Nahum 1:2-8

THE COMING OF THE LORD OF JUDGEMENT. Nahum 1:2-8

RV. Jehovah is a jealous God and avengeth; Jehovah taketh vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. Jehovah is slow to anger, and great in power, and will by no means clear the guilty: Jehovah hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers; Bashan languisheth, and Carmel; and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt; and the earth is upheaved at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by him. Jehovah is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that take refuge in him. But with an over-running flood he will make a full end of her place, and will pursue his enemies into darkness. LXX. God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges with wrath; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries, and he cuts off his enemies. The Lord is longsuffering, and his power is great, and the Lord will not hold any guiltless: his way is in destruction and in the whirlwind, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. He threatens the sea, and dries it up, and exhausts all the rivers: the land of Basan, and Carmel are brought low, and the flourishing trees of Libanus have come to nought. The mountains quake at him, and the hills are shaken, and the earth recoils at his presence, even the world, and all that dwell in it. Who shall stand before his anger? and who shall withstand in the anger of his wrath? his wrath brings to nought kingdoms, and the rocks are burst asunder by him. The Lord is good to them that wait on him in the day of affliction; and he knows them that reverence him. But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end: darkness shall pursue those that rise up against him and his enemies.

COMMENTS

JEHOVAH, GOD OF WRATH.

The wrath of God is here revealed from heaven against His enemies at the same time His favor and mercy are assured to His faithful, loyal people. His almighty power in both make His wrath exceedingly terrible and His grace very much to be desired.

JEHOVAH IS JEALOUS.

The Assyrian empire had desolated Israel and harassed Judah repeatedly. It seemed their idols had overcome the people of Jehovah. The poetic prophet warns that God is jealous. He will not allow the seeming power of false gods to go unchallenged.

Here is an echo of Jehovah's own evaluation of Himself in Exodus 20:5; Exodus 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24; Deuteronomy 5:9; Deuteronomy 6:15.

There is a certain affection expressed here. Jealousy is of those we love. It is His wounded heart that brings about Nineveh's destruction. God's wrath is always God's love reacting to unfaithfulness.

JEHOVAH AVENGETH.

Only God is qualified to avenge. He does so in complete justice. In the case of Nineveh, He had gone to great lengths (cf. Jonah) to warn them of the consequence of their sin.

JEHOVAH IS FULL OF WRATH.

Paul, in Romans 1:18 -ff, speaks of God's wrath being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. Romans 2:5 -ff pictures God's wrath as being stored up against the day of wrath when it will be released in a burst of pent-up power. John the Baptist spoke of fleeing from the wrath to come (Matthew 3:7, Luke 3:7), John, the apostle of love, indicates that the wrath of God remains on those who do not believe and obey the Gospel. Jesus spoke of God's wrath in His foretelling of the destruction of Jerusalem. (Luke 21:22)

In light of these, and many more New Testament passages, we must conclude that Jehovah as a God of wrath was not, as some have taught, a primitive notion limited to the Old Testament. The loving God of the New Testament is the same God and wrath is yet one of the facets of His nature.

Nahum 1:2-3 (a) indicate that while Jehovah is a jealous God, avenging and full of wrath, His wrath is never impetuous or petulant. His wrath is reserved for His enemies: those who have set themselves against His purposes and His people. He is slow to anger, as indeed a God of love Who demands patience of His people must be. Nevertheless, His patience and slow anger must never be misunderstood as weakness or tolerance of enmity toward Himself.

Nahum 1:3(b)-7. Jehovah is great in power, as witness His control over the forces of nature, the whirlwind, the storm, the clouds, the sea. Even the weather is in His power. The rivers run dry and the most verdant areas of the land, Bashan and Carmel and Lebanon languish and do not produce at His command.

The immovable mountains quake before Him, the hills melt, and the very earth itself is upheaved in His presence. even the whole world and all who inhabit it. Rocks break asunder at the outpouring of His wrath.
In the day of God's wrath, they are kept safe who are in Him, but those who attempt to flee will find their hiding places swept away as in a flood.

This entire passage of Nahum is a poetic picture of the wrath of God. Such vividness could scarcely be achieved by the more literal language of prose. It is reminiscent of the apocalyptic description in Revelation 6:12-17 of the opening of the sixth seal.

(Nahum 1:8) The image of an over-running flood is possibly an allusion to Nineveh's capture by the Medo-Persian armies through a flood in the river which destroyed her walls. More likely it is a poetic reference to the overwhelming armies. The figure is also used quite normally to simply suggest calamity, (cp. Psalms 32:6; Psalms 42:7; Psalms 90:5) her place. (RV)

This phrase is a direct reference to Nineveh. The city is figured as a queen. Her place (of dwelling) is to be utterly demolished.

Chapter XIIQuestions

Introduction

1.

Jonah prophesied to Nineveh about __________ years before Nahum.

2.

How do you explain God's destruction of Nineveh in view of her repentance at Jonah's preaching?

3.

What two phrases in Nahum 1:1 establish the work as inspired Scripture?

4.

God assures His faithful and loyal people of His __________ and at the same time He pronounces His wrath against Nineveh.

5.

What had been Nineveh's past dealing with Israel?

6.

Comment on the idea that God is a jealous God.

7.

Explain Jehovah is full of wrath!-'

8.

In light of Nahum 1:3(b) - Nahum 1:7 discuss the power of God.

9.

What is meant by the overrunning flood in Nahim Nahum 1:8?

10.

Show how Nineveh's attempts at self-defense were to prove futile.

11.

What sort of person was Sennacherib?

12.

What was to become of the gods Nineveh worshipped?

13.

Discuss (Nahum 1:15) Behold upon the mountain.

14.

Discuss (Nahum 1:15) keep thy feasts. perform thy vows.