Nahum 1:1-14. I’m sorry for all of the holes in the schedule. I was sick for about five weeks and way behind in work. Switching books creates a challenge because I want to provide good background information in the introduction to the book so we can all understand what we are reading better. That requires extra study and writing. The fact that there are holes in the schedule does not mean that I am not having an active relationship with God however. I still go to church, still study and tech, still pray, and still get input each day from Christian music and teaching on the radio. I also have frequent interaction with other believers where we challenge each other in our relationship with God (fellowhip) and unbelievers who challenge me about God where I have to think about and defend what I believe (witnessing). But still I miss the deep time in the Bible that comes from doing this daily blog.
If you read the introduction then you know that the word oracle means burden. This vision is a burden to Nahum and it is about Ninevah. In the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Old Testament used in the time of Jesus) the book of Nahum comes right after the book of Jonah. The two books together show the complimentary truths of God’s mercy and justice and both are about the Assyrian people. In this case we will be looking at God’s justice or dealing with disobedience and rebellion (sin). We see this right away in verse 2 where God is described as jealous and avenging and wrathful. The word jealous deals with God passion or strong feelings about what is going on in history. The idea behind avenging is that he deals with things that are wrong. Finally the word translated “wrathful” is baal. It was the name of an ancient false god in the area but the word also means master, lord, even husban. The idea is someone in control, which is not what we think of when we think of wrath. In this case we need to realize that God is a God of power who deals with things.
Verse 3 is pretty cool because we see that God is cool too. His reath is not some hot headed reaction to sin but he is “slow to anger” the rest of the truth is that he will not let the “guilty go unpunished”. In verse 4-5 we see that God has real power over the universe and at the end of verse 5 we see that he is willing to use that power in the lives of people too.
In verse 6 we are all warned that no one can stand up to God but we are reassured in verse 7 that if we turn our evil lives over to God that he will be a fort to us.
Verses 9-12 are a sort of general warning that God can and will deal with disobedience and rebellion (sin) but it is also a specific warning to Ninevah about their evil toward Judah (remember that this is a “burden” about Ninevah and a vision of “comfort” to Judah; see the “Intro to Nahum”).
The end of verse 12 and verse 13 are words of comfort to Judah, the oppression will end. Verse 14 is a final warning to Ninevah that their name will end and that not even their gods can save them from the LORD (all capitals in verse 14 is a way the translators are telling us that this is the personal name of the one true God, Yahweh).
I’m not sure I really like seeing God’s wrath even if it is contrlooed and directed at sin. The reason is because I know that I am rebellious too. I am a sinned and deserve punishment too. I deserve to have my name end too. But there is comfort in the fact that God is a fort or shelter for those who take refuge in him. He will not leave the guilty unpunished, and that is me. But Isaiah (who wrote just a little before Nahum) tells us that all our sins were put on Jesus (Isaiah 53:6). So I have refuge in God through Jesus. And I can remember how God forgave that earlier generation of Ninevites who turned to him too in the book of Jonah. Praise God for his mercy.
God thank you for these twin books of Jonah and Nahum in them I see that you are serious about sin. But you are also serious about saving people and that is why you became a man and took the punishment for me. Thank you for being my refuge. Help me forever take refuge in you .