God’s timing
In a world where there is so much chaos and confusion, we can easily forget that God is still patiently at work, and that His great plans for His cosmos will not be thwarted. The coming of Jesus to save us was not an impulsive act, but was rather part of the big plan of God, promised in Genesis and repeatedly prophesied by Old Testament prophets. One example of this is Micah’s promise of the coming shepherd, given no less that 700 years before the birth of Christ!
You, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times…(Micah 5:2)
He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. (Micah 5:4)
In writing primarily for a Jewish audience, in his gospel, Matthew wanted all to know that Micah’s promise was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus:
King Herod called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. In Bethlehem in Judea, ”they replied,“ for this is what the prophet has written: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel (Mt 2:3–6).
The circumstances on the earth at the time of Christ’s birth point to His coming at just the right time. As Paul says, ‘But then the right time came. God sent his Son’ (Galatians 4:4).
And then Jesus pointed to the timing of His coming: ‘The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Turn away from your sins and believe the good news!” (Mk 1:15).
Writing about God’s timing, one commentator says, ‘What did Paul mean by the “fullness” of time? Early Christian apologists pointed to the fact that the birth of the Messiah occurred during the Pax Romana, a period of relative peace and stability. Others have pointed to the development of a common language, favourable means of travel, the emergence of an urban civilisation that made possible the rapid spread of the Christian message, and so forth. Still others have pointed to the lapse of a definite period of time (cf. Dan 9:24) that had to occur before the appearance of the Messiah. It is sufficient to say with Calvin that “the time which had been ordained by the providence of God was seasonable and fit.… Therefore the right time for the Son of God to be revealed to the world was for God alone to judge and determine”1
And then popular commentator Warren Wiersbe:
‘Historians tell us that the Roman world was in great expectation, waiting for a Deliverer, at the time when Jesus was born. The old religions were dying; the old philosophies were empty and powerless to change men’s lives. Strange new mystery religions were invading the empire. Religious bankruptcy and spiritual hunger were everywhere. God was preparing the world for the arrival of His Son. From the historical point of view, the Roman Empire itself helped prepare the world for the birth of the Saviour. Roads connected city with city, and all cities ultimately with Rome. Roman laws protected the rights of citizens, and Roman soldiers guarded the peace. Thanks to both the Greek and Roman conquests, Latin and Greek were known across the empire. Christ’s birth at Bethlehem was not an accident; it was an appointment: Jesus came in “the fullness of the time.” (And, it is worth noting, that He will come again when the time is ready).2
God has not abandoned us - and His timing is perfect!
1 George, T. (1994). Galatians (Vol. 30, p. 301). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
2 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 706). Victor Books.