Delay

We don't always react well to delays - delays in plans, expectations, in satisfying needs, or wants. As we wait for answers to our prayers as well, we can jump to false conclusions if the answer does not come in what we view as a timely manner. No matter whether the delays that we experience are of small or great importance, we don't like to wait. The children of Israel suffered a delay that brought out a shocking response. This week's Sabbath reading includes Exodus 32: "Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, "Come make us god(s) that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." (Ex. 32:1). Moses was up on the mountain in the presence of the LORD. He had been on the mountain for forty days and nights (Ex. 24:18). Moses was considered to have been overdue in the Israelites' view, and they were evidently in a panic caused by his continued absence. The use of the word "delayed" in this verse is the Hebrew word bus, meaning "to delay, paleness, terror, to fail in hope and expectation, shame, put to shame, overwhelmed with unexpected calamity, to be deprived of hope; troubled, disturbed, confused". The reaction of the people to the delay of the return of Moses reflected this extreme meaning of the word, as we will see. There is even shame attached to the word meaning "delay" here. The Concordance mentions that an opposite idea to this meaning is found in the example from scripture, "O my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed...Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed..." (Ps. 25:1-3), and "For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame'." (Rom. 10:11). In this case, the people became exceedingly troubled and afraid at Moses' delay in his return, and asked Aaron to fashion a god to lead them. Aaron agreed, and told them to "break off" the golden earrings that they wore in their ears, and bring them to him. He melted them down, and fashioned (sur - besiege, distress, bind, confine, to press upon, to be an adversary) a molten (masseka/nasak - pour out, anoint, offer, cover, image, covering, vail, pour out blood/wine of victim, make a libation) calf. He told the people, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt" (Ex. 32:4), and he built an altar before it. The fact that Aaron ordered the golden (zahab - splendor, brilliant, shimmer) earrings (nezem - ring, nose ring, earring) of the people to be taken out of their ears (ozen/azan - hearing, ears, to reveal, receiver of divine revelation/ to listen and obey; of God: to listen to prayers) has a special meaning. According to the Hebrew meanings of the words, we can say that in removing the golden earrings, they were removing their shining glory in God, and giving it to something else. They exchanged their glory in God for shame (Hos. 4:7, Hab. 2:16). We can see why the LORD said in the Psalms: "They made a calf in Horeb (meaning "dry, waste, desert, desolate, destroyer, decay, to attack), and worshipped the molded image. Thus they changed their glory into the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God their Savior Who had done great things in Egypt..." (Ps. 106:19-21). God brought His Word of life and revelation in the middle of a place of waste and destruction, but His people gave that glory to the image of an ox, something common that they could see with their eyes and immediately attain. According to the Hebrew meanings, they were rejecting His divine revelation in their lives, and they were refusing to continue to listen and obey Him. It was also, as a result, a rejection of their covenant, or marriage to God, because as told in scripture, a golden nose ring, (also meaning earring), was given to Isaac's future bride, Rebekah, generations before as a promise of marriage (Gen. 24:22-30). When Aaron received from their hand the golden earrings from the people, this also carries a meaning of marriage: received being the word laqah - "accept, take, taken captive, take a wife, take in marriage". Instead of receiving the Word engraved on stone tablets by the finger of God (Ex. 31:18), they desired the calf that Aaron fashioned with an "engraving tool" (Ex. 32:4) by the hand of man. Aaron had built an altar in front of the golden calf, and the people brought offerings to burn before it (v. 6). They also rose up to "play". This word is sahaq - "laugh, mock, make sport, play, jest". The LORD then said to Moses on the mountain: "Go, get down! For your people...have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them..." (v. 7-8). God's wrath was set to destroy them, and make a great nation of Moses instead, but Moses pleaded with the LORD on their behalf (v. 10-11). This perceived delay of Moses in the minds of the Israelites began a sad set of circumstances that revealed the true hearts of the children of Israel, and became a prophetic lesson for us. In the same way, Jesus prophesied of a "delay" in His return that would also lead to events that revealed the hearts of men. Jesus told the parable of a master delayed from his expected time of return. His servants began to act in a corrupt and abusive manner. The master, Jesus said, will return when they are no longer looking for him, or expecting him, and those corrupt servants will be punished (Mt. 24:44-51, Lk. 12:40-47). Jesus also told a parable about a bridegroom who was delayed, and only half of those who were to take part in the wedding remained expectantly prepared. The others were no longer keeping themselves prepared for the bridegroom's appearing (Mt. 25:1-13). He told His disciples to "watch therefore". Peter warned that there will be those who stop believing that Christ will return in judgment because that return is seemingly delayed. They walk instead according to their own immediate desires, and scoff and mock at the idea of the Lord's return and judgment, not understanding that the "delay" is caused by God's desire to give all an opportunity to repent, and return to Him (2 Peter 3, also Jude v. 17-18). Revelation talks about an angel in heaven who will call out, "There should be time (delay) no longer" in the fulfillment of God's prophesied plan (Rev. 10:5-7). This statement tells us that there was a perceived delay, but that delay is now ended. False Christs will take advantage and declare themselves to be Christ and deceive many, as Christ's return seems to be delayed (Mt. 24:4-5). False teachers flourished in Paul's day as believers looked for the return of Christ. As a perceived delay in the return of Christ caused this fear and confusion, false teachers said that the Day of the Lord, and the resurrection of the dead had already occurred, and those who lived and died afterwards had "missed it". Paul had to give the Church the correct order of events that would occur before the return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the catching away of the living in Christ (1 Thess. 4:13-18, 5:1-2, 2 Thess. 2:1-8). Delay, even a planned (by God) and prophesied (by Jesus) delay, can cause even the elect of God to believe heresies and false teachers and prophets. With these warnings from Christ and the apostles, comes the instruction to "wait": "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master...that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately." (Lk. 12:35-36), and "...if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (Rom. 8:25), and "...to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." (1 Thess. 1:10). Finally, Isaiah prophesied about a future time of great testing: "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." (Isa. 40:30-31). Even while warning us to wait, Jesus promised, "Surely I am coming quickly'. Amen. Even so, Come, Lord Jesus!" (Rev. 22:20-21). If you would like to become someone who waits for the Lord, you can pray with me, "Heavenly Father, Your people are called to wait upon You with trust, and we will not be ashamed. The world looks for instant solutions, and quickly fulfilled desires, but Your glory is found in the trust of Your people. Deception heresies may come, but You have told us to remain steadfast in truth. I do not want to exchange Your glory in my life for shame. Your Son prayed that I would share in His glory, and His Father's glory. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit to keep me in the paths of righteousness and truth, with all patience and perserverance until the day of Your return. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."