Concerning The Forbearance of God

It is an instance of divine condescension that the Lord reasons with men, and asks this question, and others like it. Is. 1:5, 55:2; Jeremiah 3:4; Ezekiel 33:11.

God not only acts kindly to sinners, but when they misuse his kindness he labors to set them right. Is. 1:18; Hosea 11:8.

It is a sad thing that any who have seen God’s judgments on others, and have escaped themselves, should draw from this special mercy a reason for adding sin to sin. Jeremiah 3:8.

From the Lord’s earnest question let us learn wisdom.

I. LET US HONOR THE LORD’S GOODNESS AND FORBEARANCE.

A reverent sense of it will be a sure safeguard against despising it.

1. It is manifested to us in a threefold form—

   • Goodness which has borne with past sin. Psalm 78:38.
   • Forbearance which bears with us in the present. Psalm 103:10.
   • Longsuffering which, in the future as in the past and the present, is prepared to bear with the guilty. Luke 13:7–9.

2. It is manifested in great abundance: “riches of his goodness.”

   • Riches of mercies bestowed, temporal and spiritual. Psalm 68:19.
   • Riches of kindness seen in gracious deliverance, measured by evils averted which might have befallen us, such as sickness, poverty, insanity, death, and Hell. Psalm 86:13.
   • Riches of grace promised and provided for all needs.

3. It is manifested in its excellence by four considerations—

   • The person who shows it. It is “the goodness of God” who is omniscient to see sin, just to hate it, powerful to punish it, yet patient towards the sinner. Psalm 145:8.
   • The being who receives it. It is dealt out to man, a guilty, insignificant, base, provoking, ungrateful being. Genesis 6:6.
   • The conduct to which it is a reply. It is love’s response to sin. Often God forbears, though sins are many, wanton, aggravated, daring, repeated, etc. Malachi 3:6.
   • The boons which it brings. Life, daily bread, health, gospel, Holy Spirit, new birth, hope of Heaven, etc. Psalm 68:19.

4. It has been in a measure manifested to you. “Despise you?”

II. LET US CONSIDER HOW IT MAY BE DESPISED.

1. By allowing it to remain unnoticed: ungratefully passing it over.

2. By claiming it as our due, and talking as if God were bound to bear with us.

3. By opposing its design, and refusing to repent. Proverbs 1:24, 25.

4. By perverting it into a reason for hardness of heart, presumption, infidelity, and further sin. Zephaniah 1:12; Ecclesiastes 8:11.

5. By urging it as an apology for procrastination. 2 Peter 3:3, 4.

III. LET US FEEL THE FORCE OF ITS LEADINGS.

The forbearance of God should lead us to repentance.

For we should argue thus:—

1. He is not hard and unloving, or he would not have spared us.

2. His great patience deserves recognition at our hands. We are bound to respond to it in a generous spirit.

3. To go on to offend would be cruel to him, and disgraceful to ourselves. Nothing can be baser than to make forbearance a reason for provocation.

4. It is evident from his forbearance that he will rejoice to accept us if we will turn to him. He spares that he may save.

5. He has dealt with each one personally, and by this means he is able to put it, as in the text, “God leads you to repentance.” He calls us individually to himself. Let each one personally remember his own experience of sparing mercies.

6. The means are so gentle, let us yield to them cheerfully. Those who might refuse to be driven should consent to be drawn.

   • O sinner, each gift of goodness draws you to Jesus!
   • Forbearance would gladly weep you to Jesus!
   • Longsuffering waits and woos you to Jesus!
   • Will you not turn from sin and return unto your God, or “Despise you the riches of his goodness?”

Arguments

Here is a select variety of admirable words, where the critics tell us that the first word signifies the infinite goodness and generosity of the Divine nature, whereby he is inclined to do good to his creatures, to pity and relieve. The second expresses his offers of mercy upon repentance, and the notices and warnings sinners have to amend. The third is his bearing the manners of bold sinners, waiting long for their reformation, and from year to year deferring to give the final stroke of vengeance. In what an apt opposition do riches of Divine goodness, and treasures of wrath to come, stand to one another!—Anthony Blackwall.

The forbearance and longsuffering of God towards sinners is truly astonishing. He was longer destroying Jericho than in creating the world.—Benjamin Beddome.

According to the proverb of the Jews, “Michael flies but with one wing, and Gabriel with two”; God is quick in sending angels of peace, and they fly apace; but the messengers of wrath come slowly: God is more hasty to glorify his servants than to condemn the wicked.—Jeremy Taylor.

It is observable that the Roman magistrates, when they gave sentence upon any one to be scourged, a bundle of rods tied hard with many knots was laid before them. The reason was this: that while the beadle, or flagellifer, was untying the knots, which he was to do in a certain order, and not in any other hasty or sudden way, the magistrate might see the deportment and carriage of the delinquent, whether he were sorry for his fault, and showed any hope of amendment, that then he might recall his sentence, or mitigate the punishment; otherwise he was to be corrected the more severely. Thus God in the punishment of sinners, how patient is he! how loath to strike! how slow to anger if there be but any hopes of recovery! How many knots does he untie! How many rubs does he make in his way to justice! He does not try us by martial law, but pleads the case with us, “Why will you die, O house of Israel?” And all this to see whether the poor sinner will throw himself down at his feet, whether he will come in and make his peace, and be saved.—Thomas Fuller.

To sin against law is daring, but to sin against love is dastardly. To rebel against justice is inexcusable, but to fight against mercy is abominable. He who can sting the hand which nourishes him is nothing less than a viper. When a dog bites his own master, and bites him when he is feeding him and fondling him, no one will wonder if his owner becomes his executioner.