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Most of us at different times have felt like Asaph, but however slippery the path, and
the assault of the enemy, we can say with him "Thou hast holden me by my right hand"
(verse 23).
Abraham, the man of faith.
Abraham is lifted out by the Apostle Paul, both in Romans and in Hebrews as a
wonderful example of a faith "that staggered not" at an almost unbelievable promise, yet,
there is an illuminating passage which shows that he was much like ourselves, and
became haunted with the question "Why?". This we find recorded in Gen. 15:
Although Abraham believed in the Lord that Sarah should have a son and heir, Abraham
nevertheless asked:
"Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it [the land]?" (Gen. 15: 18),
and at first reading, the answer of the Lord sounds the very opposite of reassurance:
"Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall
serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years" (13).
The assurance comes in the sequel:
"But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again" (16),
as we find they did (Exod. 12: 40-42).
There were several factors that led to delay. Terah's halt at Haran, and Lot's
accompanying afterwards gave the evil one his opportunity. Now, instead of blotting out
the Canaanite by one miraculous blow, the Lord seems to suggest that even the
Amorite had some length of time allowed, "the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full"
(Gen. 15: 16). Daniel also tells us that "when the transgressors are come to the full"
(Dan. 8: 23) the closing phases of Prophecy will be at hand. This seems to be a
principle that is observed even when dealing with iniquity. In the dreadful denunciation
of hypocritical Pharisees and those that agreed with them, the Saviour said:
"Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers,
how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matt. 23: 32, 33).
The Apostle Paul, referring to the antagonism of the Jews to the gospel, speaks of
killing, persecuting, being contrary, forbidding to speak to the Gentiles that they might be
saved, concluding with the words:
"To fill up their sins always" (I Thess. 2: 15, 16).
Here again some recognized `measure' seems to be in view, and therefore may be an
answer to another "Why?" that has often expressed the worry and anxiety of man under
the centuries of Satanic power. Why should Satan be allowed 6000 years of rebellion?
Perhaps so mighty an antagonist needs to have a greater extent of liberty before the final