WHAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR THE WICKED
NAHUM 1:2-3, 6
1. BACKGROUND. THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN BY NAHUM, WHO IS CONSIDERED TO BE A MINOR PROPHET; NOT BECAUSE HE IS NOT OF SIGNIFICANCE, BUT DUE TO LENGTH OF THE BOOK THAT BARES HIS NAME. THE NAME NAHUM IS AN ABBREVIATION OF THE NAME NEHEMIAH, WHICH MEANS COMFORT OF YAHWEH. NOT MUCH IS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROPHET OTHER THAN HE WAS THE PROPHET TO THE NINEVITES, WHO WERE A WICKED NATION AND THE ENEMIES OF GOD AND GOD’S PEOPLE.
2. THE TEXT. GOD REVELS TO NAHUM IN A VISION WHAT HE HAS IN STORE FOR THE WICKED. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT JUST A HUNDRED YEARS PRIOR TO THIS, THE PROPHET JONAH PREACHED TO THEM AND THEY REPENTED; HOWEVER, AS TIME PASSED THEY RESORTED BACK TO THEIR NORMAL BEHAVIOR. PROVERBS 26:11, “AS A DOG RETURNETH TO HIS VOMIT, SO A FOOL RETURNETH TO HIS FOLLY.”
a) THEIR FUTURE DESTRUCTION WAS CERTAIN, AND IT WAS IMPENDING.
b) WE NEED TO SHOUT OUT TO THE WICKED OF THIS WORLD, THAT THEIR DESTRUCTION IS IMMINENT IF THEY DO NOT TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS.
c) ALTHOUGH GOD LOVES THEM, HE IS EXTREMELY ANGRY WITH THEM.
d) SINCE GOD IS HOLY, HE CANNOT AND WILL NOT PERMIT SIN, EVIL, AND WICKEDNESS TO GO UNPUNISHED.
e) IT’S NOT THAT GOD WANTS TO DESTROY THE WICKED, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS HOLINESS, HE HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO DEAL WITH THEM WHERE THEY ARE.
f) 2 PETER 3:9, “THE LORD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME MEN COUNT SLACKNESS; BUT IS LONG-SUFFERING TO US-WARD, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE.”
g) GOD LOVED THEM ENOUGH TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPENT, BUT THEY WOULD NOT.
h) AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, GOD IS STILL GIVING SINNERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPENT. GOD LOVES THE SINNER BUT HATES THE SIN.
i) THE UNSAVED NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT PAYDAY IS COMING.
j) GOD WILL JUDGE THEM IN THIS LIFE, AS WELL AS IN THE LIFE TO COME.
3. WHO ARE THE WICKED? IN THE TEXT THE WICKED ARE THOSE WHO OPPOSE GOD AND WHO ARE THE ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD.
a) ANYONE WHO IS HOSTILE TOWARD THE PEOPLE OF GOD ARE HIS ADVERSARIES.
b) THE NINEVITES WERE HOSTILE TO JUDAH, AND GOD WILL ONLY TOLERATE EVIL FOR JUST SO LONG.
c) ON THE OTHER HAND, THE WICKED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT ACCEPTED JESUS AS THEIR SAVIOR. NO MATTER HOW NICE THEY MAY BE, THEY ARE CONSIDERED TO BE GOD’S ENEMIES. THAT’S WHY NICE FOLK GO TO HELL.
4. WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THE WICKED? AS I STATED EARLIER, GOD WILL JUDGE THE WICKED IN THIS WORLD AND IN THE LIFE TO COME.
a) IN THIS WORLD, THEY MAY SEEM TO BE GETTING BY, BUT THEY ARE NOT.
b) NOTHING EVER ESCAPES THE OMNISCIENT, OMNIPRESENT, AND OMNIPOTENT GOD OF THE UNIVERSE.
c) THEY MAY SEEM TO HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER, BUT THEY DON’T.
d) THEY MAY HAVE RICHES AND FAME, BUT IT WILL MEAN NOTHING TO GOD. MARK 8:36, “FOR WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN, IF HE SHALL GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD, AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL?”
e) THE ULTIMATE PUNISHMENT FOR THE UNREPENTANT WICKED AND SINNER WILL BE ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD.
f) WHICH MEANS THAT THEY WILL SPEND ALL ETERNITY IN HELL.
g) MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE LIVE IN AN AGE WHERE NO ONE LIKES TO TALK ABOUT HELL, BUT HELL IS REAL!
h) BUT, AS CHRISTIANS, WE HAVE THE AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY TO WARN THEM.
i) VERSE 3 TEACHES THAT GOD WILL NOT ACQUIT THE WICKED.
j) THERE WILL BE NO PLEA BARGAINS.
k) THERE WILL BE NO SHORTENING OF A SENTENCE.
l) THERE WILL BE NO PAROLE OR PROBATION.
m) THERE WILL NOT BE ANY STAYS OF EXECUTION.
n) WHEN GOD RENDERS HIS VERDICT OF GUILTY, VERSE 6 TEACHES WHO CAN STAND BEFORE HIS INDIGNATION?
o) EVERYONE WHO GOES TO HELL WILL DESERVE TO BE THERE. WHY? BECAUSE NO ONE GOES TO HELL BY ACCIDENT!
p) THE AGONY, THE UNENDING SUFFERING, THE AMPLIFIED MISERY, WILL CAUSE WEEPING AND WAILING AND THE GNASHING OF THEIR TEETH.
q) THE TORMENT WILL BE UNLIKE ANYTHING THAT THEIR MINDS COULD EVER IMAGINE, AND UNLIKE ANY EXPERIENCE THEY HAVE EVER ENDURED.
r) THEY WILL BOMBARDED BY THE TOTAL DIVINE WRATH OF GOD.
s) THE ANGER, FURY, AND WEIGHT OF AN OMNIPOTENT GOD SHALL RAIN DOWN UPON THEM WITH MORE SEVERITY THAN ANY THUNDER STORM.
t) GOD WILL NOT LIGHTEN HIS JUSTICE OR PUNISH FOR ONE MINUTE IN HELL.
u) THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS, AND THE WATERS OF NIAGARA FALLS WILL NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO QUENCH THE ANGUISH OF THE FLAMES OF HELL.
5. WHAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GOD AND TO THE WICKED? IN THIS EVANGELISTIC MESSAGE, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO SOUND THE ALARM.
a) IN THE BOOK OF JOEL, THE SOUNDING OF THE ALARM WAS TO MAKE THE PEOPLE AWARE THAT DANGER WAS APPROACHING.
b) IN THIS AGE OF INDIFFERENCE, WE NEED TO SOUND THE ALARM TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT GOD STILL SAVES.
c) WE NEED TO SOUND THE ALARM IN OUR HOMES, IN THE COMMUNITY, ON OUR JOBS, AND EVEN IN OUR CHURCHES.
d) WE NEED TO SOUND THE ALARM TO AWAKEN SINNERS OUT OF THEIR SINFUL STUPOR.
e) WE NEED TO SOUND THE ALARM TO THE WALKING DEAD TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO REPENT.
f) WE NEED TO SOUND THE ALARM TO LET SINNERS KNOW THAT GOD IS ANGRY, BUT HE WILL DELIVER THEM.
g) WE NEED TO SOUND THE ALARM LETTING THE WORLD KNOW THAT TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
h) WE NEED TO SOUND THE ALARM, AND LET THE WORLD KNOW THAT THERE IS STILL GRACE, BUT WHEN GRACE IS GONE, THERE WILL BE GLOOM.
i) SOUND THE ALARM…
