Preservation And Judgement

Then the Lord said to Abram, "Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." (Genesis 15:13-16 ESV)

Below is a quote from Nick Mauer's "in one God's Heart for the Lost 03a Lesson 3":
QUOTE
And what it seems that God was giving the Amorites a period of time during which period the Amorites were devolving into more and more wickedness. And God was reserving a certain time when they at this point I will judge and I will disinherit them and dispossess them from this land and I will give it to you my people. During that time when Israel was in Egypt, God was protecting them from the escalating wickedness of Canaan.
UNQUOTE

There are a few things I wish to note after digesting what he (Nick Mauer) said.

Preservation
When God preserves, He does not do it in a five star hotel, separated from corruption and disease. Instead, the preservation was done in affliction. Israel was afflicted in Egypt for 400 years but they came out rich. And woe to Egypt, who dared to afflict God's people. They were judged, during the exodus of Israel and also later when they shrank from a proud world power to a minor nation. God also used Egypt's abhorrence of shepherds to cause separation between Israel and Egypt during Israel sojourn in Egypt.

Judgement
There are many wicked people and wicked nations. Sometimes they are punished quickly. Sometimes they are not. When judgement does not come quickly, there are two reasons for the delay.

1. God is waiting for some to repent (2 Peter 3:9);
2. The iniquity is not full, the wicked fruit is not ripe.

But this delay in judgement caused many to wonder about God's justice and His existence (Ecclesiastes 8:11, Psalm 50:21, Psalm 73:11, Psalm 94:7). They did not consider the goodness of God who give them time to repent (Romans 11:22).

Application
Today people are wondering about the existence of God because there is great wickedness and injustice. But God will not act until the iniquity of the nations (Gentiles) is complete. Things are bad today, but it will be worse. There will be greater wickedness coming. When that happened, God will judge (Luke 21:24). God acts only when the fruit is ripe for harvest (Joel 3:13, Revelation 14:15).

When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. (Ecclesiastes 8:11 NLT)

When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you. But I now arraign you and set my accusations before you. (Psalm 50:21 NIV)

The wicked say, "How can God know? Does the Most High know everything?" (Psalm 73:11 CSB)

They say, "The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob takes no notice." (Psalm 94:7 NIV)

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 ESV)

Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. (Romans 11:22 ESV)

They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24 NIV)

Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great. (Joel 3:13 ESV)

And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe." (Revelation 14:15 ESV)