The forbearance that God has exercised toward the wicked, emboldens men in transgression; but their punishment will be none the less certain and terrible for being long delayed. "The Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act." Isaiah 28:21. To our merciful God the act of punishment is a strange act. "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live." Ezekiel 33:11. The Lord is "merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, . . . forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." Yet He will "by no means clear the guilty." Exodus 34:6, 7. While He does not delight in vengeance, He will execute judgment upon the transgressors of His law. He is forced to do this, to preserve the inhabitants of the earth from utter depravity and ruin. In order to save some He must cut off those who have become hardened in sin. "The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked." Nahum 1:3. By terrible things in righteousness He will vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. And the very fact of His reluctance to execute justice testifies to the enormity of the sins that call forth His judgments and to the severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor.

Når Gud bærer over med de ugudelige, forhærder de sig, men selv om straffen lader vente længe på sig, falder den med usvigelig sikkerhed og hårdhed. "Thi som på Perazims bjerg vil Herren stå op, som i Gibeons dal vil han vise sin vrede for at gøre sin gerning - en underlig gerning, og øve sit værk - et sælsomt værk." Es. 28, 21. Det er et sælsomt værk og en underlig gerning for vor nådige Gud at straffe. "Så sandt jeg lever, lyder det fra den Herre Herren: Jeg har ikke lyst til den gudløses død, men til at han omvender sig fra sin vej, at han må leve!" Ez. 33, 11. Herren er "barmhjertig og nådig, langmodig og rig på miskundhed og trofasthed," han "tilgiver brøde, overtrædelse og synd". 2. Mos. 34, 6-7. Skønt Herren ikke finder behag i at tage hævn, vil han alligevel fuldbyrde dommen over dem, der overtræder hans lov. Han er nødt til at gøre det for at forhindre, at Jordens beboere bliver totalt fordærvede og går helt til grunde. Han er nødt til at udslette de forhærdede syndere for at redde menneskeheden. "Herren er langmodig, hans kraft er stor, Herren lader intet ustraffet." Nahum 1, 3. Hans dom over dem, der har trådt hans lov under fod, bliver frygtelig, men retfærdig. At Gud tøver med at fuldbyrde dommen over synden, er i sig selv et vidnesbyrd om syndernes alvorlige karakter og straffens hårdhed.