Why Did God Wait So Long to Send His Message?
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“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
If we have learned anything as believers, it is that God’s timing is always perfect. I mean, we know that, but sometimes it’s hard to understand it. And it doesn’t mean we don’t have questions. After all, we look at the timing one way while God generally sees it in an entirely different context. We think we know, and then, well, God.
While we certainly have questions about God’s timing in terms of our own personal issues and prayers, there are some questions on a much larger scale that can come up among believers and non-believers alike. Believers may wonder and then trust as best we can. Non-believers, however, often try to use these as “gotcha questions,” things they can ask to prove there are no clear and concise answers. To them, the lack of a clear answer proves that there is no God.
One of those questions is why did God wait so long to send His message of forgiveness and redemption through Jesus? Were there certain events that had to occur before Jesus could be sent to earth? If so, what were those things? Why wait 400 years after the last prophet of the Old Testament?
It is one of those questions that is deeply rooted in theology and in the study of God’s sovereignty and God’s nature. God’s patience, wisdom, and perfect timing seem quite apparent now, in the historical and theological context of Jesus’ arrival. In other words, from where we sit, the timing looks perfect. But… that doesn’t mean we have all the right, specific answers; it is somewhat safe to say there are answers that at least we can point to or speculate upon.
Indeed there were certain conditions that did exist when God sent down His Son – conditions that did not exist prior and would help to ensure that once the atoning sacrifice had been made, the gospel could be spread. The world needed to be both expectant and ready to receive a Messiah. To receive the truth. But also, the world needed the infrastructure to be in place that would accommodate the spread of the gospel. Perhaps most of all, the Jews needed to be ready for the Savior they had expected for generations. And yes, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy certainly played into all. But that just means that God knew all along exactly when and where this would all happen. But of course He did. Thus leaving the question of why? Why not right after Adam and Eve sinned?
Believers are always encouraged to trust in God’s timing, knowing that His plans are always for our ultimate good and His glory.
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul tells them, “…when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…” What in the world did Paul mean? Well, Paul was trusting that the coming of Jesus was at the exact “fullness of time” that God had always intended. This assures us that God is faithful to His promises and that His timing, though sometimes mysterious, is always perfect.
God’s Redemptive Plan
“I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world” (Galatians 4:1-3).
Some 2,000 years after Adam and Eve sinned, the Lord called on Abraham. That’s right – 2,000 years! Then a mere 100 years or so later Israel went into slavery in Egypt for another 400 years. Then Moses gets the Law at Sinai and the Jews wait another 1,500 years of studying and living by the Law. Then, the arrival and ministry of Jesus. Now, another 2,000 years have passed.
From the context of Galatians 3 and 4, it is quite evident that all along God had sought to lay a foundation through the Jewish Law that would prepare for the coming Messiah. The Law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith (Galatians 3:24). In other words, like parents teaching their children, the Law was meant to help people understand the depth of their sinfulness and to point out that we are incapable of achieving justification through our own behavior. Again, like a child or an apprentice we were given specific rules to follow until we grew up. Thus, the Law was more or less “put in charge” until the Messiah.
As far as this applies to timing, for God a thousand years is like a day and a day is like a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8). God’s kingdom doesn’t work like ours – Jesus taught that it is like a mustard seed that grows into a giant tree (Matthew 13:31-32). God’s work is generation building upon generation. And each generation had to learn for themselves that the Law was impossible for humans to keep. We needed a Savior. Meaning Jesus’ arrival was perfectly timed according to God’s plan.
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).
The “fullness of time” reveals that all conditions were perfect for the planting of the mustard seed – for the Messiah. Yet even so, God had to allow time after the coming of Messiah to allow the ripple effects of redemption to touch following generations, so that everyone might be saved.
But Why Then…?
Divine Patience
“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood — to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished” (Romans 3:25).
4,000 years. That’s the time from Adam and Eve to the advent of the Messiah. We can only visualize what those years were like. If we think we have it tough, we can only imagine.
Many ask, “so what of all the people who lived before Jesus came? Are they just condemned to eternal torture?” Well, in the book of Romans Paul tells us that God did all this to demonstrate His righteousness – to demonstrate who He is. His love, and mercy and grace. Paul was telling us that those attributes – that patience – would extend that righteousness to those who knew him. He overlooked their sins until the “fullness of time” when He, Himself, would provide redemption.
Jesus himself told the Pharisees: “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56).
Related article: Did Believers in the Old Testament Go to Heaven?
Jewish Expectation of the Messiah
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him’” (Matthew 2:1-2).
For the 400 years leading up to Jesus’ birth, there was an ever-increasing expectation among the Jewish people for the coming of the Messiah. This expectation was based on various Biblical prophecies, but Daniel 9:24-27 placed the Messiah’s birth and death at precisely when Jesus came.
Of course, in the 200 years leading up to that time the Jews had suffered under Antiochus and the Seleucids – resulting in the Maccabean revolt in about 168 BC – and then the domination of the Roman Empire. As a result, the Jews were in fact excitedly expecting a Messiah, celebrating the birth of every male child. But they were expecting a Messiah who would be a conquering king, saving them from the Romans.
The Roman rule over Israel made the Jews even hungrier for the Messiah’s coming.
Roman Infrastructure and the Pax Romana
“Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch” (Acts 11:25-26).
The Roman Empire had conquered and unified much of the world under the government in Rome. This gave some sense of unity to a great many lands. But more importantly, Rome had created a system of roads to make it easier for the armies to travel. This made it easier for everyone else to travel, as well.
The Roman army often recruited soldiers from the local populations, introducing them to the Roman culture and Roman ideas of governing. The led to what was called the Pax Romana – the peace of Rome. Other regions were allowed freedom of religion as long as it did not interfere with that peace.
Thus, the Roman roads and Pax Romana created a great deal of ease of travel throughout the entire Roman Empire, and Paul took full advantage of that. Such travel would have been unheard of in other eras.
Shockingly, according to John Mark Comer, within 300 years of Christ’s resurrection, more than 50% of the Roman Empire was following the teachings of Jesus. Additionally, the earliest introduction of the gospel to Britain was a result of soldiers stationed there who had come to know Jesus as their Savior.
Common Language
“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: ‘People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship — and this is what I am going to proclaim to you’” (Acts 17:22-23).
Rome had conquered the entire region militarily, but some 200 years before, the Greeks had imposed even greater influence on the culture. In fact, many Jews had lived in the Greek world and had adopted the Greek culture and language. These Jews were called Hellenists. In fact, a very common, or slangish, form of the Greek language was spoken throughout the Empire and was the language of the trades.
This made it possible for many Christians to preach the gospel to a number of different people groups of different areas and different cultures.
Jewish Diaspora (Dispersion)
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings” (James 1:1).
Throughout the Old Testament there are stories of the Jewish dispersion, certainly including the exile to Babylon, escape back to Egypt and so many others. The Book of the Acts of the Apostles records Paul’s journeys as he spread the gospel across the Roman Empire. In each city he visited Jewish synagogues and delivered the message that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
The Jewish Diaspora is mentioned only three times in the New Testament:
John 7:35 – “The Jews said to one another, ‘Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?’”
James 1:1 – “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.”
1 Peter 1:1 – “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia.”
These Jews abroad all understood their faith and the expectation of the Messiah.
The Ripple Effects of God’s Patience
“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).
Thus, we are now in the period of “already, but not yet.” Those who have given their lives and hearts fully to Christ are already saved, but eternal salvation has not yet been completed.
We may not suffer in the same way as others did before the advent of the Messiah, but we are still suffering. There is still persecution of the Church all over the world. We still have trouble. But we must take heart, Jesus has already overcome the world (John 16:33).
The principles of divine timing seen in Jesus’ arrival can also be applied to his return. The trumpet will soon sound, but it will be in God’s perfect timing, not ours. We can find comfort in understanding and trusting God’s perfect timing in our personal lives.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Just as God’s timing was perfect in sending Jesus and will be perfect in His return – so it is in our lives. When we are impatient we can find patience by trusting in Him. During times of waiting, followers of Christ can trust that God is working for their good and has a better plan than we might see.
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
As believers, we are called to trust God’s guidance, even when His timing is not immediately clear to our own limited vision.
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/jchizhe
Greg doesn’t pretend to be a pastor, a theologian, or a Bible expert, but offers the perspective of an everyday guy on the same journey as everyone else – in pursuit of truth.
Greg can be reached by email or on Facebook @ Greg Grandchamp - Author.