So with the apostasy at Sinai. Unless punishment had been speedily visited upon transgression, the same results would again have been seen. The earth would have become as corrupt as in the days of Noah. Had these transgressors been spared, evils would have followed, greater than resulted from sparing the life of Cain. It was the mercy of God that thousands should suffer, to prevent the necessity of visiting judgments upon millions. In order to save the many, He must punish the few. Furthermore, as the people had cast off their allegiance to God, they had forfeited the divine protection, and, deprived of their defense, the whole nation was exposed to the power of their enemies. Had not the evil been promptly put away, they would soon have fallen a prey to their numerous and powerful foes. It was necessary 326 for the good of Israel, and also as a lesson to all succeeding generations, that crime should be promptly punished. And it was no less a mercy to the sinners themselves that they should be cut short in their evil course. Had their life been spared, the same spirit that led them to rebel against God would have been manifested in hatred and strife among themselves, and they would eventually have destroyed one another. It was in love to the world, in love to Israel, and even to the transgressors, that crime was punished with swift and terrible severity.

Sådan ville det også være gået ved Sinaj. Hvis overtrædelsen ikke hurtigt var blevet straffet, ville de samme følger have vist sig igen. Jorden ville være blevet lige så fordærvet som på Noas tid. Hvis disse overtrædere var blevet skånet, ville følgerne være blevet endnu værre, end da Kains liv blev skånet. Det var en Guds nåde, at tusinder kom til at lide for at forebygge, at det blev nødvendigt at straffe millioner. For at frelse de mange måtte han straffe de få. Da folket desuden havde svigtet deres troskab mod Gud, havde de unddraget sig Guds beskyttelse, og uden deres guddommelige forsvar ville folket være prisgivet fjendernes magt. Hvis det onde ikke straks var blevet ryddet af vejen, ville de hurtigt være blevet et bytte for deres talrige, stærke fjender. Det var nødvendigt for Israels bedste og skulle være en lære for alle efterfølgende slægtled, at forbrydelsen straks blev straffet. Og det var ikke mindre barmhjertigt over for synderne selv, at de blev standset i deres ondskab. Var deres liv blevet skånet, ville den samme ånd, der fik dem til at gøre oprør mod Gud, have åbenbaret sig ved had og indbyrdes strid, og de ville til sidst have udryddet hinanden. Det var af kærlighed til verden, til Israel, ja, selv til synderen, at forbrydelsen blev straffet med øjeblikkelig, frygtelig strenghed.