Where Is the God of Justice?

A man and a woman make their vows before God and become one flesh. Yet the men of Israel abandoned the wives they had married in their youth, who had shared their hardships, and took foreign women in marriage. It was in this way that Solomon set the idols of foreign women beside the temple, and for that sin the kingdom came under judgment and was torn in two.

To put away a wife is not simply a matter of parting; it is a betrayal of the God who joined husband and wife together. That is why God would not accept the sacrifices and offerings they brought. Even so, they could not see what they had done wrong, and demanded to know why the God of justice did not judge.

When God does not punish sin at once, it does not mean he has forgiven it; he is waiting patiently and giving room to turn back. No one should presume on that patience; it must be met with repentance. When those entrusted with a household are faithful in their responsibilities to one another, God keeps that household safe.