God Avenges
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Background Information
Background Information
The book of Nahum contains the prophecies given by Nahum the prophet. These prophecies were given to both warn Nineveh and also to encourage Judah. The name Nahum is a shortened version of Nehemiah (Comfort of Yahweh) - and the shortened versions means “comfort” and this coupled with the message of Nahum shows us that God’s comfort comes from both His judgment and His protection - the comfort being that God cares both to punish sin and protecting His people. The theme verses are
2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is fierce in wrath. The Lord takes vengeance against his foes; he is furious with his enemies.
7 The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; he cares for those who take refuge in him.
Nahum the Elkoshite - as we see in verse 1 - suggests that Nahum is from Elkosh, which is nothing is known about. Elkosh may have been in the region of Galilee because the city of Capernaum was named after Nahum (Kephar-Nahum or City of Nahum). God cares for the sin of Nineveh and also for His people of Judah. Although slow to anger the Lord does not ignore the guilty. God speaks comfort through Nahum to His people to maintain faith for they would be afflicted by Assyria no longer.
God Avenges
God Avenges
1 The pronouncement concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. 2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is fierce in wrath. The Lord takes vengeance against his foes; he is furious with his enemies.
3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished. His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath his feet. 4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up, and he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither; even the flower of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt; the earth trembles at his presence— the world and all who live in it. 6 Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; even rocks are shattered before him.
7 The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; he cares for those who take refuge in him. 8 But he will completely destroy Nineveh with an overwhelming flood, and he will chase his enemies into darkness.
9 Whatever you plot against the Lord, he will bring it to complete destruction; oppression will not rise up a second time. 10 For they will be consumed like entangled thorns, like the drink of a drunkard and like straw that is fully dry.
11 One has gone out from you, who plots evil against the Lord, and is a wicked counselor. 12 This is what the Lord says: Though they are strong and numerous, they will still be mowed down, and he will pass away. Though I have punished you, I will punish you no longer.
13 For I will now break off his yoke from you and tear off your shackles. 14 The Lord has issued an order concerning you: There will be no offspring to carry on your name. I will eliminate the carved idol and cast image from the house of your gods; I will prepare your grave, for you are contemptible.
15 Look to the mountains— the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace. Celebrate your festivals, Judah; fulfill your vows. For the wicked one will never again march through you; he will be entirely wiped out.
God’s Anger Declared
God’s Anger Declared
1 The pronouncement concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. 2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is fierce in wrath. The Lord takes vengeance against his foes; he is furious with his enemies.
3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will never leave the guilty unpunished. His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath his feet. 4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up, and he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither; even the flower of Lebanon withers.
5 The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt; the earth trembles at his presence— the world and all who live in it. 6 Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; even rocks are shattered before him.
Nahum’s book opens with the statement that this is the pronouncement concerning Nineveh, from the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. Pronouncement is an oracle or a burden - most messages from prophets are a burden for they carry the promise of judgment and wrath. A heavy message of weighty importance. The message of Nahum was certainly a burden of Nineveh’s doom.
Nahum’s message and vision starts off with declarations and descriptions concerning the LORD. The first is that the LORD is a jealous God. How is it that God is jealous? He is not jealous in the same sense we are jealous of each other - He isnt selfish and self-seeking wanting all things for himself. No God is jealous in the sense of the fact that God is also love. His jealousy is a part of His love and He would not be loving if He were not jealous. God's jealousy is not about His losing but rather our hurting.
God’s jealousy is love in action. He refuses to share our heart with anything or anyone else. Our hearts being loyal before Him determines our very moral lives. He is not jealous OF us: He is jealous FOR us. David Guzik His love is righteous and true and He would not be loving if He were not jealous. Jealously here means fiercely protective and unaccepting of disloyalty.
The next declaration and description of God is that not only is He a jealous God but also an avenging God. Nahum also provides a description of God’s vengeance. The LORD takes vengeance and is fierce in wrath. The Lord exercises His right to vengeance and when He does it is described as fierce in wrath. It is the wrath of God that brings the vengeance of God. The Lord takes vengeance only on His enemies and foes. Everyone who stands against God invites his vengeance.
It is because God is a jealous God that He is also an avenging God. He avenges His people against His enemies. Judah was His people and the enemies of Judah are enemies of God.
19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.
The next description of God is that though His wrath brings vengeance God is slow to anger. God is far more patient than we are or we would be. Unfortunately many mistake His longsuffering to be either indifference or inability and that is why Nahum also states that though God is slow to anger He is great in power. He will never (emphatic) leave the guilty unpunished. God will never acquit the wicked. He will never pardon an unpaid or unpunished sin. Every sin will be paid for either by the sinner at judgment through hell or at the cross of Jesus Christ.
9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
This exact sentiment was on display when God sent Jonah to Nineveh about 100 years before Nahum prophesied. Though He prolongs His mercy His power for judgment remains. His power described with a whirlwind and storm. His voice over the sea - mountains quake and hills melt - the very earth trembles at His presence - and all who are in it.
Nahum then posits two questions - Who can withstand his indignation? Who can can endure His burning anger? These questions are rhetorical in that after that description of God’s awesome power and longsuffering on display that no one can stand and no can find excuse for God gave opportunity for mercy and repentance. Make no mistake about its absolute necessity and certainty, without change or repentance judgment must come and no one can (or will) withstand or endure.
Destruction of Nineveh
Destruction of Nineveh
7 The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; he cares for those who take refuge in him. 8 But he will completely destroy Nineveh with an overwhelming flood, and he will chase his enemies into darkness.
9 Whatever you plot against the Lord, he will bring it to complete destruction; oppression will not rise up a second time. 10 For they will be consumed like entangled thorns, like the drink of a drunkard and like straw that is fully dry.
11 One has gone out from you, who plots evil against the Lord, and is a wicked counselor.
The last description Nahum gives of God is in relation to his vision concerning God’s destruction of Nineveh. He declares the LORD is good, a stronghold in a day of distress. Though the LORD is wrathful and an avenger taking vengeance He is nonetheless good. God is a stronghold in a day of distress and He cares for those who take refuge in Him. God is a fortress in times of trouble for those who trust in Him.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!
His goodness is always in line with His faithful love - tied to it. Faithful and merciful protecting helpful and caring - its all the goodness of God.
1 Hallelujah! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.
6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,
6 The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth,
Jeremiah 33:11 (CSB)
11 a sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the groom and the bride, and the voice of those saying, Give thanks to the Lord of Armies, for the Lord is good; his faithful love endures forever...
However Nahum continues this doesnt apply to you. God will completely destroy Nineveh with an overwhelming flood chasing His enemies into darkness. The people of Nineveh thought they were safe, but their security is short-lived especially compared to the comfort and safety God provides His people. Nineveh had repented once and been spared destruction, but now they continued unrepentant in their sin against Judah.
Though Assyria was used as God’s vehicle to punish Israel - they tried to come and take Judah. They plotted to take it all. Nahum declares that whatever they plot against the LORD He brings it to complete destruction - so complete that oppression will not rise up a second time from Assyria.
The completeness of their destruction and the swiftness of it indicates how ripe they were for judgment and how complete the judgment of God is.
Deliverance of Judah
Deliverance of Judah
12 This is what the Lord says: Though they are strong and numerous, they will still be mowed down, and he will pass away. Though I have punished you, I will punish you no longer. 13 For I will now break off his yoke from you and tear off your shackles.
14 The Lord has issued an order concerning you: There will be no offspring to carry on your name. I will eliminate the carved idol and cast image from the house of your gods; I will prepare your grave, for you are contemptible.
15 Look to the mountains— the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace. Celebrate your festivals, Judah; fulfill your vows. For the wicked one will never again march through you; he will be entirely wiped out.
Nahum now proclaims the promise of deliverance to Judah. Though the Assyrians are strong and numerous they will still be mowed down and he will pass away. Nineveh had gone on unscathed no enemy had penetrated her defenses and her inhabitants were many. God promised that in His vengeance she would be completely cut down and would vanish or pass-away. God as I said had used Assyria to afflict Israel and Judah, but God remained in control.
The LORD has issued an order - a decree from the highest throne. Assyria will be wiped out without offspring, none of their false gods will remain. They are contemptible before the LORD and therefore He has prepared their grave.
It is God’s promise of vengeance against Assyria that gives Judah the promise of protection. The God who avenges is the God who also protects and delivers. Without avenging their is no delivering. Nahum proclaims for Judah to celebrate, fulfill vows for the wicked one will never again march through you and will be wiped out. Nineveh would experience fall and judgment while Judah would experience freedom. Nineveh was never rebuilt - Xenophon passed by the site 200 years later and assumed the ruins was another city. Alexander the Great fighting nearby did not realize his proximity to the ruins of Nineveh
The contrast between the fate of the godly and wicked is nothing but good news to Nahum and the people of God. Isaiah 52:7 uses a similar expression, but Isaiah marvels at the beauty of the feet of him who brings good news. Nahum would certainly agree, because those who bring good tidings have beautiful feet; they partner with God for the salvation of men. The feet speak of activity, motion, and progress, and those who are active and moving in the work of preaching the gospel have beautiful feet.
In Isaiah, the good news is the coming of the Messiah. In Nahum, the good news is the defeat of the enemies of God’s people. Rejoicing is not in this context gleeful gloating at the misfortune of others … Rather it is pleasure at the vindication of God and his promises.” (Baker)
Conclusion
Conclusion
The God that Nahum introduces us to is a jealous God who is angry at sin, He is also a good God who cares for His people. Consider the goodness and the severity of God. God is a consuming fire for those set against Him and His fury is poured out like fire. He is also a refuge for those who trust in Him.
Nineveh was going to receive judgment that was turned away at the time of Jonah. While God did not judge the city at that time it does not mean that God would ignore future generations who chose sin and rebellion. Understanding that God is slow to anger but He does get angry and soon will be past mercy, should drive men to be quick to repent and not presuming on God’s patience and longsuffering.
God is not out of touch with the world but is intimately interested in it. So much so that He sent His only Son as a human being. Jesus lived as a man and bore the sins of men when He died on the cross. He took on the full brunt of God’s vengeance on sin. His vengeance provided the deliverance but only for those who repent and take the offer of salvation by finding refuge in Christ. Without forgiveness of Christ no one will experience the love of God and instead will receive the fury of the fire of His wrath.
Communion
Communion
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.