“God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; The Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies; The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:2-3).

Our God does not take iniquity lightly. Punishment of the wicked has been His promise throughout history, and it is certain. We cannot escape the judgments of God (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:10). It is folly to take His longsuffering as an emendation of His promised punishment. He does not want us to perish, but those who persist in ungodliness will (cf. 2 Peter 3:9).

His restraint must be understood as a facet of His power, and great love for mankind. It does not indicate weakness. For when that great day comes in which God will judge the world (cf. Acts 17:31) His power will be unleashed in ultimate fury. Like the whirlwind consumes everything in its path, so God will consume the wicked – “For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). Repent before it is everlastingly too late!