The Lord Is Slow To Anger But Great In Power

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“The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished” - Nahum 1:3. Have you ever read the book of Nahum in the Old Testament? Yes, there is some bewilderment regarding the question. There are those who will strongly agree that Nahum is one of those forgotten books in the Bible. In fact, many of us might be hearing the name Nahum for the first time. According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, very little is known about Nahum’s background or personal life. There are different theories about where he was from, but the book says that he lived in Elkosh. Again, there is little known about Elkosh’s location, but one possibility is that Elkosh was in the area of Capernaum in Northern Israel, which may have been posthumously named after him (as “Capernaum” means “Village of Nahum”). The 12 Minor Prophets in the Bible may not be referenced as often as Major Prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, but the words they brought to the people from God were no less important. Nahum was one of these Minor Prophets, a group that also included the prophets Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Although classified as a minor prophet, Nahum had a major assignment from God. Nahum is fairly unique in that we learn he was writing, not to the people of God, but to warn the people of Nineveh (the capital of the evil Assyrian nation). If “Nineveh” sounds familiar, it is because Nineveh was the target nation for another message from God from another minor prophet, Jonah. Approximately 100 years before Nahum’s prophecy, God called Jonah to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh. However, Jonah ran in the opposite direction of Nineveh in fear for his life. We all know what became of Jonah. Oh yes, he ended up in the belly of a fish for three days. On the other hand, Nahum was obedient and unafraid to proclaim God’s Word. His prophecy emphasizes the importance of declaring God’s truth. There are only three short chapters in the Book of Nahum, but a look at their chapter headings makes it obvious that this prophecy is about Nineveh being repaid by God for inflicting pain and suffering on others. The first chapter heading reads “The Lord’s Anger against Nineveh” and it addresses God’s great attributes that include love and mercy, as well as justice and retribution. “The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and rage. He takes revenge on all those who oppose him and continues to rage against his enemies.” (Nahum 1:2) “The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. But he will sweep away his enemies in an overwhelming flood.” (Nahum 1:7-8) The second chapter heading is “The Fall of Nineveh” forms part of the prophecy that God wanted Nahum to communicate. “Your enemy is coming to crush you, Nineveh” in 2:1 is followed by “‘I am your enemy!’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” The third chapter explains God’s wrath against the Ninevites. There are several very frightening and sobering things that God wants these people to know. Throughout the chapter Nahum spoke about her being a city of murder and lies, crammed with wealth. He says she is a faithless city, that though beautiful, God will “cover you with filth and show the world how vile you really are.” (Nahum 3:6). A Spirit of Boldness. In our contemporary world, many of us are witnesses to the sinful nature of man; the ongoing wickedness and Godless spirit of Nineveh have overtaken many nations. Many of us have become lukewarm. In Revelation 3:16, God speaks about the lukewarm Christian. “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” These are extremely strong words from God. We all need to examine ourselves. Many of us live in a society where the homicide rates are increasing and where justice is for a selected few. We have all experienced some form of injustice. We know what it feels like to have someone tell a lie or lies on us. And yes, we all wait and pray for God’s wrath and justice to be done on those who have caused us pain and hurt. Even in the midst of persecution Christians are called to boldly declare God’s message of justice, mercy, and redemption, even in the face of opposition or indifference. As Christians we must pray for a spirit of boldness and truth. Having a spirit of boldness and truth does not operate outside of compassion and empathy for others. Christians must speak out against those issues which are not of God. Christians must be fearless and not selective regarding the issues they speak out against. This selectiveness which is so prevalent in Christendom runs counter to Christianity and leaves a vacuum both in the secular and spiritual worlds. Nahum preached during the reign of King Manesseh, one of the most evil kings in Judah’s long history, a man who needed the pain of his own experience to teach him the lessons of being a good king. Nahum’s singular focus on the impending judgment of Nineveh offers a continuation of the story that began with Jonah. Sometime around 760 BC, God sent Jonah to Nineveh to preach repentance and hope to the Assyrian people, a message they heard and adopted at least for a time. One hundred years later, during the time of Nahum, the Assyrians had returned to their bullish ways, conquering the northern kingdom of Israel. May we ever be mindful that God is the ultimate judge. He is sovereign over evil even when it persists. In the words of Nahum 1:9, what do you imagine against the LORD? He will make an utter end; affliction shall not rise up the second time. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #Nahum #minorprophet #OldTestament

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