How long?

I love the question God asked Pharaoh in Exodus that starts with “How long?” That phrase is also repeated by Pharaoh’s servants. “How long?” God asks Pharaoh, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.” There are many times the Psalm writers asked the Lord, “How long?” When will you deliver us, O Lord? But this time it is directed at a man. “How long, Pharaoh, will you stand there in your pride?” It reminded me of the time Elijah took on 450 prophets of Baal, all by himself (he thought) at Mt. Carmel. Except he wasn’t all by himself, was he? God was there, and there were still 7000 who had not bowed their knees to Baal. Elijah stood before a people who had gathered to watch this battle and who clearly represented the great indecisive middle. Like the people today who have a cross around their necks and a rabbit’s foot in their pocket and a daily horoscope tucked in their copy of the Koran and a statue of Buddha on their desks. Elijah cries to them, “How long?” “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” We know how that story ended and how God answered the question of “Who is worthy?” He settled the matter with fire.

“How long?” We have to be very careful asking someone else that question. But we can and should regularly ask it of ourselves. In what areas of your life could you ask yourself, “How long?” How long will I stay where I am and not move forward in healthy ways? In my walk with Jesus, my relationships with others, my practice of discipline in the Word and prayer and gathering with a local church, my work ethic, my giving, my practice of spiritual gifts, my encouragement of others, my being fully present wherever I am, my worship, my consideration of others as more important than myself. Hey, if you dare, give someone you really trust permission to ask you those same questions! 

I am not sure Pharaoh had given his servants permission, but they asked him anyway. “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” What boldness! There is dissent in Pharaoh’s house. These servants may not have lived another five minutes, but they spoke truth to power, didn’t they? They had just heard Moses and Aaron say that the locusts would come the next day and finish off the destruction of Egypt. 

Are you old enough to remember the song, “Sixteen Tons,” by Tennessee Ernie Ford? My dad had that record and would sing along with it, so I heard it too. Many times. As a middle son of three boys whose regular pastime was fighting each other, my favorite line to quote to them was this one: “One fist of iron, the other of steel; If the right one don’t get you then the left one will.” Ha! I dreamed about being that tough but it was always just that. A dream. 

But not for God. His right pinky brought the father of all hailstorms to Egypt in the seventh plague. And His left pinky finished it off in the eighth plague. The locusts ate everything green in the land that the hail had not already destroyed. It is a reminder that with a word God brought forth all the vegetation on the third day of creation, every plant and every tree. And with a word from God in the eighth plague, every source of food in Egypt was destroyed. Every plant and every tree–gone. Famine and starvation was sure to follow. The de-creation of Egypt was almost complete. 

Which begs the question for us today: How long will God have patience with a world that has reviled the cross and the empty tomb?