or afraid. Jesus asked rhetorically whether God would “delay long”, and then He reassured His disciples that God's justice would be given “speedily“. Luke's account uses the Greek word that is the root of the English words, “tachometer” and "tachymeter".
Human eyes may not see His response coming, or they may not understand the form it takes, but we have His assurance that it will come. Luke's gospel sets this assurance in the parable Jesus told to encourage them to continue in prayer without losing hope or courage.
In contrast, the Lord is slow about other things.
The Israelites quickly forgot their trust in the One who had rescued them from Egyptian slavery. His demonstrations of power had “executed judgment” on the Egyptian idols. But the Israelites were quick to accept a golden calf as a substitute. The Lord could have destroyed them as ingrates. Instead, He declared His character to Moses—“slow to anger”—in language that continues to echo through the Law, Prophets, and Psalms.
And, as James reminds his readers, if that is the character of the Lord, how could His children do anything other than follow?
Quick and Slow
Do not forsake me, O Lord!
O my God, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
—Psalm 38:21-22
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
—Psalm 145:8
“And [the younger son] arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him...
But [the older son] was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him”
—Luke 15:20, 25, 28a
“And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
—Luke 18:7-8
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
—James 1:19-20
We don't need a tachometer to measure the speed of a snail or a tortoise. But we do need one for an automobile engine or other power source that exceeds what human eyes can detect.
Five of the Psalms in the ESV pray for the Lord to “make haste”. Two more plead for Him to respond “quickly”. But we can't dismiss them as nothing more than requests of people who are hurting or afraid. Jesus asked rhetorically whether God would “delay long”, and then He reassured His disciples that God's justice would be given “speedily“. Luke's account uses the Greek word that is the root of the English words, “tachometer” and "tachymeter".
Human eyes may not see His response coming, or they may not understand the form it takes, but we have His assurance that it will come. Luke's gospel sets this assurance in the parable Jesus told to encourage them to continue in prayer without losing hope or courage.
In contrast, the Lord is slow about other things.
The Israelites quickly forgot their trust in the One who had rescued them from Egyptian slavery. His demonstrations of power had “executed judgment” on the Egyptian idols. But the Israelites were quick to accept a golden calf as a substitute. The Lord could have destroyed them as ingrates. Instead, He declared His character to Moses—“slow to anger”—in language that continues to echo through the Law, Prophets, and Psalms.
And, as James reminds his readers, if that is the character of the Lord, how could His children do anything other than follow?