Promises Long Delayed

[8thdaypriest]

I was thinking last night about people in the Bible  story who were promised something, but then had to WAIT many many years to receive it.   Thought folks might like to remember those people.  I'm not talking about predictions of destruction or death (unless you consider that a promise of death to your enemy, might be considered a good thing for you).  I'm talking about promises of good things.  I'll start.

Abraham was 75 (maybe 76) years old when the LORD promised him "descendants" (Gen 12:7).    After 10 years, and after Sarah had gone through menopause, Abraham fathered Ishmael by Hagar when he was 86/87.   Finally, after Abraham was 99 years old - so 24 years later - Sarah gave birth to Isaac.   Wow!!   That was a long wait for a promised son.  We reproach Abraham for turning to Hagar, but could any one of us wait 24 years to receive something that God had expressly and personally promised - to a point where the physical possibility was gone.  

And I think some look upon Abraham as somehow sexually abusive.  That was NOT the case.  It WAS at Sarah's insistence that Abraham had impregnated Hagar.   Sarah was feeling like a complete failure as a wife.  A "handmaid" was contracted for expressly this purpose - to have children IF the wife was barren.  The children born of a handmaid were counted legally, as the children OF the wife.  Hence the intense irritation of Sarah, when Hagar began acting like she was the "wife".  She refused to "submit" to Sarah.   

[8thdaypriest]

Come on guys!  Participate.   You can think of other promises long delayed.

[thx4mercy]

Noah -- 120 years before flood

Joseph -- many years before fulfillment of his dreams - brothers bowing down to him

[8thdaypriest]

On 11/5/2017 at 11:57 AM, thx4mercy said:

Noah -- 120 years before flood

Joseph -- many years before fulfillment of his dreams - brothers bowing down to him

Anyone know how many years?  Probably from time Joseph was about 17 until he was married and had 2 sons.   Don't know how many years he spent with Potipher.  3 years in the prison.  7 years of plenty.   At least 4 years into the famine.  Probably at least 20 years.  Maybe longer. 

[8thdaypriest]

I know many descendants of Abraham were familiar with the prophecy of the 400 years. 

Genesis 15:13-14  Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.  And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions."

They actually left Egypt 430 years to the very day, from the day the prophecy/promise was spoken, which means the promise was spoken on the day of the year which later became the Feast of Unleavened Bread (the day after Passover).  

I've wondered why the Children of Israel didn't leave Egypt after the famine was over.  Guess they felt to secure there with Joseph as prime minister.   You'd think they would remember the prediction of affliction, and get out of there.  Guess they were looking forward to the "great possessions". 

By the time Moses arrived in Egypt to tell them the 400 years were up, all the Israelites had forgotten about that time promise.  If they did remember it at all,  they were just like many folks today, thinking that promise was just an old tale - a fable. 

[thx4mercy]

I'm sure I've heard at some time in the past, but remind me why they left Egypt after 430 years instead of the 400 that it mentions in Genesis 15?

[LifeHiscost]

On 11/5/2017 at 8:48 AM, 8thdaypriest said:

Come on guys!  Participate.   You can think of other promises long delayed.

One thing seems for sure to me, we are in the last stages of of these promises.

²¹ For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

²² And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

²³ Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

²⁴ For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

²⁵ Behold, I have told you before.

²⁶ Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

²⁷ For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

²⁸ For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

²⁹ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

³⁰ And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

³¹ And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

³² Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

³³ So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

³⁴ Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled....Matthew 24

God is Love!~Jesus saves! 

 

[LifeHiscost]

²⁸ so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him....Hebrews 9

 

Good morning! I and my wife and most of our children are still waiting. And praying for the one who stopped waiting. We covet your prayers.

God is Love!~Jesus saves!

[JoeMo]

The second coming of Christ is a promise long delayed.

The return of all Israel from the nations; and their return to the Messiah is long delayed.

The establishment of the Kingdom on earth is long delayed.

In God's mercy, the appearance of "THE" Antichrist is long delayed; in accordance with Peter's epistle:

" The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

[8thdaypriest]

17 hours ago, thx4mercy said:

I'm sure I've heard at some time in the past, but remind me why they left Egypt after 430 years instead of the 400 that it mentions in Genesis 15?

Exodus 12:40  "Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years." (NKJ)

The "affliction" part was 400 years.

Genesis 15:13   Then He said to Abram: "Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. (NKJ)

It looks like Joseph died, and the next Pharaoh to come to power did not "know" Joseph or respect Joseph's kin.  Instead he enslaved them.   (Maybe jealous of Joseph, elevated to a high position next to Pharaoh.)   This Pharaoh had all the power.  During the famine the people of Egypt had sold their land and paid their money for food.   Joseph's (God's) plan had put all the power into the hands of Pharaoh.  

I wonder if the same thing will happen toward the end of our age.   That people will give power over their lives into the hands of one single entity. 

 Departure from Egypt came 430 years FROM their entry into Egypt, but on the anniversary of the promise to Abraham.

They didn't go down to Egypt for some    years after the LORD made the promise to Abraham.    Abraham was only 75.  He would die at 175 years BEFORE  Isaac even married (Gen 25:7).  Jacob was born when Isaac was 60, and Jacob was old (130 yrs) and leaning on his staff, when he went down to Egypt to be reunited with Joseph (Gen 47:9).   Jacob lived 17 more years in Egypt (Gen 47:28).  

That would leave 13 more years of the 30, until they would be enslaved. 

Don't know about you, but moving is very difficult after you've lived in the same place for 17 years.   Guess they just didn't want to pull up, to move - even though they HAD the prophecy of enslavement.  Maybe they just didn't believe it would happen.   This in spite of the Egyptians despising "shepherds".   Guess they began to assimilate just a little.   Or maybe the enslavement happened so slowly, that they accepted it UNTIL it became severe.   Only after some 320 years did the Egyptians begin doing things like killing the infant males. 

I think the LORD took them to a place where they would NOT assimilate, but rather would remain a distinct people BECAUSE the Egyptians despised Hebrews.

[8thdaypriest]

Galatians 3:16-17    Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it does not say, "And to offsprings," as of many; but it says, "And to your offspring," that is, to one person, who is Christ.   My point is this: the law, which came four hundred thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. (NRS)

This verse seems to say that Mount Sinai came 430 years from the day the promise was made to Abraham.   But that cannot be.  

Exodus 12:41  And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years-- on that very same day-- it came to pass that all the armies of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. (NKJ)

It looks like the Children of Israel left Egypt on the anniversary of the day that Jacob entered Egypt with all his family.    

I had been taught that it was the anniversary of the day the promise was made to Abraham.  Hmmmm.  I'm learning myself here.   Wonder where my teachers got the idea that it was also the anniversary of the Covenant of promise to Abraham.  Need more research.  Maybe the 430 years was from the day the Covenant of promise was "ratified by God" .  And God "ratified" His promise with a sign - that of saving Jacob and family in Egypt, through Joseph. 

Reminds me that God made a promise to Adam/Eve that He would crush Satan's head.  He ratified that Covenant (4000 years later) by the death and resurrection of Christ -- this "sign" so that human beings could know that the promise WILL be completely fulfilled.