Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die. You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you.
-Numbers 14:29b-30a, NLT
When people consider God and His behavior towards sinning people, Christians often assume the book of Hosea as the model for faithful spouses.
They skip over passages like this one in their rush to make god in their own image. The god that they want to serve would never level consequences for sin. He always forgives and shrugs off things like adultery.
That is NOT the God of the Bible!
All of God’s chosen people did not make it into the Promised Land. God noticed their sinful rebellion and leveled this fierce consequence–i.e. death in the wilderness.
We are not God.
However, we are acting in a godly way when we DO level consequences for sin. Divorce is such an option for adultery committed against us (see Mt 19:9).
Even God did not give a forever pass for harden sinful contempt. He demanded holiness. So should we!
*For my readers in the USA, happy Independence Day!
