The Coming Judgment

The nation had placed God on trial. They looked around and did not see a King like David ruling in universal dominion and international power. They looked at the Temple and did not see anything compared to Solomon’s glory. They looked out across the hills at the farmland, and they did not see the economic prosperity of a land flowing with milk and honey (3:11). Instead, they were looking around and seeing the wicked prospering and accusing God of doing nothing. They were concluding that God had failed in His promises.
Therefore, they were condemning God and filled with complaints. They were arguing with God about His covenant love, His name, the definition of marriage and reasonableness of divorce. Instead of listening to God’s Word, Judah is busy looking at the surrounding nations and maximizing their sin while minimizing their own. Does this not sound familiar to us today? We do not mind judging, but we do not want to be judged. In Judah’s case, the LORD of hosts had the closing arguments and He indicted them on doubting God’s love, scorning the sacrificial system, failing in spiritual leadership, defiling the marriage covenant, and now judging God. Human pride and passions ruled the day, but the God of justice was coming soon.