This means that, contrary to man’s perspective, the Lord is not late with his promise to return, as some measure lateness. But rather, his “delay” simply reveals his loving patience toward you, because he does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance.
Good should not be repaid with evil, but look! They are digging a pit for me. Remember how I made intercession for them, pleading in your presence to turn away your wrath from them?
Then Yahweh said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me to intercede for these people, I would not turn my heart back to them. Send them away from me and make them go.
So you decided to destroy them. But Moses, your chosen leader, stood in the gap between you and the people and made intercession on their behalf to turn away your wrath from killing them all.
So he said to his gardener, ‘For the last three years I’ve come to gather figs from my tree but it remains fruitless. What a waste! Go ahead and cut it down!’
It will never be useful again, not even fit for the soil or the manure pile! If you have ears opened by the Spirit, then hear the meaning of what I have said and apply it to yourselves.”