SCRIPTURE: Nahum 1:1-15
OBSERVATION:
1. “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God… the LORD is slow to anger and great in power” – Two different pictures of God? Jealous and avenging, yet slow to anger? We need to avoid comparing God’s anger to ours. His anger is always right, just and necessary, and if we understood the horror of what the people of Ninevah were doing, we would be angry too.
2. “The LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished” – The people of Ninevah were not peaceful, gentle, innocent, they were guilty of the most horrible atrocities. Absolute power corrupted them absolutely! The Lord cannot ignore such evil. Though He allows it for a time, to give people time to repent (slow to anger), He will finally unleash His just anger if they refuse to repent.
3. “The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it” – Does our view of God include this? Do we realize that if God fully revealed Himself, we would be humbled, crushed, destroyed. That’s just how awesome and powerful He is!
4. “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble… He cares for those who trust in him” – As awesome and powerful as He is, He is also good, and those who humble themselves before Him will find a safe place with Him.
5. “But with an overwhelming flood… he will pursue his foes into darkness” – Those who continue to despise and reject God and live godless and cruel lives will one day face the overwhelming flood of His just anger.
6. “Although I have afflicted you, O Judah, I will afflict you no more” – God was punishing Judah through Ninevah, but now Ninevah must pay for their cruel treatment of the Jews.
7. “Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace” – This is written to the Jews under the yoke of Assyrian terror. But Nahum announces the good news, comparing his message to a messenger coming with news that the war is over, the enemy is defeated!
APPLICATION:
God is great, and God is good. We are not able to handle power in this way, those who become great usually abuse their power. But the Lord is always right and good, fair and merciful. His greatness shows itself in compassion for the humble, and firm discipline for the proud. Consider how Jesus handled sinners, and compare that to how He handled the Pharisees. Do I revere God, do I respect and honour Him? Am I humbly trusting in Him? Is there anything in my life that He is rightly angry about? And if so, what am I doing about it?
PRAYER:
Lord, thank You dying on the cross for my sin, and for giving me plenty of warnings to turn from sin towards You. Thank You that You are slow to anger, help me not to abuse that patience. Amen.
Once upon a time Nineveh repented. However she went back to her former ways and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Our God is a jealous God and He has told us to have no other God’s before Him. Therefore, the Lord will judge His people because they have gone their own way once again and will experience His anger. Yet those who hear His Word and trust in Him will be saved. He cares for those who trust in Him because He is their Shepherd. But to those who follow their own ways, God will cut off and be destroyed. Their name will no longer be in the land. They will have lost their inheritance. Let God’s people live according to the Word of the Lord, serving Him in all they do and say according to the guidelines He has given for His people to obey. Trust and Obey for there is no other way.
When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.