rtf1ansiansicpg1252deff0deflang1033fonttblf0fnilfcharset0 Georgia;f1fnilfprq2fcharset0 Padua; colortbl ;red0green128blue0; viewkind4uc1pardf0fs24 par b How Long?b0 par par cf11ulbf1fs22 Rev_6:10cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24. par par The words 'How long?' occur frequently in Scripture, and are spoken in various waysu8212? par (1) As from man to man; par (2) as from man to God; par (3) as from God to man. par par b I.b0 The passages in which the words are between b man and manb0 may be briefly noticed. They are such as, cf11ulbf1fs22 Job_8:2cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long will you speak these words?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Job_19:2cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, "How long will you vex my soul?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Psa_4:2cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long will you turn my glory to shame?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Psa_63:3cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long will you imagine mischief against a man?' They are the complaint of the troubled against his troublers, and of the righteous against the wicked. Strange interchange of words between man and man! But we do not dwell on this. We come to the other two, in their order. par par b II.b0 The words as from b man to God.b0 Looking up to God, man breathes the deep-drawn sigh, 'How long?' Let me note the chief passagesu8212?cf11ulbf1fs22 Psa_6:3cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'My soul is sore vexedu8212?but You, O Lord, how long?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Psa_13:1cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long will You forget me, and hide Your face? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, and sorrow in my heart? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Psa_35:17cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long will you look on?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Psa_64:10cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long shall the adversary reproach?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Psa_79:5cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long will You be angry?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Psa_89:46cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long will You hide Yourself?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Psa_90:13cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'Return, O Lord, how long?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Psa_94:3-4cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long shall the wicked triumph?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Hab_1:2cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long shall I cry?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Rev_6:10cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long, O Lord, do You not judge and avenge our blood?' These are the chief passages in which the expression occurs. Instead of dwelling on each of these in succession, let me thus sum up and classify their different meanings. It is the language ofu8212? par par b (1) Complaint.b0 It is not murmuring or frettingu8212?yet it is what the Psalmist calls 'complaining.' The righteous man feels the burden and the sorrow and the evil that have so long prevailed in this present evil world, and he cries, "How long?" Have these not lasted long enough? Would that they were done! In this complaint there is weariness, and sometimes there is sadnessu8212?almost despairu8212?when unbelief gets the upper hand. Creation groans. Iniquity overflows. Death reigns. The wicked triumph. God seems to forget the earth and to hide His face. The saint ''groans within himself, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of the body.' 'Woe is me,' he says 'that I dwell in Mesech!' Yes, we that yet are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened. We daily cry, 'How long?' We are oppressed, and oftentimes cast down. We are not despondingu8212?yet we cannot laugh with the world. par par b (2) Submission.b0 While impatience sometimes rises, yet the cry does not mean this. It is really a cry of submission to a wise and sovereign God. It is the cry of one putting all events, as well as all times and seasons, into His hands, as Jesus did in Gethsemane. When we pray for deliverance, or plead for the Lord's coming, we do not mean to be impatientu8212?but simply to utter our wearinessu8212?to unbosom ourselves to a gracious God. While we sayu8212?How long? We say alsou8212?Not my will, but Yours be done. We utter our own conscious helplessness, and put all into the hands of God. par par b (3) Inquiry.b0 In all the passages there is an implied question. It is not merelyu8212?Oh that the time would come! Butu8212?When shall it come? We may not 'know the time how long,' but we ask earnestly, with the prophetu8212?How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? We are warranted in asking, for God has given the prophetic word, that our inquiries may be stimulated and directed. The disciples inquired, and Christ answered fully (cf11ulbf1fs22 Mat_24:3-4cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24). par par b (4) Expectation.b0 It is the voice of faith, and hope, and longing desire. The present is dark, the future is bright. God's word is sure concerning the coming glory; and so we, looking for and hastening to that glory, and depressed with the evil here, cry out day by day, 'How long?' When will the day dawn? When will the kingdom come? When will the glory break forth? Faith hears the voice of the Beloved, and says, 'Make haste;' it hears His 'Behold, I come quickly!' and it says, 'Even so, come, Lord Jesus!' We 'look for and hasten (unto) the coming of the day of God' (cf11ulbf1fs22 2Pe_3:12cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24). par par b III.b0 The words as from b God to man.b0 I note the following instancesu8212?cf11ulbf1fs22 Exo_10:3cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, cf11ulbf1fs22 Exo_16:28cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Jos_18:3cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long will you be slack to go in the possess the land?' cf11ulbf1fs22 1Ki_18:21cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long halt you between two opinions?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Psa_82:2cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long will you judge unjustly?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Pro_1:22cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, cf11ulbf1fs22 Pro_6:9cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?' cf11ulbf1fs22 Jer_4:14cf0ulnoneb0f0fs24, 'O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be heardu8212?how long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you?' par par Taking up these words of God as spoken to different classes, we would dwell on the following pointsu8212? par par b 1. Long-suffering.b0 Jeremiah's words to Jerusalem are the words of a patient God, 'not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.' He is the infinitely patient God, as such most unwilling to smite. He speaks in pity to the sinner, 'how long will you not be saved?'u8212?like Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. par par b 2. Admonition.b0 How long halt you between two opinions? How long shall you be of deciding? How long of trusting me? How long will you treat me as a false God, and do injustice to my grace? par par b 3. Entreaty.b0 How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? God beseeches man. He entreats him to give up his sinu8212?to come and be saved. How long will you refuse my love? par par b 4. Earnestness.b0 God's words are all sincere. They are not the language of duplicity or pretense. He means what He says, and He says what He means. 'You will not come to me!' 'How often would I have gathered your children!' 'O that you had known!' par par b 5. Sorrow.b0 It is not at random that God says, 'How long?' His are not mere words of course. 'It grieves Him at His heart.' Every moment's continuance in unbelief is vexing and grieving the Spirit. par par b 6. Upbraiding.b0 As He upbraided Israel with being slack to go in and possess the land, so He upbraids us. There is the land, the kingdom, why do you not go in? The door is openu8212?the way is clear. par par b 7. Warning.b0 As He warned the judges and princes in Israel, so does He warn us. How long will you deal unjustly? He said to them. How long will you persist in your unrighteousness and unbelief? He says to us. The day of grace is ending. The day of wrath is coming. Be warned. Flee from the wrath to come!