Year 3, Day 248: Nahum 1

Introduction to Nahum

Nahum was a prophet to Nineveh, which you will remember is where Jonah was called by God to go.  However, unlike when Nineveh repented upon hearing Jonah’s message, Nineveh will not repent when Nahum gives his prophetic message.  We know historically what happened.  Assyria was sent into judgment under Babylonian assault because of their unwillingness to repent and be humble before God. 

We believe this oracle from Nahum was spoken between 663 BC and 612 BC.  The fall of Thebes is mentioned in Nahum 3:8, which occurred in 663 BC.  Of course, 612 BC is the year that Assyria fell to Babylon.  We cannot know for certain when in this timeframe the book of Nahum was written, but many scholars believe that is was written closer to the fall of Thebes than to the Babylonian conquest over the Assyrians.

Character of God

Let’s start with a look at the side of God with which Nahum begins this message.  “Jealous.”  “Avenging.”  “Wrathful.”  “Taking vengeance.”  “Keeping wrath.”  “Slow to anger.”  “Powerful.”  “Whirlwind.”  “Storm.”  “Clouds.”  “Rebuking.”

Is there any wonder that Nahum reaches the conclusion that the mountains quake before God?  Is there any surprise in the proclamation that the whole world melts before Nahum?  Who can stand in the presence of the Lord?

Now that I’ve filled you with both a sense of awe and dread, allow me to circle back and pick up one more fairly oppressive thought that I skipped over.  “The Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.”  If that isn’t a verse that will put a lump in your throat I honestly don’t know what will.

I want to look at this verse from two perspectives.  First, from the perspective of universal salvation.  There are people out there who are actively proclaiming that all will be saved.  There are people out there convinced that God will not convict anyone or judge anyone as deserving the consequence of Hell.  This verse alone shows how such a witness is wrong.  Yes, God is love.  But in the midst of His love are words like “jealous,” “avenging,” and “powerful.”  God is not condemning people to Hell as much as He is allowing them to chose their own eternal fate.  God will not force any of us to choose Him just as He will not force any of us to choose the ways of the world.  Universal salvation and the belief that Hell will be empty is a dangerous and theologically incorrect position to take.

Second, I’d like to look at this verse with respect to salvation by grace.  Certainly not all will be saved.  The guilty will be condemned.  Which raises the question, “Are we not all guilty?”  If we are all guilty, how can any of us be saved if “God will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.”

This is the brilliance of the Messiah.  You see, there is a distinction between the “guilty” and the “repentant.”  Yes, each of us is guilty of sin and rebellion from God.  Many continue to live their entire life in such a state.  However, some repent.  Some learn what it is like to humble themselves before God.  While they certainly continue to show signs of rebellion, such rebellion is confessed when exposed.  Such rebellion is rejected even if it was embraced during the act or thought.  Those who repent and come humbly before their God also know that they cannot trust in anything of their own doing to be saved.  So we turn to Christ and His blood on the cross.  Through Christ, our guilt is atoned.  In Christ – and only in Christ, God’s Messiah – are we declared free from our guilt.  Thus, in an amazing act of grace God takes us and says to us, “Through Christ, you are no longer in the category of guilty.”

So, yes.  God will not leave the guilty unpunished.  But in Christ, we find the way to leave the category of guilty behind.  Turn to God.  Humble yourself right now.  Acknowledge your guilt before God and ask Him to come to You.  Only He can change you from “guilty” to “not guilty.”  Only He can move you for being under the umbrella of “needing to be punished” to “free of His punishment.”

I see it much like Nahum.  God is a fortress.  He can be where we take refuge from the world.  Or He can be the one who pours out wrath upon you if you are of the world.  He can shelter those found within Him while cutting down those who are not.  Consider wisely this choice.  In Him or out.  Free or guilty.  Refuge or wrath.  Humbly repent to be saved or stand in your pride to be cut down in His anger.

Time

At the end of the chapter we hear Nahum tell the Assyrians that their time is at hand.  There is a time when God will say enough.  He said enough to the Egyptians.  He said enough to the Assyrians.  He said enough to the Babylonians.  He said enough to His own people.  He said enough to the Persians.  He said enough to the Greeks.  He said enough to the Romans.

God has a pretty good track record of saying enough when humanity falls away from His ways.  Why would we think we are any different?

No, I would rather be in the people of God’s peace.  I would rather be found in the proclamation of Good News.  I deserve wrath, certainly.  But through a little humility and humbleness I can instead find peace and good news.  What is a lifetime of humbleness before God if it means that I can receive a peace that I do not deserve?

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