Are We To Be Prepared To Face Doom Or Deliverance?

The Patience and Power of God:

Like Jonah, Nahum was a prophet to the capital of the Assyrian Empire, Nineveh, and he prophesied somewhere in the range of 663 and 654 B.C. Jonah had seen the city atone a century sooner, however it had fallen once more into devilishness. Assyria was controlling the Fertile Crescent, and it was a power that appeared to be relentless. Its merciless and savage fighters had previously vanquished Israel, the Northern Kingdom, and were causing incredible suffering in Judah. So, Nahum announced God's displeasure against the Assyrian insidiousness. It would be a few decades later that the Babylonians would down bring the strong Assyrian Empire.

Only God has the option to be envious (jealous) and to seek retribution (vengeful) (Romans 12:19). Desire and retaliation might be amazing terms to connect with God. Whenever people are desirous and get revenge, they are typically acting in a feeling of self-centeredness and disobedience to God. Nevertheless, it is suitable for God to demand our total devotion, and it is only for him to rebuff unrepentant sinners. God's envy and retribution are unmixed with narrow-mindedness. Their motivation is to eliminate sin and reestablish harmony to the world (Deuteronomy 4:24, 5:9).

It may seem that God is slow in becoming angry, and the Scripture says just that, however when he is prepared to provide punishment, even the earth shakes. There are those that stay away from God because they see sinners throughout the world and those in the congregation that are hypocrites. They do not understand that since God is delayed in becoming angry, he gives his people time to impart his adoration and truth to the sinners. They lack the patience to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord (Exodus 13:14).

Regardless, judgment will come. God will not permit sin to continue unrestrained for eternity. Whenever people start to ask why God does not punish the evil right away, we ought to remind them that assuming that he did, not a single one of us would be around. We ought to be grateful that God gives people time to come to him.

No individual on earth can securely challenge the Almighty God, the Creator of the entirety of the universe. God, who controls the sun, the universes, and the huge stretches past, likewise controls the ascent and fall of the countries. How should a little fleeting realm like Assyria, regardless of how strong, challenge his amazing power?

If by some stroke of good luck Assyria might have looked forward to seeing the barren hill of rubble into which it would turn. But then, God in any case would still be alive and well. We must not oppose God. He will be here always with more prominent power than that of the multitude of consolidated armed forces and the world’s nations.

To the people who actually decline to accept God, his discipline resembles an irate fire. To the individuals who love him, his kindness is security and harmony, providing every one of our necessities without lessening his stock. Yet, to his foes, he is a flood that will clear him away. The relationship that we have with God really depends on us. Which kind of relationship will we pick?

It is unsure who the “wicked counsellor” is. It may be the king of Assyria during the time of Nahum, Ashurbanipal (669-627 B.C.) that lead Assyria to the pinnacle of its power. It could have been Sennacherib (705-681), who had defied and rebelled against God openly (2 Kings 18:13-35), displaying true rebellion against God. Or, it could have been no particular king at all, yet the whole malicious monarchy. The main point to look at is that due to Nineveh’s rebellion, they would be destroyed for opposing God.

Judah to be Rescued:

The uplifting news for Judah, whom Assyria obliterated, was that its victors and abusers would be annihilated and could at no point ascend to torture any other individual or nation in the future. Nineveh was so totally demolished that its vestiges were not recognized until 1845.

How does this apply to us today? Although our enemies will attack us, we are not to take vengeance against them, that is for God to manage. No weapon can prevail against us. They may hurt us, but they will not destroy us (Isaiah 54:17). There is an armor that we can put on and a weapon of prayer that we can utilize (Ephesians 6:10-18).

God has broken the yoke of burden and burst the bonds of oppression. All of humanity should offer praise unto the Lord (Psalm 107:14-15; Isaiah 9:4; Jeremiah 2:20; Psalm 107:21-22).

All who come against God’s people will not prosper. They may win a few battles, but they have not, and will not when the war. God has sent his Son to be humanity’s propitiation for its sin. For those who have accepted him shall be saved from their sin. And that those who have accepted Christ as their personal Savior, are to go and proclaim His Word so that others may come to know him (Isaiah 29:7-8; Luke 2:10, 14: Romans 3:25, 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10; Romans 10:15-17).