God: Your Best Possible Friend And Ally (Nahum 1:1-15) Series

This week we start what's probably a three week series on the book of Nahum. Let's read the book's title, 1:1, to start:

(1) An oracle concerning Ninevah. The book/scroll of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

There's a lot that verse 1 doesn't tell us. We don't know when exactly the book was written-- although we can get a pretty good idea, when we read the book as a whole. We don't learn anything, really, about who Nahum was. But we learn that this is a book about Ninevah. And that tells us a lot.

Ninevah was the capital city of Assyria. And Assyria, at this time, was the world's superpower. Actually, Assyria was the first global superpower of the world. Her armies were spread out across the known world. She conquered every city and nation she desired. Assyria was a lot like the U.S.-- soldiers everywhere, and no one could stand against her.

At this time, Israel had long since split into two different kingdoms. The northern kingdom, called "Israel," was conquered by Assyria and had ceased to exist. The southern kingdom, called "Judah," had been entirely captured, and looted, with the exception of the capital, Jerusalem. And even though Judah hadn't been officially, completely, conquered, Judah became a vassal-- a servant, basically-- to Assyria.

Judah was forced to pay tribute every year. They had to supply materials for Assyria's building projects. They had to supply young men to serve as soldiers.

All of this isn't quite slavery, but it's close. And, at the time Nahum prophesied, it had been this way for over a hundred years. If this was you, you've never known anything else in life. You've woken up, every day, in servitude to the superpower. And you've resigned yourself to this being your fate, and the fate of your children, and their children.

If you were a Judean, what emotions would you feel? How would you go through life?

Despair? Frustration? Hopelessness? Doubt about God's goodness and power?

It's into this despair, and hopelessness, that Nahum enters. Yahweh sent Nahum as a prophet to Judah, to encourage the people that He was going to put an end to all of this. Yahweh is angry with Ninevah. He's holding a grudge against her. He will not forgive her. He will bring a complete end to her.

Now, if Yahweh decides he's going to just make an end to some nation-- Assyria, or Rome, or the U.S., He can just do it, right? He doesn't need to involve a prophet. He doesn't need to give anyone the heads up about what He's about to do. He can just pick up his sword, or open his mouth, and end someone. Or, more commonly, He raises up some other nation, and that nation just crushes them.

So why does Yahweh send Nahum to Judah? Why does He tell them, ahead of time, that He's about to free them from Assyria?

Yahweh wants them to understand that what they are about to see, is happening (1) through Yahweh, (2) for them. What they are about to see is not a happy coincidence. It's not lucky. What they are about to see, if they have eyes of faith, is God fighting for them, and rescuing them.

Nahum is a book that lots of Christians struggle with. They don't find it very inviting. They wonder how, exactly, they are supposed to read it as Christian Scripture. But go into this understanding that this is a book of encouragement. This is a book that should inspire faith and confidence in our God. And I will do my best to make sure that Nahum's encouragement, works to strengthen and encourage you.

The most important thing you can do, as we start this series, is try to put yourself in an Israelite's sandals. If you don't try to enter in this world, and read these words sympathetically, and as for you, this series just isn't going to work for you the way it should. Imagine that you live under Assyrian domination-- under an Assyrian king who is ruthless. All he cares about, is squeezing you for as much as you're worth. When you look at Assyria, you see the world's superpower. You see an all-powerful nation, ruled by an all-powerful king. You know that your life is going to be difficult, as long as you live. You know that this is hopeless.

And into this, steps God.

Nahum 1:2-5

(2) A God jealous and avenging, Yahweh is.

Seeking vengeance, Yahweh is,

while an owner/possessor of wrath.

Seeking vengeance, Yahweh is, against his adversaries.

while holding a grudge, He is, against his enemies.

(3) Yahweh is slow to anger,

and great in power/strength,

and He shall surely not forgive/consider innocent/leave unpunished.

Yahweh, in the whirlwind and in the storm, his road is,