Peace and Justice through the Cross of Christ, Nahum 1
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Week after week I could preach a sermon on the moral demise of our country and the ungodly worldview that reigns in the lives of many of our nations leaders and influencers. One of the dilemmas with preaching about the world we live in is that you can miss the whole point of preaching… which isn’t to teach people about the world, it’s to proclaim the excellencies and glory of God in Christ!
One of my hopes as your pastor is to be remembered for proclaiming the gospel in a manner that glorifies the father, comforts the hurting, afflicts the comfortable, convicts the sinner, and builds up the body to attain the maturity and stature of Christ.
But, my aim to make sure we preach Christ doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for addressing the current scenario in our country and culture. I do trust the Holy Spirit to help you apply the gospel to your life and discern how to best follow the Lord… Yet… when we come to books and passages like Nahum, I would be remiss if I didn’t approach this ancient text with the current state of our culture in mind…
Like I said, our country has been plunged deep into an immoral and unethical mire… but it didn’t start in the last 10 years. The current moral state of affairs has been brewing for longer than I have been alive. Its the product of decades of moral and ethical compromise… and more than that its the sum total of sin from one generation after another. At this point for many Christians it feels oppressive to try and live an upright and holy life.
If you turn on your phone… sin is there
If you turn on your tv… sin is there
If you send your kids to school… sin is there
When you go to work… sin is there
When you go shopping… sin is there
When you go to the park… sin is there
When the car pulls up next to you blaring music for the whole street to see… sin is there. It’s rarely a gospel or clean song that’s blaring outloud… because its rare to find a song that has an upright and holy meaning.
So… what do we do when we are surrounded by immorality, unethical behavior, and godless ideologies? What hope do we have? What truth can we anchor our lives on as we ride the roller coaster of American culture?
In the midst of an overwhelming and oppressive evil, we anchor our lives in the good news of the Gospel!
Nahum 1:15 says,” 15 Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows, for never again shall the worthless pass through you; he is utterly cut off.”
The prophet brings good news to the people of Israel… They were a city and a people who were under attack… and after generations of God’s judgment through the Assyrians, Nahum comes with news that was like a messenger from the front lines of a war. And the news that he brings was one of peace.
You can imagine the scene… a village surrounded by high ground on all sides, with enemies off in the distance and close at hand… fighting a long war for survival… and then a runner tops the hills, with the flag of their nation flying and a trumpet signaling his return from the front lines of the war… He comes running in to the village and immediately begins to proclaim their victory and declare peace all across the land… including the village. Shouts of joy would erupt from those who heard, the good news of peace would spread like wildfire from the village into the surrounding region…
This is the image that Nahum gives us for the news that God has given him to share…
What is this good news? The good news that Nahum brought to Judah was that a true and lasting peace peace has been accomplished through the justice of God.
The Good News: A true and lasting peace has been accomplished through the justice of God.
“The Hebrew word for ‘peace’ is one of the most remarkable words in that ancient biblical language. Its meaning is much more profound than simply the cessation of war. It refers to wholeness, completeness, total well-being.”173 In most cases peace means a quality of life. Peace is that which you wish for a bride and groom on their wedding day. When you offer “all the good things of life” to a young couple, you are offering the Hebrew idea of shalom. In the present verse peace is the cessation of the oppressor. Judah had been at peace for a long time. That peace was the problem rather than the solution. Peace had been imposed by the Assyrians. As long as Judah paid its tribute, swore allegiance to the king of Assyria, and did not instigate rebellion (as would be the case with the removal of Assyrian images from the temple in Jerusalem), Judah could live in peace. God offered something far more meaningful to the people of Judah. He promised to bring peace with justice. God’s peace meant that a wholeness would be returned to the land.”
And they had true and lasting peace because God is jealous & vengeful, patient and powerful, good and strong, gracious and victorious.
God is jealous and vengeful
Nahum 1:2 (ESV), 2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.
“God is the greatest avenger of all; He is the avenger of avengers.”33 Divine vengeance can bring great joy (Ps 58:11; Deut 32:43). The God of vengeance “is a threatening picture only to those who want to be their own gods and rule the earth in their own ways, but to those who trust God it is a comfort and an affirmation that he is truly sovereign.”34 This all means that prayer for vengeance in the Psalms is prayer for the victory of lawfulness and the revelation of God. “The imprecation, in its deepest intention, is a cry for the breakthrough of God’s kingdom in liberation and vengeance. Without God’s vengeance there is no justice (Ps 58:10) and no future (Deut 32:43; Ps 149:7–9). Thus the New Testament also takes up the call for God’s vengeance to replace human vengeance (Rom 12:19; Heb 10:30).”
33 Heflin, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Haggai, 39.
34 Achtemeier, Nahum–Malachi, 8.
Kenneth L. Barker, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, vol. 20, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 168.
God is jealous and avenges himself against anyone who would occupy his place as God. The fertility gods, whose worshipers ascribed to them the power of rain and storm, remained powerless while the Lord is great in power.
“Vengeance describes the action that emerges from that jealousy,” which is “God’s attitude toward all rivals.”39 The Lord is a jealous God. Eichrodt went so far as to call jealousy “the basic element in the whole Old Testament idea of God.”40 God’s jealousy is “a statement about God’s self-respect; he will not be treated as merely one among many, nor will he allow his demands to be ignored; he is God, and he will be acknowledged as God or else.”41 “The image of God’s ‘jealousy’ is of his zealous will driving forward toward his goal of salvation for his earth.”42 Jealousy distinguishes God from all other gods, for he “is not silent or passive in matters of righteousness and truth.”43 In modern society jealousy connotes only an evil idea. One can hardly get away from the image of a crazed person whose jealousy takes the life of another person. The Lord is jealous in the sense that he demands an exclusive relationship, zealously protects that relationship, and desires the worship that belongs to him alone. He cannot be worshiped alongside any other.
39 Robertson, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 61. Longman notes that relationships with God and with a marriage partner are the only ones in which a person is bound by an exclusive tie and thus the only ones in which jealousy is considered proper (“Nahum,” 2:788). Patterson details the biblical use of marriage as an image of God’s relationship with his people (Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 22–24).
40 W. Eichrodt, Theology of the Old Testament, trans. J. A. Baker (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1961), 210, n. 1. For further discussion of this see T. C. Butler, Joshua, WBC 7 (Waco: Word, 1983), 275.
41 Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 49.
42 Achtemeier, Nahum–Malachi, 8.
43 Maier, The Book of Nahum, 150.
Kenneth L. Barker, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, vol. 20, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 168–169.
Contrary to human jealousy, God does not react immediately against the rival who has taken away his beloved people but against the disloyal covenant partner. “The qinʾa of God, therefore, differs radically from the envy of gods known from the surrounding areas, which can be aimed at fellow gods or at worshipers.”
Kenneth L. Barker, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, vol. 20, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 169–170.
God is patient and powerful
Nahum 1:3 (ESV), 3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
Though Nahum did not expand on the idea of the Lord’s patience, anyone hearing the prophet’s words would know of the longsuffering God. Many people mistake the Lord’s patience for impotence. Though he is patient, he is not weak. God’s hot anger burns against the evildoer, but he is neither fickle nor capricious. He is slow to anger because he is great. He is unthreatened by the bully. Thus he can be slow to respond and patient even with the tyrant. This is good news to God’s enemy, not so good news to the one suffering under the enemy’s domination. Nahum uses the traditional confession of faith to let Israel know that not only is God slow to anger against their sins but that he is also slow to anger against their enemy’s sins. Just as Israel finally saw the Northern Kingdom destroyed by God’s anger, so they will ultimately see Assyria destroyed.
Kenneth L. Barker, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, vol. 20, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 171–172.
God is good and strong
Nahum 1:7 (ESV)
7 The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him
“The goodness of God forms a basic tenet of Israel’s faith (e.g., 2 Chr 5:13; Pss 25:7–8; 69:16; 118:1, 29; 135:3; 136:1; 145:7–9; Jer 33:11).”89 Such goodness is not abstract but “appears most clearly in his dealings with people”90 Original sin was doubting the goodness of God (Gen 3:1–7; cp. Num 14:3, 27). The God who brings judgment does so as a part of his goodness.91 Yes, the same powerful God who does these things is good toward those who fear him.92 He cares for his people who suffer from the hands of any enemy. Believers in Christ have already “tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Pet 2:3).
89 Armerding, “Habakkuk,” 7:464. Robertson (Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 70) ties “goodness” to God’s covenant faithfulness.
90 C. B. Bridges, Jr. “Good, Goodness,” EDBT, ed. W. A. Elwell, 305.
91 Heflin sees God is good to mean: he does not sin; he is faithful and trustworthy; he keeps his promises. His goodness is often demonstrated in his mercy.
92 Roberts explains: “God’s wrath is simply the reverse side of his goodness, because, as the continuation in v. 8 indicates, it is precisely Yahweh’s violent judgment on his enemies that effects the salvation of his friends” (Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 52). Achtemeier concludes that “God will be king over us, and it is for us to decide whether he will exercise his kingship in love toward us or in wrath” (Nahum–Malachi, 15).
Kenneth L. Barker, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, vol. 20, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 177–178.
“Is he safe? No, but He is good.” (Chronicles of Narnia)
God is gracious and victorious
Nahum 1:13 (ESV)
13 And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart.”
Breaking the yoke indicated a freedom from bondage and servitude.145 People in ancient societies unambiguously understood the pictorial language and the meaning of the verse. The yoke referred to the wooden bar placed over the neck of the ox, and the bonds (shackles) indicated the leather straps used to attach the yoke to the ox’s neck. (See Isa 52:2; Jer 2:20; 5:5; 30:8; Pss 2:3; 107:14; 116:16.)146 Breaking the yoke bar and snapping the bonds allowed the animal to go free.147 God intended to break the yoke and snap the bonds, ending the oppression of Judah. “The heavy weight of slaving long hours with excessive burdens will give way to the glorious liberty of the children of God, each person living in freedom to pursue his own labors to the glory of God.”148
145 In the same general time period as Nahum, the false prophet Hananiah broke Jeremiah’s yoke bars to indicate an early return from the Babylonian exile (Jer 28:10–11). See also Isa 10:27 and Ezek 24:27 for similar uses of this idea.
146 See Longman, “Nahum,” 2:799.
147 Notice the use of the pronouns in v. 13: “And now I will break his yoke from upon you, and your shackles I will break away.”
148 Robertson, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, 78.
Kenneth L. Barker, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, vol. 20, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 186–187.
Nahum 1:14 (ESV)
14 The Lord has given commandment about you: “No more shall your name be perpetuated; from the house of your gods I will cut off the carved image and the metal image. I will make your grave, for you are vile.”
The good news of peace for Judah was a forerunner to the Good news of Peace that comes through Jesus Christ.
And… in the same way that the feet of the runner who brought the news of the victory had beautiful feet… Paul writes in Romans 10:15 (ESV), “15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
The point of Romans 10:15 is less about feet, and more about the good news. And what is this good news that Paul is writing about?
The Good News: A true and lasting peace has been accomplished by the justice of God through the cross of Christ.
Like we mentioned earlier… the peace that God brings is not a brokered peace. God doesn’t make a deal with the devil or negotiate in any way.
The peace that God speaks of isn’t simply a way to live quietly and adequately under the regime of evil and sin.
No, the peace that God makes is the result of His victory. The peace that God makes is the result of His justice.
God’s justice is satisfied on the cross of Christ, and through the cross of Jesus we have peace.
Romans 3:23 says that every single human being is a sinner and not good enough.
“23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
In fact, there’s so much depth here that we don’t time to mine it… but it means that because we are sinful, we are not able to be with God… in fact we have become enemies of God and condemned to death and hell because of our sin.
The only hope for sinners is for God Himself to deliver us. Our sins deserve a judgement… and our problem is that God is just. What I mean by just is that God’s justice when put into action results in our condemnation, judgment, and the consequence of hell.
God is right to condemn sinners to hell, and according to Romans 3:23 every single person is condemned to hell.
So, the only way for God to be just is for our sins to be punished… and that’s where the rest of Romans 3 comes in. Romans 3:23-26 says, “23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
See this with me: God is still jealous & vengeful, patient and powerful, good and strong, gracious and victorious.
God is still jealous and vengeful
Sin deserves punishment and God pours out His wrath on Jesus for the sins of the world.
God is still patient and powerful
God is patient for the purpose of repentance, and God’s timing is for His purpose. This is true for the 1st coming of Christ and it is also true for the 2nd coming of Christ. God is patient and He is powerful…
God is still good and strong
God’s goodness is on display in sending Jesus to deliver us.
God’s strength is on display in the perfection of Jesus and His power to raise Him from the grave.
It’s still true… that its more important that God is good…
“Is he safe? No, but He is good.”
God’s goodness and justice result in his loving redemption and salvation of those who believe in Him.
God is still a strong and mighty refuge for all who need Him. And, I believe you and I need Him. Where do you shelter in the midst of your struggle… you shelter in the Lord. Where do you turn when your life is overwhelming.. you turn to the Lord.
God is still gracious and victorious
God’s grace is the source of our justification… what that means is that your relationship with God, or you standing before God is not the result of your works. You cannot justify yourself through your good works. To be more clear, your good works cannot earn you a clear or justified declaration from God. There is no amount of good works that you can accomplish that will change from condemned to justified.
But, like Paul said in Romans 3, justification is a gift of God’s grace, and it comes through the redeeming work of Christ on the cross.
On the cross God punished Jesus for our sins, and through the cross God has made it possible that we receive the sacrifice and blessing of Jesus by faith, not by works.
The cross of Christ was the battle where God was victorious over our oppressor… sin.
You may feel like you can make the best of a “peace” under the rule of sin… but its not true peace.
You may feel like you can coexist with the other sinners and broker a better way of life… but it’s not true peace.
The good news of the gospel is that God has overcome sin and death… and in Christ there is freedom and peace with God. As Paul says in Romans 8:1–4 (ESV), “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Receive the free gift of God’s grace by believing and trusting in the Gospel.
Remember that nothing can separate you from the love of God
I know that life often feels like God is far from you… whether its the culture spiraling downward… the sins of others against you… or even the sins you committed this past week… The truth is that God is not far from you, He has redeemed you and He is with you.
Romans 8:31 (ESV), “31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
God is not against you… He is for you and He wants good for you.
Romans 8:38–39 (ESV), “38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God does not abandon those who are His. Regardless of how you feel or what others have done… Just because someone else has abandoned the Lord doesn’t mean that God has abandoned you.
Proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ
Romans 10:13–15 (ESV) says,
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
There is no shortage of people willing to lament the conditions of our world, criticize what other are doing or not doing, and proclaim the evils and failures of whoever is not on their side… but what the world is missing is the proclamation of good news.
The world is the village waiting for the report from the war. The village seems to be ok, they don’t live with too many harsh realities of their current oppression… what I mean is that the village may think it has peace under its current regime… but it doesn’t have true peace… The world is without hope and filled with discouragement and condemnation… what it needs is an army of worn out and weary proclaimers of the grace and goodness of God… an army whose feet are beautiful because they came bearing the good news of Jesus Christ!
People need to hear the news of God’s victory over sin.
Theres no guarantee that people will wake up tomorrow and start making moral or ethical decisions
Theres no guarantee how things are going to go in the economy… it might get better soon, or it might be harder than it is right now.
Theres no guarantee that things will get better after the elections in November…
I hope and I pray that things will get better, that life will be more affordable, and that our country will be more moral and ethical… but there is no guarantee that our quality of life will be one way or another in the coming year.
But, there is a guaranteed quality of life… there is the guarantee of peace with God and from God that transcends every situation and outlasts our circumstances. People need the guarantee… they need the good news…
(Pray for laborers in the harvest)
The Good News: A true and lasting peace has been accomplished by the justice of God through the cross of Christ.