God's Amazing Plan for Us

In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure. (Gen 15:16)

What an amazing plan God has for us! We often wonder why he lets bad things happen. These things don't take God by surprise. He has planned them for centuries. And not only does he have a good reason for them, he often has two or three good reasons!

In this passage, God is making a covenant with Abram. He has promised to make Abram’s descendants into a great nation. But he also tells Abram his descendants will be slaves in another country for 400 years. That part sounds bad. Who wants to suffer for 400 years? Of course, we know in hindsight that Israel's bondage in Egypt and miraculous deliverance was God’s plan to forge them into a nation. Even more, their experience in Egypt was a type (a foreshadowing) of our deliverance in Christ. But God had yet another reason.

We know that when Israel entered the Promised Land it was the fulfillment of God’s promised blessing for them. But sometimes we forget that it was also his execution of judgment on the Canaanites for their many sins. God tells Abram his descendants will be in bondage for 400 years because “the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” Here we see that Israel’s suffering in Egypt had yet another purpose – to show God's mercy to the Amorites! He is going to give them an extra 400 years to repent of their sins. Even though God knew that ultimately they would not repent, in his mercy he desired to give them every opportunity. He is not hasty in judgment.

God weaves all of these many different purposes into the beautiful tapestry of his plan for our lives. When I wonder why God allows suffering in my life, or in the life of a friend, I can be confident that he has a deep and worthy purpose in it.