Nahum
was a prophet that lived roughly 600 years before the birth of
Christ. Very little is known about him except this very short book.
Sometimes a background of obscurity removes distractions. Chapter 1
reminds me of how we talked about our dads as young kids. He was big
and strong and could do anything. In today’s chapter the prophet
describes the complex nature of God. To get a full understanding, we
cannot isolate one aspect, and exclude all the others. God has a
perfect balance of righteous judgment and mercy; each dispensed
exactly when His children need it. The chapter begins, “The
Lord is a jealous and avenging God… and is filled with wrath“.
But do not miss the rest of the verse, “…on
His foes and vents His wrath against His enemies“.
Jealousy is usually portrayed as a negative, but I most certainly
protect my marriage vigorously from threats. That relationship is
exclusive and must be defended. Next he describes the patience of
God, “The Lord is slow to anger
but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished“.
God does not sit back in His lazy-boy reading the newspaper. He is
fully engaged, and at the appropriate time He will intercede.
Today,
in our arrogance, we mistakenly believe we have much more control
than we really do. The religion of pseudo-science must first deny
God’s authority. Self-promoters conclude drought is man-made and
their solution is to pay offerings to themselves in the form of green
taxes and carbon credits. Nahum reminds us that God “rebukes
the sea and
dries it up; He
makes all the rivers run dry“.
The earth has cycles that stretch beyond man’s experience, but one
thing will not change, “The
earth trembles at His presence, the world and all who live in it“.
As kids, we knew we had gone too far when we heard, “Wait until
your father gets home!” Nahum says, “Who
can withstand His indignation?”
The
chapter closes with God the Father as protector. A good father is
supposed to protect his beloved. “The
Lord is good… He cares for
those who trust in Him“. With
no transition he adds, “He will
make an end of Nineveh“. 160
years earlier Jonah had preached and the Ninevites repented, but now
they were again the enemy of Israel. The prophet explains, “Nineveh…
plots evil against the Lord
and devises wicked
plans… Although they have allies and are numerous, they will be
destroyed and pass away“.
There is an interesting verse in which God seems to simultaneously be
ending His discipline of Israel and beginning His attack on Nineveh.
“Judah, I will afflict you no
more. Now
I will break their yoke from your neck… The Lord has given a
command concerning you, Nineveh:
‘You will have no descendants
to bear your name‘“.
The end of Nineveh was good news for Israel, “Look,
there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who
proclaims peace!” Some today
have a hard time seeing God the Father as a hero because their earthy
dad failed them. Did you know that spiritually, we can be adopted
into the family of God? “For
He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and
blameless in His sight. In love
He predestined us for
adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His
pleasure and will” (Ephesians
1:4-5). The chapter ends with a promise to Israel that we can
receive today, “No more will
the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed“.
My friend, have you been getting harassed by an enemy you can’t
defeat? Maybe it is time to get Dad involved? The same hands that
discipline can also gently lift us up.