Nahum 1:1-8...

Let’s read God’s Word together….

Flip back just a couple of pages to the prophet .

If you can remember the name of this city Nineveh that Nahum is telling us about is the same city that Jonah was told to preach to.

We read here about the Ninevites in Jonah’s time repenting.

4 "Jonah set out on the first day of his walk in the city and proclaimed, “In forty days Nineveh will be demolished!” 5 "Then the people of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth—from the greatest of them to the least. 6 "When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes.” ()

The king issues a decree starting in v7, but read with me what he said in v8.

8 "Furthermore, both people and animals must be covered with sackcloth, and everyone must call out earnestly to God. Each must turn from his evil ways and from his wrongdoing. [there’s repentance] 9 "Who knows? God may turn and relent; he may turn from his burning anger so that we will not perish. 10 "God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—so God relented from the disaster he had threatened them with. And he did not do it.” ()

But now that Nineveh’s leaders had resumed their wicked actions, the Lord called Nahum to reaffirm His coming judgment.

The prophecy of Nahum is unique in the sense that he tells us that he is writing a book (1:1).

The prophecy of Nahum is unique in the sense that he tells us that he is writing a book (1:1).

The prophecy of Nahum is unique in the sense that he tells us that he is writing a book (1:1).

He is the only prophet to describe his oracle (or, rather, collection of oracles) as a book.

This means that it was not necessarily the result of verbal preaching;

perhaps what we have in our Bibles

is something which was originally written as a pamphlet for circulation and discussion among the people.

We know nothing about Nahum except that he came from a place called Elkosh, which was

probably a town lying somewhere south-west of Jerusalem.

This means that it was very likely that he came from the same geographical area as the prophet Micah.

The name ‘Nahum’ means ‘comfort’ or ‘consolation’, and,

although his book is taken up with the theme of the destruction of Judah’s great enemy

(which thought alone must have brought great comfort to God’s people),

there are many other matters in this prophecy

which would also have given consolation to the Judeans.

At the time in which Nahum prophesied, Assyria was THE one great power

whose terrible influence was felt throughout the whole region.

People were in fear of the Assyrians for hundreds of miles around.

History tells us that they were extremely cruel, inflicting awful torture on their victims before they finally killed them.

Naturally everyone was terrified of the Assyrians and their city of Nineveh was, to the Judeans, a symbol of extreme evil.

No one wanted to get on the wrong side of these people.

Because of their very wickedness, they despised everyone who feared the one true and living God.

People of every nation were afraid of the Assyrians.

Everyone was hoping that the Almighty would do something to destroy them,

and no one could really settle down to live peacefully

the whole time these ‘savages’ were causing such havoc.

However, God raised up Nahum to tell the inhabitants of Jerusalem

and the surrounding areas

that He was going to deal with those who threatened them.

But, strangely enough, Nahum did not start his prophecy by describing the wickedness of the Ninevites (the Assyrians).

Nor did he begin by referring to the unease of the people of Judah.

His first recorded words were a description of God himself.

Let’s look first of all at the CHARACTER OF GOD. 2 "The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is fierce in wrath. The Lord takes vengeance against his foes; he is furious with his enemies. 3 "The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished. His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath his feet.” ()

In these opening words Nahum used the covenant name for God.

He reminded the people that the Lord is one who has an agreement with them.

He is the gracious God who promises to protect and care for all those who put their trust in Him, and

He always keeps all the promises that He has made to His people.

The prophet said that God is a jealous God.

In the 10 Commandments we find out what that phrase means: In verse 5 we read:

"Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ iniquity, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me,”

The Lord means that he will put up with no rivalry.

Just as a husband will not allow any other man to share his wife in those ways which belong to the marriage bond alone,

so God will not permit his people to give any affection whatsoever to any other ‘god’, be it

a pop star or

a quest for materialism.

If anything at all is allowed to come between God and one of his children, then the Lord will not overlook it.

He will show His jealous anger against whoever, or whatever, seeks to win the affection of any of His beloved ones.

God has an exclusive claim upon each of his children.

He demands that they refrain from sin and anything else which might bring his honor into disrepute.

He has purchased them with the precious blood of Christ which was shed for them on Calvary’s cross, and now they belong to Him alone.

Because of this, God’s people today must each do everything they can to maintain their deep love for the Lord.

Sadly, some people do drift away from the Lord.

Christ Himself speaks about this when He writes to the angel of the church at Ephesus.

There it is said that the church had forsaken their first love ().

We, too, must make certain that our love for the Lord never begins to grow cold.

Because the Lord is a jealous God, He will allow no rivals for the affection which should be given to Him alone.

However, the inhabitants of Nineveh had sinned grievously against God.

They had destroyed the northern kingdom and had taken away as captives a great many of its people.

They had treated all of their captives with great contempt.

And for many years the Assyrians had been threatening the southern kingdom of Judah.

It was for these reasons, and many more, that the Lord showed another side of His nature.

He told them He was going to display His vengeance.

Three times Nahum mentions this word in the second verse of the opening chapter of his prophecy.

2 "The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is fierce in wrath. The Lord takes vengeance against his foes; he is furious with his enemies.” ()

There is more to vengeance than merely fighting against an enemy.

‘Vengeance is retaliatory punishment for wrong which has been done.

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (p. 96). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

The Ninevites had committed great evils.

Now they were [going] to be repaid for those iniquitous acts by the one who had solemnly declared,

35 "Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay. In time their foot will slip, for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.”” ()

How can anyone read this prophecy and still think of God merely as some

kindly old gentleman, living up in the sky like a rather absent-minded Santa Claus who regards everyone as worthy of a generous Christmas present?

Our God is not only a God of love (He is that); He is also a God of justice.

He cannot look upon sin in any shape or form.

There is no way that He can overlook it, or its consequences.

Sin, and all those who perpetuate evil, must be dealt with severely.

Nahum said, ‘the Lord takes vengeance and is fierce in wrath’ (1:2).

Indeed the complete and utter destruction which was soon

going to be pouring on the great city of Nineveh shows that God will not allow sin to remain unpunished.

But there is a third thing which Nahum tells us about the Lord in v3. ;

and here we begin to see yet another side to His character.

He explains that ‘The Lord is slow to anger’ (1:3).

3 "The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished. His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath his feet.” ()

Slow to anger means that He never strikes without first threatening.

When subjects would rebel against a king, very often, in the course of history:

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (p. 97). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

he often has first crushed them and then reasoned with them afterwards.

They have given no time of threat, no period of repentance.

They have allowed no space for turning to their allegiance.

They have at once crushed the rebels in their hot displeasure, making a full end of them.

Not so God.

He will not cut down the tree that obstructs the ground until He has dug around and fertilized it.

He will not at once slay the person whose character is the most vile until He has first cut him by the prophets;

He will not [first] chop him by judgments.

Spurgeon. (2017). The Spurgeon Study Bible: Notes (p. 1234). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

He will warn the sinner before He condemns him.

He will not strike the city without warning.

God’s providence made sure that before He destroyed Sodom, his servant Lot was there.

He didn’t drown the whole world before sending a preacher of righteousness in Noah.

He sent Jonah before He was going to destroy Nineveh.

He will not crush Babylon till His prophets have cried through its streets.

v3 declares that “the LORD will never leave the guilty unpunished.” Which means that God will not acquit the wicked because He is good.

I wonder what kinds of warnings

God’s goodness demands that sinners be punished.

The judge must condemn the murderer because he loves his town.

The kindness of a king demands the punishment of those who are guilty.

It is not wrathful in the legislature to make severe laws against great sinners.

It is but love toward the rest that sin should be restrained!

The goodness of God demands that people should perish if they will sin.

And again, the justice of God demands it.

God is infinitely just, and His justice demands that people should be punished unless they turn to Him with full purpose of heart.

Remember we’re talking about Nineveh here.

Spurgeon. (2017). The Spurgeon Study Bible: Notes (pp. 1234–1235). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

These were people who had once turned from their evil ways and now, they’ve gone back to their sin.

We see this so much in our day of the many who profess salvation and then leave the paths of God’s Word.

There is surely a solemn message for all of God’s people here.

We must not be lulled to sleep, thinking that God is not concerned about our unfaithfulness to Him.

We must recognize that Nahum’s words apply to us and our sins as well.

Paul quotes many Old Testament passages in :

10 "as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. 11 "There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12 "All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one. 13 "Their throat is an open grave; they deceive with their tongues. Vipers’ venom is under their lips. 14 "Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. 15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 "ruin and wretchedness are in their paths, 17 "and the path of peace they have not known. 18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes.” ()

Nineveh had turned from the one true God, and so, in many ways, has the church today.

Their tongues practised deceit; so have ours.

Their mouths were full of cursing and bitterness.

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (p. 98). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

Are ours any purer? Cannot it be said of our culture in these days that

there is ‘no fear of God before their eyes’?

The character of God demands that justice be carried out.

Then we have THE JUDGMENT OF GOD. 3 "The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished. His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath his feet. 4 "He rebukes the sea and dries it up, and he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither; even the flower of Lebanon withers. 5 "The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt; the earth trembles at his presence— the world and all who live in it. 6 "Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; even rocks are shattered before him.” ()

God’s judgment is universal. Look at the middle of v3, “His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet.”

These swirling clouds caused by upheavals in the air are used by Nahum as a description of the dust disturbed by the feet of the Lord as He hurries about His work of judgment.

The prophet reminds the Judeans, and each one of us, that ‘The earth trembles at [God’s] presence’ (1:5).

Everyone who dwells in the world is affected by God’s power in nature.

These forces are only small indications of the energy which will be unleashed when the Lord shows His anger against sin.

If the mountains quake before God, and the earth trembles at His presence, what mere mortal can stand against God’s fierce indignation?

Who can endure his wrath when it is poured out like fire?

his is a question which Nahum shouts out at his readers; he wants them to consider the answer.

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (p. 98). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

The message is to all of us today. Let the searchlight of the Lord’s Word be upon His own professing people this morning!

What about you!! Some years later Malachi was to put the same question up:

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (p. 99). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

2 "But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will be able to stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire...” ()

It is all very well for us to say that blatantly wicked people deserve to be punished by God, but what about us?

Are we wholly devoted to the service of God?

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (p. 100). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

Are our hands always clean?

When we read this prophecy we can see that Nahum is urging us all

to give careful thought to our ways (cf. , ) and make sure that we are right with God.

v5 mentions those mountains of rock quaking before the Lord and the hills melting.

Those fires are but a faint resemblance of the fierceness of God’s anger against sinners whose hearts are like that rock.

We all need to examine hearts to see if we’re hardened to God and His ways.

Then we have THE GOODNESS OF GOD 7 "The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; he cares for those who take refuge in him. 8 "But he will completely destroy Nineveh with an overwhelming flood, and he will chase his enemies into darkness.” ()

God is not only a God of judgement.

There is another side to his nature. He is also a God of mercy.

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (p. 100). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

In the midst of all this language about the vengeance of God upon his enemies, Nahum utters this wonderful statement: ‘The Lord is good’ (1:7).

It is for this reason that we can have hope.

We have all been born with a sinful nature, we live in a corrupt world and we find it difficult to know what pure goodness is.

However, we can see genuine goodness in God, and only in him.

Many times in the Bible we read the Lord described like this. In we read,

7 "Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with your faithful love, remember me because of your goodness, Lord. 8 "The Lord is good and upright; therefore he shows sinners the way.” ()

However, God is not only good, He is a refuge for His people in times of trouble (1:7).

We all have troubles in our lives, and sometimes we are so burdened by them that we do not know where to go for help.

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (p. 100). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

We can always take our troubles to the Lord and, just as Israel of old found that the Lord was their help,

we too can discover that he is our refuge in times of trouble.

In the two world wars many people found the words of tremendous strength:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.” ()

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (p. 101). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

He does the exact opposite for his people from what he foretold for Nineveh.

Judah will be comforted, not merely because the Lord is a refuge for them,

but because He comforts and consoles them by making a complete end of the people of Nineveh, their oppressive enemy (1:8).

Some years after this prophecy was given there was a breach in part of Nineveh’s great city wall.

History tells us that it was caused by a tremendous flood;

and Israel was comforted by the knowledge that Nineveh was going to be destroyed.

It must have been a source of great strength for them to know that God would obliterate Nineveh

and pursue all her inhabitants until they disappeared into eternal darkness.

OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD.

Our relationship to God

We all believe in God, but do we trust in him? That is the question.

He will only be a refuge to those who commit the whole of their lives to His care.

That is the question. He will only be a refuge to those who commit the whole of their lives to his care. He demands a complete transformation within us before he will call any of us his children. Jesus described this change as being ‘born again’. He said, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can [even] see the kingdom of God unless he is born again’ ().

He demands a complete transformation within us before he will call any of us his children.

Jesus described this change as being ‘born again’.

He said, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can [even] see the kingdom of God unless he is born again’ ().

To receive this new life we have to turn our backs, in repentance, upon all of our past sinful life, and place our complete trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.

We cannot experience the blessing of salvation unless we rest in the Lord.

Those who have become new men and women in Christ, through repentance and faith alone,

have the joy of knowing that whatever happens to them, ‘The Lord is good,’ and He is ‘a refuge in times of trouble’.

They know too that ‘He cares for those who trust in him,’ He utterly destroys all of their enemies and He grants them His peace.

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (p. 101). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (p. 101). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (p. 95). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

Bentley, M. (1994). Balancing the Books: Micah and Nahum Simply Explained (pp. 94–95). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.