Nahum 1
Scripture
Nahum 1:7
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him, but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.
Observation-What does it say?
Why does Nineveh sound familiar? Because we read about it yesterday. That is the place that God called Jonah to. Even though Jonah was disobedient and swallowed up by the whale, he eventually obeyed and went to Nineveh. As a result, Nineveh turned from their wicked ways. However, in this chapter of Nahum, a prophecy was given to Nahum concerning Nineveh. Nineveh was going to return to their vomit (Prov. 26:11), rebelling against the Lord and choosing a life of wickedness once again. This chapter shows God's righteous anger towards them.
“Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Exodus 34:14 NIV
“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” Deuteronomy 4:24 NIV
“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”” 2 Peter 2:20-22 NIV
Understanding-What does it mean?
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 NIV
God's character is a combination of love, grace and patience, coupled with righteousness, jealousy and anger. He doesn't let the guilty go unpunished according to vs. 3.
Although there is grace, there is also judgment and consequences for rebellion. We like to focus on His love, forgiveness, grace and mercy, yet forget that He gets angry too and the consequences of getting Him angry is a place no one wants to be.
Life Application
The Godhead of grace, love and mercy is the same Godhead who created the Universe and burned with intense anger towards the nations and people that turned their face from Him. He deserves even more fear and respect than we give to our spouses, parents, bosses or anyone else in human authority. He is not just Savior, but Lord!
I vividly remember the worse season of rebellion I had towards the Lord 15 years ago. You couldn't pay me a million dollars to return to that time. I felt every single one of those consequences, from lost relationships, to lost of respect, to hurt and pain and even separation in fellowship from Him, as I stopped praying for awhile. Looking back, He was disciplining me because of how much He loved me and was also fighting for me to return to Him. It's not a fun place to be, in rebellion towards Him. It's easier to do things right the first time instead of learn the hard way and experiencing His disciplinary correction as a result. Being an enemy of God and testing His patience is not a place I want to return to.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 NIV
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28 NIV
Sounds hopeless and impossible because we have all fallen short of His grace. (Ephesians 6:10-18) However, the good news is that we have His Holy Spirit and His Word to protect us from the evil one and keep our hearts pure. We have victory over sin because as Christ followers, we are no longer slaves to it! (2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 6).
Thank You Jesus that You are a God who loves and forgives and never gives up on me. Thank You for also disciplining me when I rebel and sin to get me back on the path that I was meant to be all along. You know and want what's best for me and I praise You for that! I pray for more of Your Holy Spirit to protect us and lead us away from our evil human desires that gives birth to sin. We cannot do it without You Holy Spirit. Amen!