Throughout the Old Testament the nation of Israel cycled through periods of great success with God’s blessings and loss of everything due to their rejection of him in disobedience. Their successes came by God’s love and grace and their losses resulted from their sin. Those who were committed to God and righteous living soon learned that they were not exempt from sin or the consequences of it. Neither were they exempt from the suffering caused by the sins of others, especially those of the leadership of their nation. They learned also as God said concerning the generation of Noah, “The wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5) In their efforts to see justice achieved many questioned why the wicked so often prosper and live so long, seemingly getting away with their sins. While the wicked prospered the righteous often suffered unjustly! In their suffering and questioning they were often frustrated with God’s timing. They often thought God was taking too much time paying back the wicked for their sins. In actual Old Testament history Israel seemed to barely escape captivity to a pagan nation before they were forgetting God and heading into the next national crisis and a new slavery. Israel’s journey through the wilderness wanderings was marred constantly with complaints and forgetfulness of the great rescues and deliverances God had so often provided.