Galatians 4:4-5

 

Imagine the questions of people in the market place, in the fields, and at the dinner tables. The people envisioned political greatness, a world conquering Messiah, and an eternal King with divine power. When would Messiah come? When would He throw off the Roman rule over the people? When would He raise up His kingdom? When would the “Son of David” restore the splendor of the Jewish throne? When would God speak again to the people? How long would He keep silent? Why was He waiting?

 

The word “fully” is from the noun pleroo. It means “fullness, full measure, full end, abundance, completeness as in reaching the intended goal.” ¹² It implies “gestation.”   God used time to do what only time could do. It caused the people to be starving for a Word from Him. Although the nation of Israel rejected Jesus, pockets of Jewish people received Him well. They were hungry for a fresh Word from God. An empty stomach enjoys an all-you-can-eat buffet much more than a full stomach or even a partially full stomach. After 400 years without hearing one word from God, God sent the entire all-you-can-eat buffet of His Word and His presence. How much a person eats depends on how much she desires to have of Jesus. What a dream - a buffet with no limits!

God used time to prepare the earth. The preparation period is very important to God. Preparation impacts the fruit of the tree called destination. He prepared the way by:

1.      Universal language – Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire, thus ruling over the Jews in 333 B.C. He conquered the “known” world and made Greek the common language, the second language for all. It was the language of commerce and writing. The New Testament was written in Greek, and the Old Testament was translated into Greek making it easy to disseminate and understand.

2.      Universal peace - In 63 B.C., the Romans conquered the Greeks. They ruled with an iron-fist, but there was peace. The temple doors of their god of war were closed.

3.      Established road system – The Roman army built a road system allowing them to reach a place quickly if there was an uprising. The road network established a working postal system, protection for travelers, and opportunities never before seen.

4.      Death penalty by the Roman cross - The Roman government’s form of capital punishment was the cross. It was a brutal, torturing, and humiliating death for criminals and a deterrent for future criminals. The Hebrews stoned people to death.  

 

God may have been silent, but He was not asleep. The first three things allowed the disciples to bring the Gospel to other countries. An earthly army may have established it, but the army of God used it for His purposes. The fourth point prepared God’s chosen way for His Son to die for you and me.

 

When God declared it was time, He sent His angel Gabriel to declare the news. Luke begins his Gospel with the story of Gabriel visiting the priest Zechariah to announce the birth of the forerunner to Jesus, John the Baptist. Six months later, Gabriel went to a young Jewish girl named Mary.

 

God’s perfect timing - He chose the right time on the kingdom calendar centered on the Jews, and to all races and religions: The Incarnate Deity, Immanuel, God with us.

 

I understand God’s perfect timing in my life. It was seven long, hard years from the time God put it on my heart until the time I finally held my adopted daughter in my arms. God placed the idea of adopting a Chinese baby girl on my heart when I moved back from Guam to the United States. I met a couple in the Tokyo airport who explained to me the social circumstances of baby girls in China. A few years later, my husband and I started the adoption process. We have one of the longest times from beginning of paperwork for adoption to actual placing of our daughter. My husband’s uncertainty combined with his job loss bogged the process in the mud. We hit a minor speed bump with the 9/11 tragedy. When we heard our referral was finally on its way, a contagious and deadly disease called SARS hit China. Referrals immediately stopped being sent. How much longer, O Lord, until I have my daughter in my arms? God gave me a personal Scripture to comfort me and to sustain me through each roadblock. My favorite was Psalm 78:1-7 that He gave me through my husband’s indecision. I knew that I would tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds the LORD had done to bring our daughter into our lives so they would know God and trust Him.

 

The experience of receiving my daughter Victoria in the hotel conference room was one of the most extraordinary moments of my life. The first time I saw her, I knew that the Almighty God had lavished His love upon me and fulfilled His promise to me. Who could ask for anything more in life than this fulfillment of a promise by God? It was one of the most intense times that I have spent with Him. I don’t know fully why God chose that time. However, I will treasure this seven-year journey for the rest of my life. I thank Him for not responding to my impatience. I praise Him for letting the events happen in His perfect timing. What about you? Have you learned to praise God for His perfect timing?

 

Pray with me: Oh, Abba, Father, thank You for Your Perfect timing. Help me to learn through the preparation period. I know it impacts my experience and readiness at the destination. I want to praise You during the waiting periods. Manifest patience in me. Teach me to treasure Your timing. Enable me to trust You in all things. El Elyon, God Most High, we praise You. You waited until the perfect time to send Your Son, born of a woman, born under Law, to redeem those under Law, that we might receive the full rights of sons and daughters. We praise Your perfect plan for Jesus’ birth. It is Your Son’s Name, I pray, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name. Amen.