Long-Suffering For The Sake Of His Name

Why does Jehovah exercise long-suffering? Primarily in order to magnify his holy name and vindicate his sovereignty. (1Samuel 12:20-22) The moral issue raised by Satan over the way Jehovah uses his sovereignty required time to be settled satisfactorily before all creation. (Job 1:9-11; 42:2, 5, 6)

Hence, when his people were being oppressed in Egypt, Jehovah told Pharaoh: "For this cause I have kept you in existence, for the sake of showing you my power and in order to have my name declared in all the earth." - Exodus 9:16.

Jehovah's words to Pharaoh were quoted when the apostle Paul explained the role of God's long-suffering in the glorification of His holy name. And then Paul wrote : "If, now, God, although having the will to demonstrate his wrath and to make his power known, tolerated with much long-suffering vessels of wrath made fit for destruction, in order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory, namely us whom he called not only from among the Jews but also from among the nations, what of it? It is as he says also in Hosea: " Those not my people I will call "my people." (Romans 9:17, 22-25)

Because Jehovah exercised long-suffering, he was able to take out the nations "a people for his name." (Acts 15:14) Under their Head, Jesus Christ, these "holy ones" are heirs of the Kingdom that Jehovah will use to sanctify His great name and to vindicate his sovereignty. - Daniel 2:44; 7:13, 14, 27; Revelation 4:9-11; 5:9, 10.

Next time: Jehovah's Long-Suffering Works For Salvation