Through the Bible: NahumSample

God Destroys Evil

Desolate! Desolation and ruin! Hearts melt and knees tremble, all faces grow pale! Where is the lions den, the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion and lioness went, where his cubs were, with none to disturb? Nahum 2:10-11 (ESV)

The book of Jonah and Nahum both describe God as slow to anger, but the difference with Nahum is that time has run out. Once roused, you cannot turn away God’s wrath. The King of Nineveh tried to pray and fast again, trying to copy what happened with Jonah, but it did not work this time. The evil the Assyrians did has reached full measure, and God will judge them. Nahum is saying Nineveh is finished, which seems unbelievable when you look at their power and might, yet it happened within a very short time. Chapter 2 describes in vivid detail the fall of Nineveh. The fascinating thing is that the people who came to destroy Nineveh wore scarlet uniforms, and no army in Nahum’s day wore scarlet uniforms. God was proclaiming woe to Nineveh for all the evil they had done. Nahum even sees a den of lions, but the lions are weak and dying. The lion was the emblem of Assyria as they regarded themselves as lions. No matter how powerful or how strong a nation is, God will not tolerate evil to continue forever.

Prayer

Dear God, You are the God of mercy and justice. Your eyes watch the events of the world, and You say vengeance is yours. Let us not repay evil with evil but submit to Your Lordship and wait patiently for Your timing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.