Read
1 I am Nahum from Elkosh. And this is the message that I wrote down about Nineveh.
The Fierce Anger
2The Lord God demands loyalty.
In his anger, he takes revenge
on his enemies.
3The Lord is powerful,
yet patient;
he makes sure that the guilty
are always punished.
He can be seen in storms
and in whirlwinds;
clouds are the dust from his feet.
4At the Lord's command,
oceans and rivers dry up.
Bashan, Mount Carmel,
and Lebanon wither,
and their flowers fade.
5At the sight of the Lord,
mountains and hills
tremble and melt;
the earth and its people
shudder and shake.
6Who can stand the heat
of his furious anger?
It flashes out like fire
and shatters stones.
The Power of Assyria
7The Lord is good.
He protects those who trust him
in times of trouble.
8But like a roaring flood,
the Lord chases his enemies
into dark places
and destroys them.
9So don't plot against the Lord!
He wipes out his enemies,
and they never revive.
10They are like drunkards
overcome by wine,
or like twisted thornbushes
burning in a fire.
11Assyria, one of your rulers
has made evil plans
against the Lord.
12But the Lord says, “Assyria,
no matter how strong you are,
you will be cut down!
My people Judah,
I have troubled you before,
but I won't do it again.
13I'll snap your chains
and set you free
from the Assyrians.”
14Assyria, this is what else
the Lord says to you:
“Your name will be forgotten.
I will destroy every idol
in your temple,
and I will send you to the grave,
because you are worthless.”
15 Look toward the mountains,
people of Judah!
Here comes a messenger
with good news of peace.
Celebrate your festivals.
Keep your promises to God.
Your evil enemies are destroyed
and will never again
invade your country.
Reflect
The Book of Nahum is the seventh book of the 12 minor prophets of the Bible. For those who understood that the Prophet Nahum’s name actually means “comforter,” the melancholic tone of the visions and oracles herein must have made them wonder what there was to be comforted about. But it all depended on their choices; whether their choices jibed with God’s will and ways, his desires and demands, or not.
When I moved to from Africa to North America, one of my first impressions was the plethora of Choice – in everything. I cannot even count the number of times I’ve been totally confused as to what to order, even a choice of sides, at a restaurant. All humans have choices, even more so in the developed world.
Growing up as a “church kid,” a most challenging hymn (although I loved the tune) was “Who is on the Lord’s side? Who will serve the king?…” In today’s passage we see a God of contrasting sides – powerful yet patient, jealous and avenging yet slow to anger, storm-raising to his enemies yet a protective shelter and refuge for those who trust him, afflicting and healing, judge yet ransom, tempestuous yet trustworthy, pillaging yet peace giving… It all depends on which side of him our attitudes and actions invoke and provoke.
“Look toward the mountains… Here comes a messenger with good news of peace.” (v 15) Or is it? Today, as always, we have a choice of which side of God to face and experience.
Respond
Creator God, you gave me free will. I confess that sometimes my choices haven’t been the best and have resulted in seeing a face of yours I’d rather not. Help me this day to make choices that will lead to experiencing those sides of you that bring peace. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Yaw Perbi
Dr. Yaw Perbi is a physician, pastor and president of International Student Ministries Canada (ISMC). He is the founder and Global CEO of The HuD Group and has ministered in 45 countries on five continents. Yaw is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative and a Lausanne Movement Catalyst. Dr. Perbi currently resides in Montreal, Canada with his dear wife Anyele and six delightful children. He owes all this to Christ Jesus.