GRACIOUSNESS ROSS SMITH
ALL REFERENCES FROM AMPLIFIED VERSION UNLESS NOTED.
Isaiah 30:18 AND THEREFORE (or “NEVER THE LESS” … comments mine) the Lord [earnestly] WAITS [expecting, looking, and longing] TO BE GRACIOUS TO YOU; and therefore, He lifts Himself up, (This suggests Father stands up to His full stature, or rises to the occasion. The Hebrew word means “height”, honoured office or rank. How sobering is that thought that it is on our behalf … comments mine) that He may have MERCY on you and show LOVING-KINDNESS to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favour, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!
Two words in this verse introduce the intentions of Father to His people, the intention is a little obscure in the above, but change the words “AND THEREFORE” to ”NEVERTHELESS”. There is a similarity to a regularly occurring phrase, “SO THAT”, both these terms introduce a result or consequence.
The words of Isaiah are directed at Israel at that time but are equally as appropriate to us in this day and generation.
But my first question is,
WHY DOES GOD WAIT? and secondly,
WHY DO WE EXPECT GOD TO WAIT?
CAN WE GIVE ONE GOOD REASON TO KEEP GOD WAITING?
WHAT ARE WE FORFEITING BY KEEPING GOD WAITING?
- The first question is easily answered, “God waits to be gracious unto us”.
- The second question is not so easy, but generally centres around our selfishness, our preferences, and our disobedience.
- Thirdly, if I have an excuse, I need to determine how credible and convincing my excuse will be when I stand before the Lord.
- Lastly, there is no answer because we have no concept of the range and extent of God’s providential intentions for us.
There is something within us that interferes and inhibits so that we cannot enter into spiritual blessings until we are made capable of appropriating them by demonstrating obedience and activating our faith, or in clearer terms, activate and evidence our obedience.
To keep someone waiting is considered socially as impudence and rudeness, or even downright arrogance, whether it be for an appointment, or slow to respond with an answer, or to be on time for an event, or to deliver some item or service, so why do we expect the Lord to wait for us so that He can be gracious? Can this rudeness be excused on any level? Galatians 6 6:7 says “God will not allow Himself to be sneered at”.
But Father’s delay has a purpose, it always has. There is nothing which so tames and trains and subdues us as waiting, and there is no kinder thing that God can do for us than to incite us to destroy “self”, our egotism, the self-assertiveness of our life, and to bring it to nought. This then opens the door of opportunity for obedience, or faith, to become our habitual state (Luke 2:51)
his is how conscious Father is of our particular and unique personality and character. Can you visualize Him changing feet, anxious for us to reach that state where He can pour out those “GRACIOUS” and precious gifts and make us what we ought to be? Peter puts in clearly in perspective, from both sides. (1 Peter 5:10)
1 Peter 5:10 (ERV) Yes, you will suffer for a short time. (This “suffering” is most often the crucifying of our selfish pursuits and passions … comments mine) But AFTER THAT, God will make everything right. He will make you strong. He will support you and keep you from falling. He is the God who gives all grace. HE CHOSE YOU to share in his glory in Christ. That glory will continue forever.
How rich is that verse in explaining Fathers intentions for us, the purpose for the circumstances we face, and the outcome He intends and is looking for? And Peter declares “He is the God of all grace”, and that is why He is gracious to us. Ephesians 1:4 says, “Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own]”
Not only does He wait but see with what anticipation. Isaiah ramps up the description of the intensity of Father’s attitudes by using the terms “EARNESTLY, EXPECTING, LOOKING, LONGING”, and so we need to acquaint ourselves with the reasons why He has to wait for us.
“EARNESTLY” suggests that Father is emotionally committed to us. He demonstrated this when He sent His Son Jesus to redeem us, using the incalculable price of Calvary.
“EXPECTING” infers that He has great hopes for our future, anticipation. (Ephesians 1:14)
“LOOKING” is present continuous tense, not just an occasional glance, an alert watchfulness. His eye is on the sparrow and sees when it falls, (Matthew 10:29)
“LONGING” shows our lack of response is cause for great disappointment, because He wants to bless us, when we will allow him!
How disappointed is Father in my response to His remonstrations in my life, how many more circumstances or events have to occur before I see how urgent is His appeal. Isaiah spells it out so graphically when he says “EXPECTING, LOOKING, LONGING”.
Sometimes when we are having family visit there is such a sense of expectancy, they say they will be there about … o’clock, so the door is open, the balcony frequented, the street scanned, a scenario repeated over and over as we “WAIT, EXPECTING, LOOKING LONGING”. The best part is, we are seldom disappointed, they turn up, even if it is a few minutes late, or an hour late, and so that which Peter penned in the following verse applies, the suffering of waiting comes to a conclusion.
1 Peter 5:10 And after you have suffered a little while, (This is OUR “waiting” part, spiritually it is the refining that the fire and hammer of the Word achieves in us … comments mine) the God of all grace (that’s why He can be “gracious to us”, because He is God of all grace .. comments mine) [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you (And is waiting for a positive response … comments mine) to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, (we can now insert those two words that precede a result or consequence, “SO THAT” … comments mine) will Himself complete and MAKE YOU WHAT YOU OUGHT TO BE, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.
GRACIOUS
The word “GRACIOUS” is not one which we use in our daily communications, maybe for several reasons. One, we do not find this attribute too widely distributed in our society these days. Then maybe we are not familiar with the definition, and thirdly, it is frequently attributed to someone who has plenty of money and lives comfortably. Our concept of “GRACIOUSNESS” is frequently distorted by the vagaries of changing language.
So, it is convenient to look at terms that will give us some insight into this intensely generous promise from Gods Word. Strong’s concordance does it some justice,
GRACIOUS Strong’s H2603 A primitive root (compare H2583); properly to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior; to favour, bestow; causatively to implore (that is, move to favour by petition): –
NOTE RE STRONG’S EXPLANATIONS: (The definition starts after the first semicolon and extends to the colon and dash symbols (: -). Anything after this “colon and dash” is a list of biblical usage.) “beseech, X fair, (be, find, show) favour (-able), be (deal, give, grant (gracious (-ly), entreat, (be) merciful, have (show) mercy (on, upon), have pity upon, pray, make supplication, X very.”
The concordance still does not provide the clarity that is required to appreciate this term, but the dictionary helps bring “GRACIOUSNESS” to life in its definition but serves to show the paucity of our understanding of the nature of God.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary broadens the explanation.
- (a.) Abounding in grace or mercy; manifesting love, or bestowing mercy; characterized by grace; beneficent; merciful; disposed to show kindness or favour; condescending; as his most gracious majesty.
- (a.) Abounding in beauty, loveliness, or amiability; graceful; excellent.
- (a.) Produced by divine grace; influenced or controlled by the divine influence; as, gracious affections.
In simple terms, it means “To show favour”, not in a partial manner but UNIVERSALLY, “Graciousness” is marked by kindness and courtesy, and characterised by generosity of spirit.
There are some synonyms that also help, such as “Courteous, Compassionate, Elegant, Showing God’s kindness.” But none of these dictionary definitions can adequately express the extent and nature of God’s “GRACIOUSNESS”.
Our real-life encounter with GRACIOUSNESS, when it occurs, is on rare occasions and on different levels, but Gods “GRACIOUSNESS” comes on every level. In His WAITING He is not inactive but is always creating or adjusting circumstance so that He can demonstrate His Graciousness, and even in creation, He is Gracious.
I have some issues with Strong’s definition where it says, “to bend or stoop in kindness to an inferior”. Whilst this is true in definition it is not true in relation to Gods character, and He made that clear in
Ephesians 2:19 Therefore you are no longer outsiders (exiles, migrants, and aliens, excluded from the rights of citizens), (or “inferior”. comments mine) but you now share citizenship with the saints (God’s own people, consecrated and set apart for Himself); and YOU BELONG TO GOD’S [OWN] HOUSEHOLD.
Father waits for the most appropriate time to show mercy, He prevails when things are seemingly at their worst, or at the greatest extremity, and when and if we eventually become aware of our danger.
The appropriate time is when we have an awareness of our sins, and the need to repent of them, and to see our need of His help. So, “He waits to be gracious to us”, He has resolved, to show favour to us. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments. (John 14:15)
SOMETIMES WE COME TO RECOGNISE THE WORTH OF GOD’S MERCIES, BY THE NEED OF THEM.
Psalm 145:8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness. (A five (5) fold evidence of His nature towards us, and a pattern set for us to follow … comments mine)
This verse sews together the full gamut of Father’s concern for us and has to use five different narratives to convey the message to make it stick. Not only is He GRACIOUS, but He is also COMPASSIONATE, and the two terms are synonymous. Can we see that “GRACIOUSNESS” covers the very nature of God in His demonstration of love to us, the most undeserving of His creation, and confirms His love in action, by providing for our every daily need?
COMPASSIONATE
The term “COMPASSIONATE” describes His GRACIOUSNESS as it relates to our susceptibility to affliction and sin, even the sin of neglect. It can even go deeper when James pointed out that ignoring what we know to do correctly, is sin.
James 4:17 So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.
James 2:9 (ERV) But if you are treating one person as more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God’s law.
I am reassured by the confirmation in Lamentations that He does not weary in waiting, nor is He mean or niggardly in His dispensing.
Lamentations 3:21-23 But THIS I RECALL (in our terms we would say “KEEP THIS IN MIND” OR “DO NOT FORGET” … comments mine) and therefore have I hope and expectation: IT IS BECAUSE OF THE LORD’S MERCY AND LOVING-KINDNESS THAT WE ARE NOT CONSUMED,” BECAUSE” HIS TENDER COMPASSIONS FAIL NOT. THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING; GREAT AND ABUNDANT IS YOUR STABILITY AND FAITHFULNESS.
The unchanging nature of God is evidenced in His expressions to Moses way back in antiquity, and the enormity of His accommodation for the frail, fragile and delicate human race. God, Himself expressed it in lavish language to convey to Moses his absolute commitment, maintained to this day, despite the context in which it was announced to Moses.
Exodus 34:6-7 AND THE LORD PASSED BY BEFORE HIM, and proclaimed, The Lord! the Lord! a God MERCIFUL and GRACIOUS, SLOW TO ANGER, and abundant in LOVING-KINDNESS and TRUTH, Keeping MERCY and LOVING-KINDNESS for thousands, FORGIVING INIQUITY and TRANSGRESSION and SIN, but Who will by no means clear the guilty, (This is where He becomes the God of JUSTICE … comments mine) visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.
Look at the list of God’s “GRACIOUSNESS” towards men, sinful men, men who have turned their back on God for the moment. Surely this includes those times when we ignore the lessons we have been taught, the goads of our conscience we dismiss, the opportunities we pass up such as to meet with Him in the early morning, etc.
It would probably be a good exercise to take each of these six different areas and see if and where they apply to us, and where we have needed the extension of God’s nature to us.
- Merciful (or pitiful);
- 2. Gracious;
- 3. Long-suffering;
- 4. Abundant in goodness;
- 5. Keeping mercy for thousands: and
- 6. Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin
Exodus 34:6-7 uses the same expressions as Psalm 145:8 and contains the same promises.
Psalm 145:8-9 The Lord is GRACIOUS and full of COMPASSION, SLOW TO ANGER and abounding in MERCY and LOVING-KINDNESS. The Lord is GOOD TO ALL, and His TENDER MERCIES are over all His works [the entirety of things created].
How can we continue to ignore the invocations and entreaties of our God and keep Him waiting, when the Bible reinforces over and over the extent of His provision for us if we will just make the leap of trust that sacrifices our own satisfaction to be submerged in His divine providence?
- The Lord is gracious to those that serve Him
- He is full of compassion to those that need Him,
- Slow to anger to those that have offended Him,
- Of great mercy to all that seek Him
- He is ready to give and ready to forgive, more ready than we are to ask, and then we are to repent.
- AND HE IS WAITING TO BE GRACIOUS TO US.
SLOW TO ANGER
If we want to understand God’s long-suffering, we can see it in His relationship with His Old Testament people Israel. They were about as exasperating as anybody could be, and it was never more evident than when Moses lingered on Mount Sinai, receiving the law from God’s hand. These people gave God more excuses and reasons to be angry than most of us would experience in a lifetime.
Lamentations 3:22 It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness THAT WE ARE NOT CONSUMED, because His [tender] compassions fail not.
Another name for “slow to anger” is “long-suffering”. Long-suffering involves restraint in our complaining and grumbling and we already know that when we complain it is actually an affront against God. (Philippians 2:14) It is in fact, sin.
It originates in our inability to accept that every circumstance is ordered of God and infers that we are unhappy with His arrangements and that we have a different agenda. OUR FAILURE TO GRASP THIS FACT IS CAUSING FATHER TO “WAIT”.
The fact that we get away with this behaviour is because of those characteristics of God, so eloquently expressed but only slowly and reluctantly accepted. Not only are we fortunate that we are “NOT CONSUMED”, but in fact His compassions are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:23)
LONGSUFFERING equals SLOW TO ANGER equals PATIENT, not as synonyms, but as exactly the same word in the Hebrew text. (aw-rake From H748; long: – long [- suffering, -winged], patient, slow [to anger])
We would do well to remember the advice James proposed to us, and take on the nature of God’s “slow to anger”. James 1:20 For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires].
ABOUNDING IN MERCY
We saw how the Israelites could be a test of Fathers longsuffering, but they also tested his “MERCY”. I do not suggest that we follow the pattern that the Israelites did, their disobedience was recompensed in due course with so many of them failing to reach the promised land.
Nehemiah 9:17 THEY REFUSED TO OBEY, (The “refusal to obey” can be either blatant or complacent … comments mine) nor were they mindful of Your wonders and miracles which You did among them; but THEY STIFFENED THEIR NECKS and in their rebellion appointed a captain, that they might return to their bondage [in Egypt]. BUT YOU ARE A GOD READY TO PARDON, GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL, SLOW TO ANGER, AND OF GREAT STEADFAST LOVE; AND YOU DID NOT FORSAKE THEM.
See how eloquent is the Psalmist recollection of these characteristics of His Lord. As we read through the Psalms David repeatedly declares the extent of God’s “MERCY”, and the declaration made in Psalm 23 resonates even in unbelievers’ hearts and is widely known and cited.
Psalm 23:6 Surely or only GOODNESS, MERCY, AND UNFAILING LOVE shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.
LOVING KINDNESS
This attribute is mentioned 174 times in the Amplified Bible, and so the relevance and importance cannot be ignored and needs to be understood. The Apostle Paul was well aware of the benefits of God’s “loving kindness” and in his unique and exceptional grasp of language he says it like this,
2 Corinthians 12:9 (A) But He said to me, My grace (My favour and LOVING-KINDNESS and MERCY) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble MANFULLY.
The fact that these remarkable benefits have been retained for us also, should propel us into Father’s arms rather than have Him continue to tarry and linger on the sidelines while we procrastinate and dally in our response to His invitation. Just look at how beautifully David expresses God’s Nature.
Psalm 85:10 MERCY AND LOVING-KINDNESS AND TRUTH HAVE MET TOGETHER; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
KJV says “MERCY and TRUTH”, and you cannot have LOVING KINDNESS without MERCY. These two attributes are of heavenly origin, but out of the abundance of God’s “GRACIOUSNESS” is born the earthly though divine benefits, our entrance into the realm of “Righteousness and Peace”, so that as we are caught up in their embrace.
“MERCY AND TRUTH” are God’s prerogative, however “RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE” are our privilege.
It is important that we revert to the original text for this study, “AND THEREFORE the Lord [earnestly] WAITS [expecting, looking, and longing] TO BE GRACIOUS TO YOU;
The world engages in and defines the “WAITING GAME” as “dealing with a situation by deliberately doing nothing, because you believe you will gain an advantage by acting later, or because you are waiting to see how other people are going to act; a situation in which you delay taking any action, so that you can watch how a situation develops and see what it is best for you to do.”
What a sad commentary on man’s behaviour, his ego always striving to gain the upper hand over his fellowman, often with disastrous consequences, lives destroyed, and futures forfeited, just because men do not embrace the nature of our God. We would do well to ponder our patterns of action and reaction to see that we do not fall into the same or similar trap.
Father is not playing “The Waiting Game”, He is not interested in trying to gain an advantage over us as these clichés suggest, He has our total best interests at heart, earnestly wanting to give us overwhelming advantages.
Genesis 6:3(A) Then the Lord said, My Spirit shall not forever dwell and strive with man
Although this was the sentiment expressed way back in Genesis, it suggests that we can expend Father’s tolerance of our tardiness. The implications are that Father attempts to deal with us, for our good, but that there is a resistance offered which may take us beyond the “use by date”. The consequences of the Spirit’s ceasing to strive with men are evidenced by:
- a confirmed hardness of heart;
- a complacent and ambivalent attitude
- a seared conscience;
- certain damnation.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].
(SEE THE STUDY “LET US DRAW NEAR”)
Ross Smith 