A Walk Through the Bible - Part 5 - Everything is the Same...Or Is It?

Joshua Boyd

Series Context

•  Part of A Walk Through the Bible
•  Core truth: God is the same yesterday, today, and forever
•  Not two different Gods (OT vs NT) 
•  Justice has always existed—Jesus changed how judgment is paid

Humanity Hasn’t Changed

•  Sin existed before the Law (Cain & Abel) 
•  Pattern throughout history: 
  •  Sin → Judgment → Repentance → Rescue 
•  Seen clearly in Judges (repeated cycles) 
•  Ecclesiastes: “Nothing new under the sun”

Two Cycles

1. God’s Cycle (Life Cycle)

•  Sin 
•  Judgment 
•  Repentance 
•  Rescue 

2. Death Cycle

•  Sin → Judgment → Sin → Judgment (no repentance) 

God’s Character in the Cycle

• Merciful
• Compassionate
• Slow to anger
•  Gives repeated opportunities to repent 

Delay of judgment ≠ lack of justice
It is mercy

Why Judgment Seems Delayed

•  God desires all to be saved (1 Timothy 2) 
•  If judgment were instant: 
  •  None of us would stand 
•  What we see as delay = God giving time to repent 

Perspective Problem

•  We often say: 
  •  “This is the worst it’s ever been” 
•  Reality: 
  •  Humanity has always had extreme evil 
•  God sees all of history: 
  •  Our “worst moment” = a tiny blip

Biblical Example: The Flood

•  Humanity became: 
  •  “Consistently and totally evil” 
•  Judgment came—but only after time to repent 
• One man (Noah) completed the cycle
  •  Faith + obedience = rescue 

One person’s obedience can impact generations

God’s Nature (Key Truth)

•  God is: 
  •  Slow to anger 
  •  Full of unfailing love 
  •  Eager to forgive 

He is not looking to punish—He’s looking to rescue

Jonah & Nineveh Lesson

•  Jonah wanted judgment 
•  God showed mercy when people repented 
•  Jonah got angry 

➡️ Lesson:

•  We often want justice for others 
•  But mercy for ourselves 

Why We Shouldn’t Judge

•  We don’t see: 
  •  The full story 
  •  Private repentance 

Eternal Perspective

•  This world is temporary 
•  God’s Word is eternal (Matthew 24:35) 
•  Solomon’s mistake: 
  •  Focused on temporary things → found emptiness 

➡️ True meaning = eternal focus

“Where Is God?” Question

•  People have always asked this (2 Peter 3) 
•  Answer: 
  •  God is not slow 
  • He is patient

“He does not want anyone to perish, but all to repent”

Time Perspective

Delay = opportunity

Final Encouragement

•  Stay in the full cycle
  •  When you sin → repent quickly 
•  Trust God: 
  •  Judgment is just 
  •  Mercy is available 
  •  Reward is coming