Nahum 1

Introduction

In 2001 war was declared on the United States.

As a response to the terrible acts that were carried out on 9/11 President George W. Bush issued a statement where he declared, “Our military is powerful and prepared. We will protect our citizens at home and abroad from further attack. The full resources of our military and law enforcement communities will be used to bring those responsible to justice.

When 9/11 accord I was unsure what this meant. Life as I knew it had changed, but I was confident that we would be victorious.

Following that day many men and women, convinced that could not happen again, signed up to fight the war on terror.

Oct. 7 - Strikes were ordered by George W. Bush in Afghanistan against Al Qaeda. President Bush stated further, “We are an enemy of terrorist…and though we are a peaceful nation we will fight against this enemy of evil.

In the book of Nahum we have a declaration of vengeance far greater than that given by President Bush. Here God declares through his prophet that he will destroy Nineveh and restore Judah.

That, though he is good, he will, with an overflowing flood make a complete end of their adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness (vv.7-8)

BACKGROUND -

Genre - War Poetry directed primarily toward Assyria.

Date - 660s BC - A century after Jonah preached his effective sermon in Nineveh.

Message - This book, like President Bush’s message on 9/11, was meant to be a comfort to God’s people.

Setting - Nineveh and the Assyrians have long forgotten their repentance and worship of God.

The Assyrians were a violent people, and their treatment of other peoples was harsh and inhumane.

Judah was under Assyrian control and the people of God were unable to worship and represent him as they were chosen to do.

Attitude - Why is God more angry here. Rom. 9:14

It is important for us to remember that the message of Nahum is a good message for the people of God. This, I will admit, is hard at times. We think of God’s love, compassion, mercy and grace often to the neglect of his judgement, jealousy, anger, and wrath.

This is a natural thing, we are drawn to positive things, and it is hard to understand how these, seemingly negative, qualities can come from a good God.

First, we have to recognize that God is holy, righteous, perfect, and good in all that he does.

Ex. 15:11 ““Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”

We cannot compare God to any earthly thing. So, as you read, consider, and listen to this book keep in mind the perfect, holy, righteous protection of God for his people.

v.7 - “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”

With that in mind lets look to Nahum.

Book Layout :

Prelude to Battle (Nahum 1)

Pictures from Battle (Nahum 2-3)

The Nature of God

With an understanding of the holiness of God let’s consider a few character qualities given in the Nahum 1.

(v.7) - Good (caring, fair, agreeable)

Ps. 86:5 “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.”

Ps. 23.6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

David believed that to dwell in the house of the Lord was to enjoy his goodness and mercy forever.

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

James writes of the unchangeable goodness of God. He goes so far to say that every good and perfect gift comes from him.

God is good and all that he determines, decrees, allows, or causes is good.

(v. 6) Jealous

Like a husband for his treasured wife, God is jealous for his people.

In fact, in Hosea God is described as married to Israel in a covenant relationship, and anything that threatened that relationship aroused his anger.

However, his is not a possessive, controlling, manipulative jealousy, but a loving, compassionate jealousy that desires what is best for his people.

KDY - “The jealousy of God is his holy commitment to his honor, glory, and love that manifests itself in the salvation of his people and the just condemnation of all who stand in opposition to him.”

God’s jealousy is first mentioned in Ex.20.5-6 when God demands that his covenant people worship him exclusively.

“You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

When we move on from the character of God we will see how his jealousy plays out in the care of Israel and the judgement of those who appose her.

God is good to his people, and he is jealous for them...

(v.2) Avenging

Unlike Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Thor, Hulk, and Hawkeye God has no Endgame.

However he does enact punishment on those who do oppress his people.

Abrahamic Covenant - Gen 12:1-3 “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.””

Nahum does something very important for us in the second and third verses by using repetition.

David Baker - It is here that “The word for vengeance is used three times in the same manor that we see holy, holy, holy used to describe the character of God. Any judgment by God upon sin, whether that of his own people or others, is not based on whim or uncontrollable anger but on God’s unchangingly holy character. The correct response to an action, good or bad, will be given by God; neither too little nor too much. Nineveh serves as an example of this characteristic holiness of God, accentuated by the threefold repetition of his avenging acts in one verse.”

The vengence of God was a quality that the Israelites admired in him.

Ps. 94.1 “O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth!”

Here Nahum is comforting the people of Israel with what their hearts desire. They had been appressed by the Assyrians, but now God would avenge his honor by avenging his people!

(v.6) - His anger will be poured out like fire in a way that their enemies will not be able to endure.

It is clear that God cares for his people, is jealous for them, and will avenge them when they are mistreated.

Nahum has described how God’s vengeance will be experienced by the Assyrians in Nineveh through the judgement of God.

The Judgement God

v.3 - God’s Judgement is POWERFUL

“God is great in power”

His way is in the whirlwind

He rebukes the sea and makes it dry up, he dries up the rivers.

Ex. 14 - The Israelites were facing death. They had fled Egypt only to be trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaohs army.

God instructed Moses to tell the people to go forward. And God would dry up the red sea so they could pass through, and then he would cause the water to consume the Pharaoh’s army so that they would never see them again.

The mountains quake and the earth heaves, the world and all who dwell in it.

v. 4 - Bashan, Carmel, Lebanon - There is no place to run from the power of God. These were the extreme boundaries Eastward, Westward, and Northward.

Like a forest fire that consumes the California landscape God’s justice cannot be endured.

Heb. 12.29 “for our God is a consuming fire.”

Evil cannot escape the judgement of God. In all of its forms, evil will face the fire of God’s justice.

v.8 - God’s judgement is FINAL

To show the finality of God’s judgement, Nahum brings water into the equation.

As fire can spread far and wide, it can be extinguished with water. However, there is no place that water will not flow.

“He will make a complete end to his adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.

Digging tunnels as a kid and turning on the water hose - the water flowed everywhere, even where I didn’t want it to.

The finality of God’s judgement will reach everyone, everywhere.

Rev. 20:10 “and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

V. 11 - God’s Judgement is JUST

God’s judgement is powerful like a whirlwind, final like a forest fire, yet his judgement is reserved for the wicked.

Nahum 1:11 “From you came one who plotted evil against the Lord, a worthless counselor.”

Nineveh is associated with false teachers, false worship and plotting against the Lord.

Therefore, destruction would come for their wicked attack against God, his law, his honor, and his people.

The judgment of God is powerful, final, and just - it is a great comfort for his people.

LBCF 32 - “Christ desires that we be firmly convinced that a day of judgment will come, both to deter everyone from sin and to comfort the godly more fully in their adversity.”

Nahum’s message would have been one of judgement for the Ninevites, but a word of caution and comfort for Judah.

Caution to turn from sin

Comfort to know that he will always care for his covenant people.

The Goodness of God (v.3, 7, 12, 13, &15)

For Those Who NEED HIM (v.3, 7, 12-13, & 15)

Israel was under the corrective discipline of God, and they needed him to free them.

God is their stronghold in the day of trouble.

He will hide them beneath the cover of his wing.

v.12 - The Lord will be Israel’s protection, but he will also be their deliverer.

Though, Nineveh had been used as an instrument of correction against his own people, they “will be cut down and pass away.”

Israel was in bondage, enslaved, bound by Assyria, but in their time of need God declares he will “break his yoke from off of you and will curst your bonds apart.”

GOSPEL - Rom 6:17-18 “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

Rom 6:22 “ Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.”

When Christ was resurrected victory was displayed over sin and death. That means today that those who trust in Christ are freed from the bondage of sin.

We are freed to live in a way that is pleasing to God, to seek after him.

Ps. 107.13-14 “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.”

(v.15)

Nahum paints a picture that the Israelites would have understood. A messenger/herald coming in from battle to deliver a long awaited message of peace.

Nahum brings the prelude to a close with the promise of victory. The goodness of God was with Israel, Assyria had reached the end of the line - they were totally wiped out, and Judah would be able to fulfill her religious obligations in the form of feasts and vows without hinderance.

They would be free to worship as they were set apart to do!

It is clear from this first chapter that God, the great Avenger, has declared victory for all who take refuge in him - So lets turn from our sin and worship him!