“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.
and their destruction does not slumber
“Slumber” means to sleep. God plans doom for these deceivers. Their ultimate end is at hand. God is not sleeping, and His judgment is not dozing.
Peter uses the term “destruction” four times from verse one. It also occurs in 2 Peter 3:7, where it is translated “perdition” and 2 Peter 3:16, where it is translated “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. He gives them plenty of time to repent, but His judgment will come apace.
The reason God judges false teachers is that their teaching has serious implications on the lives of people. If you undermine biblical truth, you undermine biblical ethics. No wonder there is so much immorality in our society! This is the result of a relentless attack upon the authority of Scripture that has gone on for centuries.
Our generation is left without absolutes. There are few standards left anymore, except for murder. With abortion, even the latter standard is in the process of being undermined. 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 shock us.
God, help our generation. God, deliver us from judgment.
