What does "their foot will slip" imply about the timing of judgment? Setting the Scene Deuteronomy 32:35 declares, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip, for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.” The phrase “their foot will slip” sits in the middle of a promise that God Himself will repay wrongdoing. The wording is deliberate, painting a vivid picture of timing and inevitability. Digging into “Their Foot Will Slip” • A foot that “slips” suggests sudden loss of stability, not a gradual fade. • The subjects are standing—apparently secure—until the moment God decrees otherwise. • Slipping is unexpected from the perspective of the one slipping, but fully foreseen by God. • The verb is future tense: it will happen. The only unknown for the wicked is exactly when. Timing Insights • “In due time” ties the slipping to a divinely appointed moment—neither premature nor delayed. • Judgment is not random; it is synchronized with God’s calendar. • The phrase assures that any apparent delay is only the span of God’s patience (2 Peter 3:9). • Once that patience reaches its limit, the fall is immediate—no further warning or negotiation. • The text couples “their foot will slip” with “their doom is coming quickly,” highlighting a swift transition from false security to irreversible judgment. Supporting Scriptures • Psalm 73:18: “Surely You set them on slick places; You cast them down to ruin.” • Proverbs 24:16: “For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” • Habakkuk 2:3: “Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay.” • Romans 2:4-5: God’s kindness is meant to lead to repentance, but “because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath.” Takeaways for Today • God’s justice operates on His schedule, not ours; delays are purposeful, not permissive. • The wicked often appear secure, yet their footing is already positioned on a slope built by their own sin. • When the appointed moment arrives, the transition from stability to catastrophe is instantaneous. • For believers, the verse underscores confidence that God will right every wrong; for unbelievers, it serves as an urgent call to repentance before the inevitable “slip” occurs. |
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