God’s Mercy and Judgment
“The burden (oracle, prophecy) against Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
God’s Wrath on His Enemies
God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies; the Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains quake before Him, the hills melt, and the earth [burns]heaves at His presence, yes, the world and all who dwell in it.
Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him.
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies.
What do you [devise]conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time. For while tangled like thorns, and while drunken like drunkards, they shall be devoured like stubble fully dried. From you comes forth one who plots evil against the Lord, a wicked counselor. [Lit. Counselor of Belial]
Thus says the Lord: “Though they are safe, and likewise many, yet in this manner they will be cut down
when he passes through. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more; for now I will break off his yoke from you, and burst your bonds apart.” The Lord has given a command concerning you: “Your name shall be perpetuated no longer. Out of the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the molded image. I will dig your grave, for you are vile.” [contemptible]
Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.”
For a century the Assyrians have been cutting a horrible swath through the nations of the Fertile Crescent. The revival resulting from Jonah’s preaching has died out. God has given the Assyrians plenty of time to repent, but they have only become progressively worse. Now God is going to bring the Assyrian Empire to an end.
“God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies; the Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts. The mountains quake before Him, the hills melt, and the earth [burns]heaves at His presence, yes, the world and all who dwell in it.”
God begins by reminding the nations of His greatness and power. “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies.” God knows the human heart better than anyone else and He knows those who are ripe for destruction.
“What do you [devise]conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time.” God is going to completely end the Assyrian Empire. “Thus says the Lord: “Though they are safe, and likewise many, yet in this manner they will be cut down when he passes through. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more; for now I will break off his yoke from you, and burst your bonds apart.” “Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off.”
Being conquered by the Assyrians has meant untold misery. While the Babylonians seem to be relatively benign as conquerors, the Assyrians are unspeakably evil. Now God is assuring the exiles that deliverance is approaching. The nation of Judah will again keep its appointed feasts and perform religious vows in peace.
APPLICATION: What do these words written to a wicked nation and to those in exile have to do with us today? First, these verses remind us of the greatness of God, His power, His majesty, His righteousness, and His holiness. When we serve the One True Living God, we serve the greatest power in the universe. The Israelites would never have had to go into exile had they continued to serve God as He had asked them to. If we will follow God whole-heartedly, we can rest assured that He will lead us and guide us. This does not mean that everything will go smoothly or that we will not face problems, but God can either deliver us from those problems or give us the strength to go through them.
On Facebook, I follow the trials and tribulations of two families with small boys with mind-boggling medical problems. Each photo shows a little boy connected to more monitors, feeding tubes, etc., than any one person should have to endure. How are these families surviving emotionally and caring for their healthy children as well as these children with major medical problems? Only God can give them the strength to endure.
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies.” How many of us find ourselves in untenable positions at work with supervisors who bully and condemn, even as they take credit for the results of our work? How many of us bear up under difficult conditions at home or in the workplace because we see no alternatives? How many of us long for deliverance?
What does it mean that “the Lord is a stronghold in the day of trouble?” A stronghold is a safe place of refuge where we can go and be confident that we are safe and that nobody can hurt us. God is omniscient, all – knowing. This means that He knows all of our problems and all of our needs. God is omnipresent-because of His divine nature, He can be every place at every time. When your boss is denying your promotions and insulting you while he/she claims credit for your accomplishments, God is right there. You don’t have to explain things to God; He already knows your problems. You can talk with God about your struggles, knowing that He knows and understands better than anybody else. God will give you the strength to endure until your situation changes and you are in a better place.
Through the years, we have seen every major mission board make terrible mistakes with dedicated workers, mistakes that have sometimes forced effective staff to leave the mission field in despair. We know other missionaries who have managed to remain but who have had to deal with very difficult colleagues. Years ago, we asked one veteran missionary couple the secret of handling fellow workers who were contentious, critical, and who caused nothing but pain wherever they went. The couple looked at each other and the husband said, “We’re still learning.” This couple had God as their stronghold. Things were not easy; however, these people were trusting God to resolve the situation. Eventually the problem worker returned to his home country, and everyone else in the mission breathed a huge sigh of relief!
The final sentences of this chapter reassure the people of Judah that they again will have peace so that they can worship the Lord without fear of attack. We all need peace. Sometimes God gives us peace by removing the problem, but far more often God gives us peace in the midst of our problems. Either way, God is the Way Maker, the Peace Bringer. And He can become your stronghold if you will only ask.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we need You! We need You to come be with us, to help us, to comfort us, to guide us, and to give us the strength to endure until You deliver us from our trials. Help all who read these words to trust in You, knowing that You are the One who makes all good things possible. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment