His perfect timing ~ Bob Coy

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. . . . But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete."-Genesis 15:13-16 (NKJV)

God had shared with Abraham that his descendants would be in bondage 400 years before entering the land He had promised to them. Four hundred years is a long time, and if we were among the Israelites, we might have been tempted to ask God, "If you're capable of doing whatever you want, why do we have to wait so long for the fulfillment of this prophecy?"

The answer comes at the end of this prophecy as God told Abraham, "The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." At that time, the Amorites were living in the land promised to Israel. Later, in the book of Leviticus, we're told that they were extremely wicked, and that God would eventually cast them out of the land because of their sinful practices (Leviticus 18:24-25). But He had graciously determined a set amount of time-400 years-before His judgment would come in the form of the Israelites, not so they could go on sinning but so His patience could be proven and they would have plenty of time to repent.

Why did it take so long for this prophecy to be fulfilled? Because God saw what was happening on the other side of the equation and had set the timer accordingly. This is a powerful reminder that prophecy is governed by God's perfect timing. He ordains fulfillment at just the right moment so that every side of the issue is perfectly served. Israel needed a homeland, the Amorites needed judgment, and God needed to demonstrate His grace and longsuffering-for 400 years.

Discuss and share with your group this idea of perfect timing. What things in your life do you feel God is “taking His time” to accomplish? How does gaining God’s perspective help you understand your present predicament?

Dig into Genesis 15:13–16. What does this passage reveal to you about God’s timing? What personal promises did Abraham receive? Why did Israel have to wait 400 years to inherit the Promised Land?

Decide as a group to pray for one another. Remind one another that God’s timing is perfect, not just in prophecy but in everyday life. Recall this prophecy when you’re tempted to question God’s timing.