Three episodes in the life of Israel illustrate how God often waits until things look impossible (the “Eleventh Hour”) to deliver us.
- “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’” (Ex 13:17)
When the Hebrew slaves left Egypt right after the Passover, they began to follow God to the Promised Land. God did not choose the shortest route for them, knowing that, at the first sign of war with the Philistines, they’d retreat to Egypt. Instead, He led them to be hemmed in by the Red Sea and the Egyptian army. When their situation looked hopeless, God delivered them through the Red Sea, a miracle they could never deny and a route by which they could never return to slavery.
When our path is blocked, this is to remind us that God reads a different roadmap.
- “Elisha said, ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.’ The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, ‘Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?’ ‘You will see it with your own eyes,’ answered Elisha, ‘but you will not eat any of it!’” (2 Kings 7:1–2)
The city of Samaria was under siege by Ben-Hadad king of Syria. A result of being hemmed in was a severe shortage of food within the city walls. When things looked hopeless, God’s Prophet Elisha announced that the very next day an abundance of food would be available to the citizens of the city. One of the king’s advisors responded that such a miracle was impossible, even for God. However, that night God made the Syrian army think they heard another army approaching, so they quickly retreated, leaving their food behind. The next morning, the advisor was trampled to death as people shoved their way through the city gate in their mad dash to get to the food. Just as God had said, He performed the miracle and delivered the people.
When our resources diminish, this reminds us that God operates by a different economy.
- “That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!” (2 Kings 19:35)
The king of Assyria, Sennacherib, sent an army to lay siege to Jerusalem, the capital of Judah. Because Hezekiah, king of Judah, understood the Assyrian threat as a challenge to the reality and faithfulness of God, he prayed and he asked Isaiah to pray. Through the prophet, God told Hezekiah not to worry. He was well aware of Sennacherib’s blasphemy and arrogance. That night God sent one angel into the Assyrian camp and he killed 185,000 enemy soldiers, thus providing Jerusalem her miracle of deliverance.
When the odds are stacked against us, this reminds us that the odds are still in God’s favor.
God is never late, but He’s seldom early. As in these three examples, He often waits until we realize that without His help we will fail. Then He steps in and helps us. Are you facing an “eleventh hour” situation? Keep trusting God. Ask others to pray. God will be faithful.
God’s greatest “Eleventh Hour” rescue was after Jesus died on the cross. He was buried in a rock tomb with the entrance sealed with a stone and guarded by soldiers. When it was clearly beyond the possibility of resuscitation, when all looked hopeless, He was resurrected and came back to life. If you haven’t done so yet, put your trust in this One who overcame death. He will rescue you and give you eternal life.
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