Sex, Sin, and The Sanctuary
From the Garden to Golgotha God is Gracious
Judah is a Lion's Whelp
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall dwell in his Holy Place?
Divine Overlook
Divine overlook is a strategy by which God can sovereignly choose to overlook one's faults and aberrations to allow for continuity and opportunity. There are several scriptures to support this view.
Eccl 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men everywhere to repent.
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Paul describes how God “passed over” sins before Christ’s atonement. It’s not neglect—it’s a theological setup. God’s justice is vindicated at the cross, but until then, He holds back.
When he chooses to employ these strategies the sovereign right of God. It does not seem as if men like Er and Onan, or Nadab and Abihu had such privilege
Quite definitely, God is right when he says he is the God who keeps mercy for thousands. If you are reading this and you have not as yet cashed in on the mercy of God, even though he waits, Jesus said "If you die in your sin whither I go, you cannot come.
A classical Example
A good demonstration of this is Roman's 3 :25 according to the NIV it says: God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood to be received by faith, he did this to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.
Wow. Could you imagine this? That when Christ died the effect of his death has a retroactive effect on sins he had left unpunished. Judah's sin and David's sin even Tamar's sin was not fully accounted for, Because of God's forbearance he had left them un punished. But yes, there are unfinished business
Other Examples
Mal. 17 30 And Mal. 3:6. and Jeremiah 4:4-5. where God seem to overlook or ignore the weaknesses and failings of man. Are there others? Do we know of any other similar case.
Let’s delve into a few more instances where God appears to overlook, defer, or suspend immediate response to human actions:
🕊️ Acts 17:30 – “God overlooked the times of ignorance”
This is a classic. Paul tells the Athenians that “in the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” It’s not apathy—it’s divine patience, a strategic pause in redemptive history until the full revelation of Christ. This echoes Malachi 3:6 reference: God’s constancy is what keeps judgment at bay.
🌊 Genesis 6:3 – “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever”
Before the flood, God delays judgment for 120 years. Humanity is corrupt, but He gives time—space for repentance. It’s a divine holding pattern, not indifference.
🔥 Exodus 32:14 – “The Lord relented”
After the golden calf incident, Moses intercedes and God “changes His mind.” It’s not that He ignored the sin, but He suspended the consequences. A moment of mercy in the face of rebellion.
🐋 Jonah 3:10 – “God relented concerning the calamity”
Nineveh’s repentance leads God to withhold judgment. Jonah’s frustration reveals the tension: divine justice vs. divine mercy. God’s delay is strategic, not passive.