Majoring in the Minors Part 7 - Nahum

I read about a couple from Chicago who decided to go to Florida for a long weekend to thaw out during one particularly icy cold winter. They both had jobs, and had difficulty coordinating their travel schedules, so it was decided the husband would fly to Florida on a Thursday, and his wife would follow him the next day. Upon arriving as planned, the husband checked into the hotel. Then he opened his laptop and sent his wife an email back in Chicago. However, he accidentally left off one letter in her address and sent the email without noticing his error.

Meanwhile, in Houston, another woman, a widow had just returned from her husband’s funeral. He was a minister of many years who had been “called home to glory” following a heart attack. The widow checked her email, expecting messages of condolences from family and friends, but upon reading the first message, she fainted and fell to the floor. The widow’s son rushed into the room; found his mother on the floor and saw the message on the computer screen which read:

To: My loving Wife From: Your Husband Subject: I’ve arrived! (The text read…)

I’ve just arrived and have been checked in. Everything is prepared and ready for your own arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then. – P.S. Sure is hot down here!

Continue series on

minor prophets.

I have come to realize,

why nobody reads

these books.

They are mostly

about judgment and

condemnation.

People don’t like

to read about that.

Last voice of warning

to covenant people.

But we can learn

from these books.

Not far from now,

God will purge

this world of sin.

If the world ever

needed messages of

warning

judgment

coming condemnation

it is now!!!

Who is Nahum

Meaning

Nahum means:

comfort or consolation

short for Nehemiah

consolation of Yaweh

In some ways,

the destruction of

enemy power does

bring consolation to

God’s people.

Not happy to see

other people die...

But happy they are

no longer killing you.

Nahum 1:15 (ESV)

Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows, for never again shall the worthless pass through you; he is utterly cut off.

No more oppression

back to worship.

City

Nahum 1:1 (ESV)

An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh.

Hard to know where this is.

City in southern Judah

between Jerusalem and Gaza

Elcesei

Timeline

760 BC -

Jonah

722 BC -

Assyrians Destroy

Northern Kingdom

701 BC -

Siege of Jerusalem

185,000 die

660 BC -

Nahum’s Prophecy

100 years after Jonah

Reign of Ashurbanipal

Zenith of Power

Nahum 1:12 (ESV)

Thus says the Lord, “Though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut down and pass away.

Many didn’t believe

612 BC -

Babylon Destroys Nineveh

The City of Nineveh

Population

Jonah 4:11 (NKJV)

… Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons...

Width

Jonah 3:3 ESV

So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.

3 days to walk across city!

Walls

100 feet tall

3 chariots thick

Watch towers 200 feet tall

Appeared Impregnable!

Very Evil

Nineveh know for wickedness:

Nahum 3:1 (ESV)

Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder— no end to the prey!

All knew their evil:

Nahum 3:19 (ESV)

… For upon whom has not come

your unceasing evil?

God’s Wrath Against Nineveh

Nahum 3:7 (ESV)

And all who look at you will shrink from you and say, “Wasted is Nineveh; who will grieve for her?” Where shall I seek comforters for you?

This is peculiar

With Jonah

People repent,

God saves city.

With Nahum Prophecy

150 later

God destroys them...

What is difference?

1st time - Repentance

2nd time - No Repentance

But they also got

prophet in person

40 days proclamation

amazing story...

Lots of Questions!

Why did God save them, only to destroy them?

Why didn’t they get a prophet in person 2nd time?

Answers...

God knows...

God knows when

they will repent

when they won’t

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

God is not anxious to

destroy anyone.

If they will turn,

He does what it takes.

Lead them to repentance.

When they won’t turn,

lets them be destroyed.

Same with hell:

Ask yourself this question: ‘If hell is not a reality then what did Jesus come to save us from; why did Jesus bother coming at all? ‘I have not come to call the righteous but sinners,’ said Jesus. If sinners don’t really need rescuing, then why the rescue mission?’

Rico Tice

Rico Tice, Christianity Explored, p.28

Question: Why even send Jonah?

If God knew He would

destroy them anyway

why send Jonah?

Firstly,

150 years...

Different people...

Some turned to God.

Others only afraid

of the consequences.

150 years showed

sincerity of people /nation.

Most important,

everyone needs

chance to turn to God.

God must give invitation.

Once it is clear

they will not turn

God can bring judgment.

The work of

grace

reaching hearts

conversion

It is very

patient

time consuming

work of love!

Golfer Payne Stewart’s jet crashed in 1999. It appears that the pilot and copilot went unconscious during the flight. Air traffic controllers were unable to communicate with the pilots, and two Air Force jets were sent to investigate.

As they pulled alongside Stewart’s jet they could not see any movement in the cockpit, but they could see that the windows were fogged up. It appears that somehow the cabin lost pressure allowing cold air from the stratosphere in the plane. After the plane ran out of fuel it plunged to the earth below.

One of the pilots who flew alongside the plane said, “It’s a very helpless feeling to pull alongside another aircraft and realize the people inside that aircraft potentially are unconscious or in some other way incapacitated. And there’s nothing I can do physically from my aircraft even though I’m fifty to one hundred feet away, to help them at all.

Picture the lost as a runaway airplane with nothing to stop them from plunging into Hell unless you share the Gospel with them.

Source: Nelson’s Complete Book Of Stories, Illustrations and Quotes, Robert J. Morgan

At times,

even God’s hands are tied

won’t force people

to repent.

Close of Probation

Psalm 50:3–4 (ESV)

Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest.

--

He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people:

Though God is patient.

Frequently silent.

Watching but not resolving.

Eventually,

must step in

bring an end.

Break His silence.

Come back.

Glory

2nd Coming

Bring resolutions.

Mysophobia is fear of dirt. Hydrophobia is fear of water. Nyclophobia is the fear of darkness. Acrophobia is fear of high places. Taxophobia is fear of being buried alive. Xenophobia is fear of strangers. Necrophobia is fear of the dead. Claustrophobia is fear of  confined places. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.

Unfortunately, many people who have learned to fear things that they probably shouldn’t have never learned the fear of the God. Too few who have acrophobia have learned to fear God and to keep His commandments. Many who have some of these fears give no heed to the words of Christ: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Many fear what man can do to them but not what God will do at the judgment day if they do not repent and turn to Him in faith.

Wrath of God

Nahum 1:2 (ESV)

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.

very next verse...

Nahum 1:3 (ESV)

The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

Do those verses

seem to contradict?

Try another...

Nahum 1:6 (ESV)

Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.

very next verse!

Nahum 1:7 (ESV)

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

What is character of God?

wrathful and angry?

loving and protecting?

It is hard for us...

God can be both.

So can humans...

If your child was murdered.

Would you have

anger?

wrath?

desire for vengeance?

Could you also

love and cherish

remaining child?

Normal?

Healthy?

OK?

Yes! Of Course!

Who is God?

Loving or Wrathful?

Both!!

Loving to His Children.

Wrathful to His kids murderers.

Normal?

Healthy?

OK?

More importantly

God’s wrath

different than

human wrath....

It is the intense love

that creates the wrath!

Character of God’s Wrath

Psalm 145:8–9 (ESV)

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

--

The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

God is slow to anger.

Most humans

wrath and anger

can’t think straight...

Human wrath is

responsive

impulsive

illogical.

God destroyed

Nineveh

Sodom & Gomorah

World-wide flood

Inhabitants of Caanan

Israel

Judah

Question:

how long did wait?

each case?

CENTURIES!

Wrath of God

not like human wrath!

God

Gives time.

Gives chances.

Sends spirit.

God’s wrath

is a wrath of love!

Speaking of destruction

of His people

God says:

Isaiah 28:21 (ESV)

For the Lord will rise up as on Mount Perazim; as in the Valley of Gibeon he will be roused; to do his deed—strange is his deed! and to work his work—alien is his work!

The work of

destruction

strange

foreign

alien

Not typical

Usually

patient

forbearing

At some point

God must

put evil

and evil doers

out of misery.

Illustration of Putting Down Cat

Hell

God’s work

in destruction of wicked

simply bringing to end

slow painful misery.

This is not

something God

looks foreward to.

Ezekiel 33:11 ESV

Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

God take no pleasure

death of wicked.

He wants

repentance.

In the end

it doesn’t being comfort

NO MORE EVIL!

Best Verse in Nahum

Nahum 1:9 (ESV)

What do you plot against the Lord? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time.

God’s promise

when He does

resolve sin problem.

It won’t come back.

Why?

All will know...

been there...

done that...

not worth it!!!

Appeal