“By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.”
for a long time their judgment has not been idle
Peter now turns to the future of religious swindlers. The “long time” is about to be explained as an event in the Old Testament.
“Idle” means linger. God’s judgment will not linger. Judgment is still functional in God’s economy. Even though these false teachers may not think so, God’s judgment is still in force. Their judgment day is sure.
and their destruction does not slumber
“Slumber” means to sleep. God plans doom for these deceivers. Their ultimate end is at hand. Their judgment is coming. God is not asleep about what false teachers do to the church. He carefully notes what they have done to the Bible and the church.
Peter uses the term “destruction” four times from verse one. It also occurs in 2 Peter 3:7, where it is translated as “perdition,” and 2 Peter 3:16, where it is translated “as destruction.” These words describe what happens to false teachers — perdition.
Ro 9:22, “What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.”
He 10:9, “But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”
PRINCIPLE:
The mills of God grind exceedingly slow, but they grind exceedingly fine on false teachers.
APPLICATION:
The judgment of false teachers will come. God gives them plenty of time to repent, but His judgment will come apace.
The reason God judges false teachers is that their teaching has severe implications for the lives of people. If you undermine biblical truth, you undermine biblical ethics. No wonder there is so much immorality in our society! This results from a relentless attack upon the authority of Scripture that has gone on for centuries.
False teaching from the Bible has left our generation without absolutes. There are few standards left anymore, except for murder. People undermine the horror of abortion, making it acceptable to decent members of society. With each successive generation, standards lower further and further.
Collectively, our society is losing its soul. The erosion of its absolutes on our society lessens the impact of the Judeo-Christian value system. The things that shocked us a generation ago no longer astound us.
God, help our generation. God, deliver us from judgment.
