Intro to Nahum


Droplet from Acts 
2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, 3 asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way 
Acts 25:2–3 

As we continue to track Paul’s tribunal, we may be getting a bit annoyed at the religious leaders of Paul’s day. While in chapter 23, we saw how they were willing to allow, and nearly endorse, a murderous attempt on the life of Paul, in the opening verse of this chapter we see that they have plotted a murder attempt of their own. Among several questions we could ask: 1) How is God sovereign over this situation? 2) Why is God so merciful and patient with these enemies of Him? and 3) How is Paul so calm during this very difficult time? The obvious answers are simply that God is sovereign through all things, working them for His glory and just as He was patient with them, we can rejoice in His mercy and grace on our lives. Finally, we can learn from Paul’s example how we can face trials and difficulty with peace because we are sealed with the Spirit through the Gospel.

Intro to Nahum 
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. 
Nahum 1:7 

Recently I was evangelizing on the local college campus I frequently preach at, and I was able to reconnect with a young man that I had spoken with a year prior. It was truly a blessing to be able to reconnect with him and to witness how God had turned his life around and how he was even attending a local church. It was a very special blessing and grace from God to be able to hear and see what God had been doing in those 11 months. In this short book, we return to a city which had incited rejoicing and praise to God because of their repentance, Nineveh. And like my reconnection with the young man, we are eager to see how much they have grown in their faith and faithfulness to God. However, we are disappointed to find out that just a century later after Jonah’s visitation, Nineveh had returned to their wicked ways.

The book of Nahum, written by…Nahum, is one that many people grapple with. One reason for this is because Nahum seems a bit callous in his oracles and which runs contrary to his name’s meaning, comforted. This for sure would have been a comfort for the people of Judah, as their greatest enemy would finally face destruction, however, we cannot help but wonder, in light of the other prophets condemnation of the sins of Judah, why is it that he does not instruct his own people to also turn from their idolatry, immorality, and injustice?

One way that we can reconcile this is to understand the theme of God’s sovereignty and justice being unpacked. God is not just a God of His people, but of all creation and is all-powerful to exact His just rule over all, including the Assyrians. His patience with the wicked should never be viewed as apathy, nor as powerlessness. His patience is a common grace he bestows on the righteous and the unrighteous. Because of the extreme wickedness of the Ninevites, God’s enduring patience had come to an end and judgment was upon them. The lesson we learn is similar to that of the other prophetic writings, the day of judgment will come and not be delayed. In the midst of oppression, we can trust God is still our refuge and hope. He will deliver us and bring eternal comfort for those who trust in the Son.

Grace and Peace,
Alex Galvez

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