The day of the Lord: (3:8-10)
But the scoffers had their argument ready: “Then why the delay?” The delay is nothing but His mercy. Peter referred to (Ps. 90:4) that a thousand years in God’s sight are just as a day or the watch in the night. In God’s sight, the whole universe is only a few days old! He is not limited by time the way we are, nor does He measure it according to man’s standards. When you study the works of God, especially in the Old Testament, you can see that He is never in a hurry, but He is never late.
He could have created the entire universe in an instant, yet He preferred to do it over a period of six days. He could have delivered Israel from Egypt in a moment, yet He preferred to invest eighty years in training Moses. For that matter, He could have sent the Saviour much sooner, but He waited until “the fullness of the time was come” (Gal. 4:4). While God works in time, He is not limited by time.
To God, a thousand years is as one day, and one day as a thousand years. God can accomplish in one day what it would take millennium of years to accomplish! He waits to work, but once He begins to work, He gets things done!
When the world is feeling secure, then God’s judgment will fall. The thief does not warn his victims that he is coming! “For when they shall say, ‘Peace and safety’; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (1 Thess.5:3)).
Harry Truman, the president of America ordered the Air force to bombard Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the Second World war.
Einstein said: when I see the atom bomb, I am a disturbed man.
On the day of the Lord, the heavens will dissolve and all the elements would melt, the earth and the works in it will be burned up”. This great t explosion and conflagration will not touch the “heaven of heavens” where God dwells. It will destroy the earth and the atmospheric heavens around it, the universe as we know it; this will make room for the new heavens and earth (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1ff).
Every element is made of atoms. God has packed tremendous energy in each atom. This is just enough to understand that God can bring such great holocaust at His appointed time with the twinkling of an eye.
The Salvation of the Lord (3:11-13)
Realising that the world is reserved for destruction, all believers must make a self examination. We must lead a holy life as the day of the Lord is coming soon. God is delaying His coming and the great day of fiery judgment only because He is longsuffering and wants to give lost sinners the opportunity to be saved. God’s “delay” is actually an indication that He has a plan for this entire world and that He is working out His plan. There should be no question in anybody’s mind whether God wants sinners to be saved or not. God is not willing that anyone to perish” (2 Pet. 3:9). God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek.18:23, 32; 33:11). He shows His mercy to all (Rom. 11:32) even though not all will be saved.
Further God will purify the heavens and the earth with fire and recreate the new Heaven and the earth. We can joyously look forward to the restoration of God’s good world. But we should not become complacent but wait in eager expectation of His coming. Because His coming is very near, one should work hard to bring as many souls as possible to the saving knowledge of Christ.
The Holiness of the Lord: (3:14-18):
When Peter was writing this letter, Paul’s letters were also in circulation to several churches. Peter affirms Paul’s view also. Peter is advising all the believers to be diligent and maintain a life of purity with holiness, spotless and blameless. Living a holy life means living separately. All believers must live in the land just like foreigners. Christian missionaries from the west have lived in India like that. For them every native land was like a foreign land and their foreign land was adopted to be their native land only to win as many souls as possible for Christ.
Peter is advising all believers to grow in the grace of God and knowledge of the Lord. Growing in grace often means experiencing trials and even suffering. We never really experience the grace of God until we are at the end of our own resources. Physical growth and spiritual growth follow pretty much the same pattern. To begin with, we grow from the inside out. We grow best in a loving family, and this is where the local church comes in. A baby needs a family for protection, provision, and affection. Tests prove that babies who are raised alone, without special love, tend to develop physical and emotional problems very early. The church is God’s “nursery” for the care and feeding of Christians.
Peter concludes this letter by urging the believers to know the Lord better and better day by day. By doing this, we can identify the false teachers. Every Christian must continue to grow in the Lord so as to prepare to face any type of trial in any circumstance. The more we grown in the Lord, the more glory we bring to the Lord. Peter has glorified the Lord in his life and even in his death. Similarly we believers must glorify God in spite of whatever may be the circumstances. Let’s be thankful to Him when we continue to grow in the grace and knowledge we will be more like Him. Amen.
The second letter of Peter is quite relevant today as it was in the days of the early church. It is full of practical advices, challenges and encouragement. May the Lord help us to live a blessed and inspired life as we study this priceless letter.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
- NIV Life application Bible.
- ESV Study Bible
- Ryrie study Bible.
- NIV Study Bible.
- Bible Knowledge Commentary/Old Testament.
- The Bible Exposition Commentary by Warren W. Wiersbe
- Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary.
- Adam Clarke’s Commentary
- Wycliffe Bible commentary.
- Mathew Henry conscise
- Blue letter Bible by David Guzik.
- Unlocking the Bible by David Pawson.
- The outline Bible by Harold L Willmington.
Note: Please use this notes only as an outline, but spend more time studying the Word of God. For your questions, suggestions, and criticism, please contact me. Kati Ravikumar, Mob: +918986873994, Email: katiravikumar@gmail.com