The Lord Knows

Ever single day you must face the unknown. Sometimes that is harder than others. That has been true for me- e.g. seeking Sharon’s hand in marriage, dealing with unknowns for the church (finances, families leaving, spiritual struggles), dealing with unknowns in our society.

What are some other unknowns that we often struggle with?

Sometimes, people will say this phrase, and usually after something bad happens, “The Lord knows...”

2 Peter 2:9 KJV 1900

9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

That is a true statement, but what do we mean when we say it? What do we mean when we say the words, “The Lord knows?”

I think it is an acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty. Or at least it ought to be. What we are really trying to say, or trying to reaffirm our faith in is something like this, “God is still in control.” Even if I don’t understand it, I believe that God is still sovereign and He is still in control.

I think that someone’s understanding of, and faith in the absolute sovereignty of God is the hallmark of a mature faith. It really takes a mature faith to trust in God’s sovereignty through all of the unknowns that life throws our way. It takes a mature faith to believe that God is going to make sense of a situation that does not make any sense whatsoever.

An absolute trust in the sovereignty of God takes a broad understanding of who God is, of what He is accomplishing, and what His purpose in our lives are. I think it also takes some personal experience. It takes a time or two of having to go through the mire of life, to see God remain faithful, to see God do all things well, to see God work as we faithfully trust and obey Him.

I think it is this kind of trust in God’s sovereignty that Peter is calling for in this section of 2 Peter.

2 Peter 2:3 KJV 1900

3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

Their judgement is no idle, and their damnation (destruction) is not asleep. Even though it seems like the wicked carry on with their sensuality and greed and exploitation with nary a consequence, that is not true.

In fact, they are bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

2 Peter 2:1 KJV 1900

1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Our job is to continue to trust in the sovereign God who will in His own timing and according to His own perfect plan- judge the wicked and deliver the godly.

And in order to prove his point Peter gives us three illustrations, in order to call us to continue putting our faith in a faithful sovereign God.

Illustration #1- Wicked Angels (2:4)

2 Peter 2:4 KJV 1900

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Here in v. 4 Peter begins a conditional statement. IF this is true (and it is), then this must be true. The conditions of this statement go all the way down through v. 8 and you don’t get to the THEN until v. 9. So all of these illustrations are building to one main point. One main truth that is essential if these believers are going to keep themselves from following after the error of these wicked men.

If #1- if God spared not the angles that sinned.

What angels are we talking about?

Pre-historic fallen angles (angles at the time of Satan’s fall)

“Peter is probably not referring here to the angels who originally fell, since they were not immediately incarcerated in hell nor confined permanently to pits of darkness to await their final judgment. In fact, they are the demons who are now loose in the world, securing Satan’s unholy purposes.” MacArthur.

2. A reference to

Genesis 6:1–4 KJV 1900

1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

Sons of God = angles

Sin = Sons of God came in unto the daughters of men

Highly debated verse. Very unclear if the Sons of God in refer to angles or to godly men. Unwise hermeneutics to use a questionable interpretation of a difficult text to interpret another text that is equally uncertain.

3. Theological mystery.

“The spiritual dynamics of how and why angels sinned remains, in many ways, a theological mystery.” MacArthur

Ultimately the identity of the angels doesn’t matter. The point is that God judged them for their sin.

God did not spare the sinful angels, BUT (emphatic)- he cast them down into hell

ταρταρόω- Tartarus, a place of holding, a dark pit- thought of by the Greeks as a subterranean place lower than Hades. This is not final judgement in the lake of fire. That day is coming, but for now God cast these wicked angels into Tartarus, delivering them into chains of darkness, reserving them for judgement.

Reserving them (per, pass, part) God has been reserving them unto judgment.

The judgement of these false teachers is not idle, and their damnation (destruction) is not asleep. Even though it seems like the wicked carry on with their sensuality and greed and exploitation with nary a consequence, that is not true.

How do we know that? God has been reserving wicked angels in Tartarus all these years for judgment, it is certain- and so if the judgment of these false teachers.

Many parallels with Jude.

Jude 5–6 KJV 1900

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

THE LORD KNOWS how to deliver the unjust unto the day of judgment!

So even though it seems like the wicked can sin and sin and get away with it, Scripture teaches differently. Do we trust a sovereign God to carry out justice? Do we trust that the Lord knows?

Illustration #2- The Flood (2:5)

2 Peter 2:5 KJV 1900

5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

IF #2- And (if) God did not spare the old world

This is a reference to the flood event of . God did not spare the ancient wicked world, BUT (emphatic)

IF #3- (if) God saved (guarded, protected) Noah, a preacher of righteousness

Here you have an additional thought. Now Peter is not simply arguing that God knows how to deliver the unjust unto judgment, BUT (emphatic) God also knows how to guard or protect the righteous.

Specifically, Peter calls Noah- the preacher of righteousness. This is very significant. This I believe highlights Noah’s perseverance in a wicked world.

1 Peter 3:18–20 KJV 1900

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

I Pet 3.18-20

God delayed the judgement of the flood, because of God’s longsuffering- He waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared. How long did it take Noah to build the ark? Most scholars put the number at 120 years.

Stop and think about that. Noah had to faithfully be God’s preacher of righteousness for 120 years while the whole world laughed at him, persecuted him, caused him to suffer. Noah endured that for 120 years.

Sometimes God puts me in a trial and it lasts for a whole week! And I cry out in complaint to God- “What are you doing?” How much longer is this going to last.

I have heard people say to me, “Pastor, you don’t know how long it’s been, I can’t keep going.” My kids tell me that if they have to spend more that 30 min on a Math lesson.

Noah persevered for 120 years! How did he do it?

Hebrews 11:7 KJV 1900

7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

So what is Peter’s point? If God did not spare the ancient wicked world in Noah’s day, even though God allowed them to continue on in their wickedness for 120 years- eventually God brought to bear the flood on the whole world (important point- no one escaped- only eight people were spared). God’s judgement is sure!

And if God eventually vindicated Noah, even if it took 120 years, God saved Noah and his family from the flood. The Lord knows how to deliver, how to rescue the righteous.

And here is the point again! The Lord knows. Do we really believe that? Do we believe in the sovereignty of God enough to persevere for 120 years? That is where faith comes in. God eventually will vindicate you. Eventually, even if God waits and does it in the kingdom. You can trust God. You can know that the Lord knows. That He is sovereign and in control- so keep on doing what God asks of you, even if it is hard, even if the road is long, the Lord knows how to guard, how to protect the righteous.

Illustration #3- Sodom and Gomorrah (2:6-8)

2 Peter 2:6–8 KJV 1900

6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

IF #4- If God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha, destroying them by turning them into ash, making an example of them to those that would live ungodly lives.

Sodom and Gomorrha were so wicked that God, in order to make an example, turned them into ash. Again, how long did God delay His judgment of that city?

Genesis 18:23–24 KJV 1900

23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

Gen 18.

And the number got all the way down to 10

Genesis 18:32 KJV 1900

32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

Gen 18.

Were there 10 righteous people? NO! How many people were saved from the city? 3 (Lot, and his two daughters) That is it. God delayed judgement for as long as was needed and then His judgment was sudden.

IF #5- And (if) God delivered just Lot

Again just like the illustration of Noah- God is able to judge the wicked and save the righteous.

Does anyone have an issue with Peter’s description of Lot in v. 7? How in the world can Peter call Lot righteous? Yet Peter calls Lot righteous, not just once, but three times in vv. 7-8.

What do we know about Lot’s character from the Genesis account?

“Lot is described as implicitly superficial, selfish, and wordly (). During the events of , he displayed unambiguous moral weakness and incredibly poor judgment when, in place of the visiting angels, he offered his daughters to the lusting Sodomites (vv. 6-8). Later, he hesitated when the angels urged him to leave the city immediately (vv. 15-22). Even after he escaped God’s wrath, he displayed shockingly sinful behavior, including drunkenness and incest (vv. 30-35” MacArthur.

Now if you described someone like Lot to me today, I would have serious doubts about this man’s salvation.

But the Scripture clearly teaches that Lot was righteous. He was righteous, not that he was sinless, but that like Abraham, Lot believed God and God credited it to Him as righteousness. Lot, like Abraham, is a picture of justification in the OT. Lot was only righteous because of his faith, but that didn’t make him sinless. Was Abraham sinless? Yet Abraham was clearly righteous as well, because God imputed His own righteousness to them because they were true believers.

Did Lot show any kind of signs at all of the Holy Spirit’s work in his heart?

Reverence toward the holy angles who visited him

This is in stark contrast to what the wicked men of Sodom wanted to do with the angels

Initially he was hesitant to leave the city, but he did ultimately obey God and even warned his son-in-law about the impending doom

And he obediently did not look back at the cities being destroyed.

So, Lot is righteous. He is a believer- Peter makes that clear in the last part of v. 7-8

2 Peter 2:7–8 KJV 1900

7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

In the end of v. 7 Peter states that just Lot, was vexed (tormented, worn out- pres, pass, part- continually externally tormented) by the filthy conversation (sensual conduct- homosexuality being one of them) of the wicked.

In v. 8 Peter tells us exactly how Lot was tormented.

In seeing and hearing- by what Lot saw and what he heard, while he lived among them, he felt his righteous soul being tormented, day after day, by their unlawful deeds.

Certainly, there is much that we could fault Lot for. And Lot suffered greatly for his bad choices. But part of me reads this verse, v.8 and thinks of .

Psalm 103:13–14 KJV 1900

13 Like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.

The New American Commentary: 1, 2 Peter, Jude 2. The Certain Judgment of the Ungodly and the Preservation of the Godly (2:4–10a)

We are prone, from the safe offices and homes in which we write and read, to criticize Lot, but most of us have never been even close to death in a conflict with others. Nor have any of us ever lived in a city like Sodom with no comrades to strengthen us in the faith. Lot wavered and doubted, but Peter addressed readers who also were wavering because of the appearance of false teachers. Just as Peter was confident that the believers he addressed would resist the opponents, so too Lot was different from the rest of Sodom. That is why the Lord rescued him.

“The word tormented (basanizo) literally means “to torture,” and demonstrates the sheer excruciation Lot experienced as he was exposed to the lewdness all around him. Peter knew his readers, living in the midst of their corrupt culture, could identify with Lot’s difficult position. Their own situations were equally soul-distressing as they witnesses the immoral excesses of the false teachers and their followers (cf. 2:18-20). Like Noah and his family, Lot stood against the sin of his day and refused to follow the demonic doctrines and immoral practices that permeated ancient society. By recalling the account of God’s judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, Peter warns his readers of the doom that all of God’ enemies (and, specifically, false teachers) will face. But, by highlighting the salvation of Lot, the apostle simultaneously comforts the righteous, reminding them that they have nothing to fear.” MacArthur.

Take aways:

I want to minimize the vexing of my righteous soul. Sometimes it is unavoidable because of the culture we live in. But, I must ask myself, am I willingly adding to the torment of my soul, based on what I am allowing myself to see and hear. That is how Lot’s soul was tortured, by what he saw and heard. There is a warning here for believers

In some ways it is easier to identify with Lot. We all have experienced moral failure in our life. I am grateful that even though I am not perfect, I can still persevere. Many of us live in soul-distressing situations. Many of us witness the immoral excesses all around us. Yet, however imperfectly, we can still stand against the sin of our day and refuse to follow after wickedness. Rather we can diligently add to our faith moral excellence, and knowledge, and self-control, and steadfastness, and godliness, and brotherly affection and love, and God will deliver us for our faithfulness.

The Major Truth to Believe (vv. 9-10)

2 Peter 2:9–10 KJV 1900

9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

THEN: We finally get to the then part of this conditional clause.

If God judged wicked angles, and a wicked world, and two wicked cities

AND if God delivered righteous Noah and just Lot… then...

THE LORD KNOWS!!!! Let that thought sink in. Here is the invitation Peter offers to you- trust in the sovereign God who knows all things, and trust him in absolutely everything.

9 οἶδεν κύριος εὐσεβεῖς

Then the Lord knows (perf, act, ind, “has been knowing?”) the godly (devout)

ἐκ ⸀πειρασμοῦ ⸁ῥύεσθαι,*

how to deliver / rescue (pres, act, infin- keep on delivering) from temptation / trials,

ἀδίκους δὲ

and the unjust (crooked)

εἰς ἡμέραν κρίσεως κολαζομένους τηρεῖν,*

unto the day of judgment to keep (pres, act, infin) under punishment (pres, pass, part)

10 μάλιστα δὲ τοὺς ὀπίσω σαρκὸς

And especially those who follow after (indulge) the flesh

ἐν ⸂ἐπιθυμίᾳ μιασμοῦ⸃ πορευομένους

in its corrupt desires (walking after- behavior- indulge, pres, mid, part)

καὶ κυριότητος καταφρονοῦντας.*

and despising / treating with contempt (pres, act, part) authority / dominion (κυριότης- the majestic power that the κύριος [play on words] wields, ruling power, lordship, dominion)

Based on this passage- I want you to ask yourself this question. Does the Lord know how to work every detail out in your life? Can you trust Him? Can you simply, even through the worst situations (Lot), and the longest situations (Noah), can you still remain faithful? And if you do, do you trust God to deliver you, to rescue you? Do you really trust God that way? It takes an overwhelming confidence in the sovereignty of God- both to judge the wicked and vindicate and rescue the righteous. Can you trust God to do that? Yes you can. With what part of your life can you trust God to do this? In absolutely everything! The Lord knows!

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