Monday, September 5, 2016

Year 6, Day 248: Nahum 1

Theological Commentary: Click Here


Discipleship Focus: King

  • King: This is the pinnacle of the Kingdom Triangle.  When we look towards God’s position in the universe, we acknowledge that He is an omnipotent king.  Authority comes from Him.  Power comes through His authority.  He is looking for representatives for His kingdom.

Nahum, like Jonah, was a prophet whose career revolves around Assyria and its role in the world.  If we remember the story of Jonah, we hear that Nineveh repented when Jonah went into its midst – much to Jonah’s dismay.  However, when Nahum proclaims judgment, Assyria will not repent.

By the time of Nahum, Assyria has grown in great power.  They are the big dogs in the world.  They are on their way to conquering the world that they know.  Nothing seems to be able to stand against their tyrannical surge of power.

Naturally, nothing can stand in their way until God purposes something to come in their midst.  God steps forward and tells them that their destruction is coming.  They had been called to bring judgment to Israel, but they went too far.  They were too violent.  They became drunk with their power.  They became arrogant in their success.

Therefore, God declares that they will be cut down.  He will break the yoke of oppression that the Assyrians placed upon the Hebrew people they conquered.  We know that God raises up the Babylonians to judge the Assyrians – and to then even bring judgment against His people in Judah.  But the point of Nahum is that Assyria will find themselves judged by a God whose power is greater than their own.  God is king, not the Assyrians.

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