In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on August 20, 2022, Kyle Kettering examined the "how long?" motif in the Bible. He observed that the question has different meanings depending upon who is asking it.
When God asks the question, it often means, "Where is trust? How long will it be before my people trust me?" That is the meaning of the question in Num 14 and in Exodus 16:28. When Jesus asks the question is Luke 9:41, he is wondering how long it will take his disciples to be fully trained and able to take the Gospel to the world.
On the other hand, when the question is asked by people---e.g., in Ps 13:1-2; 74:10---it often means, "Where is justice? When will you punish the wicked?"
These questions are two sides of the same coin, Kyle said. God acts more slowly than we might like because he is patient with us. He wants as many as possible to come to repentance so that they will not have to be judged (2 Peter 3:9). Fortunately for us, his mercy outweighs his justice (Ex 34:6-7).
For us, the important "how long" question is the one that God and Jesus are asking. How long will we put off the spiritual work that needs to be done?
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