God shows forbearance in his character, decisions and actions. Above all, he waits patiently for people to turn to him for salvation.
God's patient character
God is slow to anger
Numbers 14:18 “slow to anger” is the main OT expression for God's patient character. See also Exodus 34:6; Nehemiah 9:16–17; Psalm 86:15, Psalm 103:8, Psalm 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Nahum 1:3
‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’
God imparts patience
Romans 15:5 The Greek can be translated “God of endurance/patience”. The phrase suggests that God is patient and imparts patience. See also Jeremiah 15:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:5; 1 Peter 3:20
Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you harmony with one another in Christ Jesus,
God's patience with sinful people
God's patience lasts a long time
Acts 13:18 See also Deuteronomy 8:2; Nehemiah 9:30; Psalm 78:38
He endured their conduct for about forty years in the wilderness.
God is patient in delaying punishment
Isaiah 42:14 See also Nehemiah 9:30–31; Psalm 50:20–21, Psalm 78:38; Isaiah 48:9; Habakkuk 2:3
“I have kept silent from ages past; I have remained quiet and restrained. But now I will groan like a woman in labor; I will at once gasp and pant.
Sinful people try God's patience
Malachi 2:17 See also Genesis 18:16–33; Numbers 14:27; Psalm 78:41, Psalm 78:56; Isaiah 1:14, Isaiah 7:13, Isaiah 43:24
You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and in them He delights,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”
Examples of God's patience
Genesis 8:22 with creation; Genesis 18:32 with the city of Sodom; 1 Samuel 3:10 with Samuel; Ezekiel 20:17; Micah 7:19; Jonah 3:1 with Jonah
The purpose of God's patience
Repentance
Romans 2:4 See also 2 Peter 3:9
Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
Salvation
2 Peter 3:15 See also Romans 9:22–24
Consider also that our Lord’s patience brings salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.