Introduction

• The whole counsel of God
  • We finished Micah – the 33^rd book of the Old Testament – 10^th of 16 prophetic books in the OT…
  • We will start Nahum – the 7^th of what is known as the 12 Minor Prophets

• 1^st – Who was Nahum…
  • Nahum (comfort) the Elkoshite – is only mentioned here in the first verse of his own book… 
  • Elkosh is most likely a city in Judah that later came to be known as Elcesi…
  • Which makes Nahum a prophet from the Southern Kingdom…
  • The city of Capernaum – ‘village of Nahum’ – might have been named after the prophet!

• 2^nd – Theme of the book…
  • Nahum is written as a judgment against the city of Nineveh – Nahum 1:1
    • Nineveh (Mosul in Iraq) was the capitol of the then superpower – Assyrian Empire…
    • The Assyrians were a polytheistic pagan people – with over 2400 gods in their pantheon…
    • They were also particularly cruel – they used fear and intimidation to keep others subjugated!
  • Nahum is a continuation of the story that began in Jonah…
    • God sent Jonah to Nineveh to preach repentance to the Assyrian people – and they listened…
    • But 100 years later during the time of Nahum – the Assyrians had returned to their evil ways…
    • Nahum is a reminder – while God is more than wiling to pour out His Grace on the humble…
    • True repentance is not just for a moment – it is permanent change of direction…
    • And for those who go back to their old ways – judgment is certain!

• 3^rd – When was the book written…
  • The Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to Assyria in 722 B.C.
    • Shortly thereafter Assyria marched right up to the gates of Jerusalem – II Chronicles 32:1
    • God intervened and wiped out the Assyrian army – one angel – II Chronicles 32:21-23
    • Yet Assyria was still a major power well into the days of Manasseh – II Chronicles 33:11
    • Nahum 3:8 – mentions the fall of Thebes (Egypt) – which occurred in 663…
    • And the prophesied – Nahum 3:11 – destruction of Nineveh happened in 612 BC…
  • Narrowing down A 50-year window…
    • While the destruction of Thebes is mentioned – its reconstruction 654 BC is not…
    • This leads scholars to date the prophecy of Nahum between the years of 663 and 654 BC.
    • During the reign of wicked King Manasseh – when Sennacherib ruled in Assyria!

• 4^th – The outline of Nahum…
  • The book of Nahum is broken up into 3 sections – each contained in one of 3 chapters…
  • Chapter 1 – The certainty of the judgment of the Lord
  • Chapter 2 – The description of the judgment of the Lord
  • Chapter 3 – The reason for the judgment of the Lord

The Certainty of Judgment… (2 things)

• 1^st – The descrption of the Lord… vs. 1-8
  • Nahum begins with 5 powerful descriptions of God…
    • The Assyrians were openly hostile towards Judah – the people of God…
    • And Nahum wanted to educate them on the God they chose to make their enemy!
  • 1^st – God is jealous – El Qanna… vs. 2
    • Assyria was the biggest kid on the block – a true super power…
      • It would be easy for Judah to look and think they had the answers to life…
      • But God was not willing to let the people of Assyria pollute Israel with their pagan ideas…
      • God was jealous for His people – and He did not want to see them run after false gods!
      • Exodus 34:14 – “Do not worship other gods: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God…”
      • Deuteronomy 4:24 – “For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.”
    • When we think of God – jealously is not the first word that usually comes to mind…
      • But God is VERY jealous – He is jealous of our love / He is jealous of our time…
      • And He will not allow anything to distracting us from living for Him…
      • God does not just want part of our lives – He wants us to be completely sold out to Him!
      • Hebrews 12:29 – “For our God is a consuming fire.”
  • 2^nd – The Lord avenges / He is the Lord of fury – baal chemah… vs. 2
    • The Assyrian empire had conquered and scattered the Northern Kingdom…
      • They had tormented Judah and mocked God from the days of Hezekiah…
      • The blood of the saints was on their hands – and God fully intended to repay them…
      • And it was not going to be gentle – He would unleash His full fury on them!
      • And the vengeance and fury of God is MOST DEFINITELY something to fear…
      • Because God could not only destroy them – He could cast them into HELL – Luke 12:5
      • There are only two kinds of people when it comes to God…
      • Sinner who have received the free gift of salvation in Jesus – sinner who have not…
      • For those who reject Jesus – all that waits them is certain and terrifying judgment…
      • Hebrews 10:30-31 – “‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord… It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
    • No doubt Judah wanted to be the one to bring vengeance and fury on Assyria…
      • But people do not have the best ‘judgment’ when it comes to punishing ‘sinners’…
      • Likely as not we will be ‘overly harsh’ with our ‘treatment’ of them…
      • Even if they apologize – we want to hold onto our hurt – we want ‘justice’!
      • Yet we are called to forgive – no matter what anyone has done to us – Luke 17:1-10
      • God commands us to love our enemies – hopefully drawing them to Jesus!
      • He will be the one to judge – He alone can fairly judge the actions of men!
      • Romans 12:19 – “Never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God…”
  • 3^rd – The Lord is slow to anger… vs. 3
    • This was the hard part for Judah to accept – why had God not already punished Assyria…
      • Jonah would end up in the belly of a whale because of this very issue…
      • And it is not just the Assyrians God is patient with – even during the Tribulation…
      • The martyred saints will cry out ‘how long until you avenge’ – Revelation 6:10
      • But God is patient with sinners – in the hope that they repent of their sin!
      • God is patient with us – because he wants us to repent – admit to our sin!
      • Romans 2:4 – “Knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance…”
    • BUT – He will not acquit the wicked – He will not let sin go unpunished!
      • When we look at the evil world around us – it can be very upsetting…
      • We see people living immoral lives – rejecting the truth of God…
      • And the worst part is they seem to be getting away with it…
      • They are not suffering – they may even prosper – and it seems unfair!
      • Psalm 73:16-17 – “I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!  Then I went into your sanctuary… and thought about the destiny of the wicked.”
        
      • Many assume they are ‘ok’ because God does not immediately punish them…
      • They make mistake of interpreting God’s ‘patience’ for God’s ‘acceptance’…
      • Just because God has not judged yet – does not mean God will not judge – Numbers 32:23
  • 4^th – The Lord has great power… vs. 3-6
    • Nahum gives 4 descriptions of the power of God over the natural world…
    • The Lord has His way with the whirlwind and the storm – think hurricane / typhoon…
      • The US has been hit by an unprecedented 2 category 4 hurricanes this summer…
      • That has not happened since they began keeping records over 150 years ago!
      • Whether it is hurricanes and floods / or droughts and famine…
      • It is appropriate we call them ‘natural disasters’ – and ‘Act of God’…
      • Because God uses natural disasters to get our attention – teach us a lesson!
    • The Lord stands on the clouds – they are the dust of his feet…
      • The idea being God is looking down and watching – and he sees everything!
      • A lot of people think God is limited to certain geography…
      • When you pass a church you need to make the sign of the cross – God is watching…
      • But if you are in a bar / or a dark room – no one can see what you are doing…
      • But the truth is God is everywhere – and He sees everything…
      • Every action / every word / every thought is open and seen by the Lord…
      • And for every action/word/thought – apart from Jesus – we will one day be judged!
      • Hebrews 4:13 – “Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. The God to whom we must explain all that we have done.”
    • The Lord rebukes the sea and the rivers dry up…
      • The rich pastures of Carmel and Bashan wither – the flower of Lebanon wilts…
      • Assyria thought that it was a great nation because of all THEY had accomplished…
      • But how great would they be in a drought – no food – it was the Lord who made them!
      • We can work 7 days a week – 20 hours a day – and still not have food to eat…
      • We can try as hard as we want – but unless the Lord is the one blessing us…
      • All of our work is in vain – we will not see much fruit come from our labor!
    • The mountain quake / the hills melt / the earth heaves in the presence of the Lord…
      • The most powerful and violent forces on earth – Volcanoes and earthquakes…
      • Mount St. Helens released 24 megatons of TNT = 1,600 times Hiroshima bombs
      • A devastating 9.0 earthquake has the power of 99 million tons of TNT!
      • Forces that to this day we have little to no power to stand up to!
      • In the same way who stand before the power of the Lord – who can endure his fury!
      • I have met people who think they will be able to ‘negotiate’ with God on judgment day…
      • Argue they were a good person – therefore the Lord should let them into heaven…
      • Bit it will be like arguing with a nuclear bomb – no one will be able to stand!
  • 5^th – The Lord is either: A strong tower / OR the Lord is an overflowing flood… vs. 7-8
    • In all His POWER – the Lord is good – a strong tower to those who trust in Him!
      • A number of years ago I was at a crossroads…
      • I was in Bible College – but I was really struggling to find a purpose…
      • I felt like God could not use me – and had become very discouraged…
      • I went out with some other classmates to Joshua tree national forest…
      • When we arrived we climbed a tall mountain – and it was VERY windy at the top…
      • That night a 7.0 earthquake woke us all up – the ground heaved under our feet!
      • The next day as I watched the sunset – it noted it looked like the mountain was on fire!
      • Afterwards I climbed up on a rock and asked God – what did He want from me…
      • And a small voice in my heart told me He had a plan for me life – I Kings 19:11-12
      • It was shortly after that I got involved at Bible Fellowship – and became a pastor!
      • God wants to speak to us – He wants to be our Strong Tower in times of trouble…
      • But God rarely speak in through the powerful storms – great earthquakes – or fire…
      • What does God sound like – a silent whisper – a voice of gentile guidance…
      • For those wait and listen – hear the whisper of the Lord – who trust in Him!
    • But to those who do not trust / faith – He will be an overflowing flood…
      • This may refer to the manner in which Nineveh was conquered by Babylon – 612 B.C.
      • The Euphrates overflowed its banks – flooded a part of the city collapsing part of the wall…
      • After which the desponding king burnt himself – and his palace – with his treasures!
      • Because what good are the riches of this world – when the Day of Judgment comes!
      • Life is a gift – with only one purpose – it gives us the opportunity to make a choice…
      • Where will we go when our time here on earth is up – where will we spend eternity!
      • Sadly many choose to ‘enjoy’ the couple years of riches this life offers to us…
      • Rather than invest in the eternity of riches God has prepared for us in heaven…
      • But what good will all the money in the world do – when the day of Judgment comes!
      • Matthew 16:26 – “What profit is it if a man gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

• 2^nd – The Description of Assyria… vs. 9-15
  • 1^st – The Assyrians thought – they could conspire against the Lord … vs. 9-11
    • They were trying to come up with a scheme – to defeat God…
      • No doubt they had a complete philosophy that justified their sin / wicked culture…
      • But the Lord retorted – He would destroy them – and it would only take one blow!
      • Even though they were united / intertwined like thorns in their ideas…
      • Their defense would be as effective as a drunk / their nation consumed like straw in a field!
      • Because from them came one who plotted evil against the lord – a wicked counselor!
    • People are still trying to conspire against God…
      • The common convention today is – if you want to be wise then go to college…
      • Yet more often than not today – universities are full of wicked counselors!
      • They are no longer teach the Bible / or about the consequences of sin…
      • Instead the students are told there is no right or wrong – it is all relative…
      • There is no sin – as long as you think it is ok – it is good!
      • Judges 21:25 – “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
      • Do not mistake knowledge for wisdom – universities might give LOTS of knowledge…
      • But the knowledge of men – is wicked counsel – and blinds us to our need for Jesus…
      • That is not wisdom – that is foolishness – because it keeps us from God!
    • Today the smartest  – most educated men in the world – indoctrinate ‘Evolution’…
      • There are only two possibilities for the origin of life – design or accident…
      • Because they choose to deny the creator – they instead believe life is all an accident…
      • I wear a watch on my wrist so I can tell the time – it is relatively simple device…
      • But suppose I tried to convince you it was the result of an accident…
      • I threw a some gears up in the air – and they fell down as a working watch – foolish!
      • How much more foolish to think we are an accident – deny the God who created us!
      • Psalms 14:1 – “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”
  • 2^nd – The Assyrians thought – the were safe because they were many… vs. 12-14
    • They were trusting in overwhelming military might to give them victory…
      • But the Lord would pass through – and they would be mowed (cut) down!
      • God allowed them to be powerful to punish Judah – but it He would not use them again!
      • The Lord would break the yoke of bondage the Assyrians had on the Jews…
      • They would have no one to pass on their name (when was the last time you met an Assyrian)
      • God would destroy their idols – IN their temples – there would be no one to help them…
      • God prepared a grave for them – because they were cursed (vile)!
    • People still think they are safe because of numbers…
      • The mentality is that if everyone is doing something – then it must be OK…
      • They even pass laws to make sin ‘legal’ – making themselves feel better…
      • But righteousness is not a democracy – we do not get to vote to decide what truth is!
      • Matthew 7:13 – “Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.”
  • 3^rd – The good news for Judah… vs. 15
    • Behold on the mountains – the feet of him who brings good tidings – proclaims peace…
      • Nahum had been sent to bring good news to Judah – Assyria was doomed…
      • Israel would be free again to follow the Lord – keep the feast days / fulfill their vows!
    • The verse if very similar to words of the prophet Isaiah quoted by Paul – Romans 10:15
      • When he asks how can someone believe in Jesus – unless they hear about Him…
      • How can someone hear about Jesus – unless someone goes and tells them…
      • How can someone tell them – unless they are willing to step out and go…
      • Each on of the steps is (Indicative) – except ‘go’ which is (Subjunctive)
      • Meaning if there are those who are willing to go – people will believe and be saved!
      • Blessed are the feet who bring the message of salvation – quoting from Isaiah 52:7
      • We know LOTS of people who do not believe in Jesus – what are we doing about it
      • We are called to ‘go’ – like Nahum – and share the Gospel / the Good News…
      • It is easy to say people need Jesus – but blessed are the feet to who go and tell them!