When God Decides Enough is Enough

Introduction: Good morning, everyone! Before we dive into today's message, I want to start with a little joke to get us thinking. A man was walking along a beach when he found a bottle. He picked it up, rubbed it, and out popped a genie. The genie said, "I will grant you one wish." The man thought for a moment and said, "I wish for a highway from here to Hawaii so I can drive there anytime I want." The genie sighed and said, "That’s a big request. Think of the logistics, the construction, the environmental impact! Can’t you ask for something easier, like wisdom or patience?" The man thought for a moment and said, "Okay... I wish I could understand my wife’s feelings." The genie replied, "So, you want two lanes or four on that highway?"

Sometimes, like the Genie in the joke, we think we have everything under control or that we can figure things out on our own. But when it comes to our relationship with God, things don’t always work out the way we plan. In today’s passage from Nahum, we see what happens when people put their trust in themselves rather than in God. Today, we’re going to explore Nahum 2:1-13, a passage that reveals God’s sovereignty and the consequences of ignoring His warnings. We’ll compare this to the earlier repentance in Jonah's time, and we’ll see three key lessons: you can’t stop God, you need to stop before God stops you, and we need to share God's message before His final judgment.

Nahum 2:1-13 Overview: This passage is a prophecy about the fall of Nineveh, a city that once repented under Jonah’s warning but had since returned to its wicked ways. God, through Nahum, announces that the city will face destruction. The key difference between Jonah’s time and Nahum’s time is this: repentance leads to mercy, but unrepentant sin invites judgment. Let’s take a look at the three lessons from this passage.

Point 1: You Can’t Stop God

Nahum opens with a challenge to Nineveh: “The scatterer has come up against you. Man the ramparts; watch the road; dress for battle; collect all your strength” (Nahum 2:1). The people of Nineveh thought they could stop what was coming. They believed their strong walls and powerful army would protect them. But no matter how much they prepared, they couldn't stop God’s plan.

Illustration:Think back to the story of the Titanic, touted as "unsinkable." The confidence people had in that ship was immense—some even said, "Not even God could sink this ship." Yet, we know how that turned out. Or take the philosopher Nietzsche, who declared, “God is dead,” only to suffer a mental breakdown and spend his final years in silence. We humans often think we are invincible, but God always has the final word.

Application:We need to recognize that we can’t resist God’s will by relying on our own strength. Whether it’s our health, our finances, or our accomplishments, nothing can stand against God’s purposes. Instead of trusting in our own resources, we need to trust in God’s sovereignty and align ourselves with His plan.

Point 2: Stop Before God Handles You

The next lesson from Nahum is this: we need to repent before God decides to act. In the case of Nineveh, the people had experienced God’s mercy once before, but they failed to maintain their repentance, and now judgment was imminent. God’s patience had run out.

Illustration:It’s like a parent giving a child multiple warnings to clean their room. At first, there’s patience and grace, but if the warnings are ignored long enough, eventually the parent steps in, and the child faces consequences—grounded, losing privileges, or cleaning up with the parent's help, which is never fun. Nineveh ignored God’s repeated warnings and failed to act. The lesson is clear: don’t wait for God to discipline you when you can repent and turn back to Him today.

Application:Is there unrepentant sin in your life that you’re holding onto, thinking you’ll deal with it “later”? Don’t wait until God steps in with discipline. Whether you’ve been ignoring a call to change or returning to an old habit, now is the time to repent. God is gracious, but His patience has limits.

Point 3: Share Before God Sends His Final Judgment

Lastly, we need to share God’s message of repentance before His final judgment comes. Jonah was sent to warn Nineveh, and they repented, but by Nahum’s time, the city was beyond saving. God’s judgment was certain.

Illustration:Imagine if Jonah had taken the attitude, "Why bother? They’re probably going to ignore me, and it won’t make a difference." Thousands of lives would have been lost. But Jonah’s warning, despite his own reluctance, led to a city-wide repentance. Even if one person had been saved, it would have been worth the effort. We can sometimes think, "What difference will sharing the gospel make?" But whether it saves one person or many, it’s worth it. God calls us to be faithful in delivering His message, not to predict the outcome.

Application:We live in a world that desperately needs to hear the message of salvation. It might be your neighbor, your coworker, or even a family member. Don’t delay in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. We don’t know when God’s final judgment will come, but we do know we have the opportunity to share His grace today.

Conclusion: In conclusion, Nahum’s message to Nineveh is a reminder that we serve a God who is both merciful and just. We can’t stop God’s will, and we shouldn’t wait until God decides to act. Instead, let’s repent and turn to Him now, and share His message of grace and forgiveness with those around us. Remember, just as Jonah’s message brought repentance to Nineveh the first time, we have the opportunity to bring others to Christ today. Don’t miss the chance to be part of God’s work. Let’s pray.