Nahum 1

Introduction

There are certain aspects of God that we don’t like to talk about. We find some things hard to square with our picture of a loving, saving, gracious, benevolent God. Questions like, “How could a loving God send someone to Hell?”, “Why does God allow evil in the world?”, etc. These questions don’t seem to match our perception of God, however, we cannot overlook an important fact: God is love, yes, and He is also holy, wrathful, and can become angry. We don’t like the idea of an angry God, which is part of the point. Hebrews 10:31 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” God can become angry, but He does not fly off the handle at the drop of a hat. Nahum helps us understand when God becomes angry and why.

I. God’s Righteous Anger (v. 1-13)

-(v. 2-6) The Lord is jealous, wrathful, vengeful, avenging, will punish, is powerful, angry, and patient. Not all qualities we deem worthy of praise, actually, we fear because of these aspects of God. We don’t want to be on the receiving end and we wonder how God can be good, gracious, and loving if He is also wrathful, angry, and jealous.

Notice something important: His vengeance, wrath, and punishment are reserved for His enemies, those who practice evil (v. 2b, 3b). God is slow to anger, yet, He is powerful to enact vengeance

-God is not just wrathful and angry, He is also good (v. 7-8). He knows those who take refuge in Him, He is their stronghold. When people take their stand against Him that is when He pursues them, for they have earned His wrath.

-(v. 9-13): The wicked may plot evil but God will not allow it to continue. Evil men plot against God and His people while God avenges and protects His people. His promise in v. 12-13 are a quick switch to Judah, “Assyria may be stronger than ever before, but I will cut them off. The yoke they placed on you, oppressing you, will be lifted”

-Remember, this is an oracle or burden against Nineveh. Does that city ring a bell? What Bible book do you think of when you hear Nineveh? Jonah, right? They received the word of God through Jonah and repented. Thus, God relented His wrath, mercy was bestowed instead. But now, some 75-100 years after, they had not only gone back to their old ways of sin, they got progressively more sinful. They made themselves enemies of God in their morality, in their fights against God’s people, and in the worship of their false gods.

We learn something very important about God: He is powerful to do what is right. He punishes the evildoers and protects the righteous. Of course, this passage is a condemnation for Nineveh because of their wickedness, but it is also a warning for others to not walk in their footsteps. It is also a comfort for those who know God and seek His refuge for God is faithful to His children of faith.

II. God’s Faithfulness (v. 14-15)

-God’s anger is kindled against those who make themselves His enemies (v. 14). Nineveh and their evil will not continue: their gods are cut off, righteous judgment in death is prepared. They spent their last cent of mercy by provoking the Lord to anger and He will avenge.

He protects the righteous and does good to them (v. 15). They can continue their feasts, worship the Lord, and enjoy peace for their adversaries are cut off. 2 Thessalonians 1:5–12 “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ”

The cool thing about v. 15 is how it is quoted in the NT. Romans 10:15 quotes it in reference to the good news of the gospel. Romans 10:14–17 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” We don’t need to fear God’s anger and wrath. Why? Jesus took that anger, wrath, and punishment upon Himself. Now we are free to worship God, to live by faith with confidence, to know God personally, and make Him our refuge in times of trouble.

Conclusion/Application

Psalm 1 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

God grows angry with those who make themselves enemies of Him or His people. You who love God need not worry about His anger for Jesus paid that penalty. You can gain further confidence if you do as the Psalm says: Delight in God’s Word, meditate on it (think about it often), and seek to live by it.