I want to begin a study today that will stretch over the next few Sundays in which we will look at the book of Nahum. As with Joel, Nahum is a book that few may know well. However, if we truly believe what we claim of Scripture, – indeed, what Scripture claims of itself – then we believe that God has revealed in this book aspects of who he is, how he acts, and how we should live in light of those two things. And indeed Nahum does reveal these things to us.

The setting of Nahum is a time 100 years after the preaching of Jonah to Nineveh, where Nineveh heard his preaching, repented, and were spared the wrath of God. Now (at the time of Nahum), however, the prophet is proclaiming that a time will come in which Nineveh will not repent and will be destroyed. This did happen a short time later as Nineveh was destroyed by Babylon in 612 B.C. However, though Nineveh is addressed in this book, so are the people of God, so that we may learn how God responds to both his own people as well as his enemies.

As we look at the first chapter this morning, I believe we are taught of God’s character and, consequently, his ways. I say, “consequently” because what we learn in the whole of Scripture, including this book of Nahum, is that God’s ways, his actions, flow out of who he is. Therefore, Moses rightly prays in Exodus 33:13, “Show me your ways that I may know you.” He knew God’s ways were always consistent with his character and nature. Therefore, as we look this morning at Nahum we are able to see what is God’s nature and what are his ways. Let us get a clearer picture this morning of what God is like and, therefore, what are God’s ways like. We will first look at God’s nature.

Nahum’s picture to us of what God is like (1:2-6)

In verses 2-6 of this first chapter of Nahum, we get an exquisite picture of what God is like. There is no doubt that the God communicated to us here is greater than us and different and other than us. None is his equal. And he is not just like us.

He is jealous (1:2)

Verse two begins, “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God.” The God of the Scripture is a jealous God. He says to Moses in Exodus 34:14, “You shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” He is not one who is okay with you delighting in something above him.

Now this instantly tells us that God is different and greater than we are. For it would be sin to force you to delight in me above anyone else. I would be wrong and not loving of you. For I would rob you of the joy of delighting in others. However, only one who is perfect and infinitely delightful could rightly command you to delight in him above all else. For only such a one could make such a command and the command be a loving and good thing for the person. And such is God. His infinitely glorious nature allows him above all others to be jealous in the sense of commanding us to delight in him above all else. Therefore, as we looked at last week, our God is rightly passionate about his own glory being known.

He is transcendent (1:3)

Nahum writes in verse 3, “ … the clouds are the dust of his feet.” Thus, God’s greatness is also shown in his being above us. We cannot attain to his status and stature. We are not on equal ground with him. He can reign the earth from above the earth, not contained nor constrained by it. He is above all that limits us as his creatures.

He is all-powerful and all knowing (1:3-5)

Nahum writes, “His way is in the whirlwind and storm … He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers. The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it” (1:3-5).

Therefore, it is clear that God has power in sending storms and winds, in drying up the sea, in making the mountains tremble. He is all-powerful. None has any power that God does not allow him to have. And though God gives power to some (such as kings), it is still under his power and control. As A. W. Tozer has written, “Were God lacking one infinitesimal modicum of power, that lack would end His reign and undo His kingdom; that one stray atom of power would belong to someone else and God would be a limited ruler and hence not sovereign.”¹ He is all-powerful.

And he is all knowing. These two attributes go together. A God who is not all knowing cannot be all-powerful, for his power to change the future would be limited. But God’s power is not limited in this sense. He controls time and eternity. Even the prophetic nature of this book reminds us that God knows past, present, and future.

I stress this first because it is true and clear and second because many theologians are rising up today with the declaration that God cannot know the future. Part of their argument is built upon the idea that God could not have genuine emotion if he knew the future. For example, they might ask, “How could God be genuinely angry toward sin (as he obviously is) if he knew it was going to happen?” Therefore, they conclude it is because God does not know the future.

However, God clearly does know the future and even controls it. What such theologians fail to see is that God’s reaction to sin flows from his character and nature, so that even though one is aware of what is going to happen, unless that individual lacks goodness and justice, he will be angry at it if it is evil – as is sin. God is all knowing.

God is patient and merciful (1:3)

Nahum writes in verse 3, “The Lord is slow to anger.” That is to say, “He does not flare up unreasonably.”² God is not watching over us anxiously waiting for any chance to angrily strike out. Rather, he is slow to anger, patient, and merciful. The mere existence of humanity shows his patience.

God is just (1:2-3, 6)

Though God is slow to anger, however, we should not presume on his patience, for he is just and will judge sin. Nahum tells us in verses 2-3 and 6, “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The LORD is … great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty … Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire and the rocks are broken into pieces by him” (1:2-3, 6).

God will judge sin and judge sinners. Thus we should hear again from Romans 2:4-5, “Do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” He is patient, but he will justly judge sin.

Therefore, as we have seen this picture of God’s nature, let us end by seeing what Nahum teaches us about God’s ways and actions as they flow from his nature. I want to show you three things.

God’s judgment is complete (1:6-11)

Nahum tells us, “His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him … With an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness. What do you plot against the LORD? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time” (1:6, 8-9).

There is no answer to God’s wrathful judgment, in and of ourselves. Nahum reminds us that if our thinking is that we will negotiate and bargain with God in his judgment that we are deceived. It will be complete and without mercy. We will have no answer in and of ourselves.

Therefore, as God justly judges, his judgment will not be lacking.

Though God is the one who judges sin with wrath, he is himself a refuge from his wrath (1:7-8)

In verses 7-8, we read, “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.”

Thus, God is both the one sending wrath and the refuge from his wrath. His transcendence allows him to do what we cannot do so that he might be the subject of wrath and the refuge from wrath.

This is most clearly seen in the cross. For God sends his own Son to bear the iniquity of his people and to receive God’s wrath for sin. Thus Isaiah writes, “He was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed” (53:5). So God the Son receives this wrath for sin, but who “crushed” him as Isaiah speaks in that verse. He answers, writing later, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief” (53:10).

Therefore, God is both subject and object of the cross. God the Father pours out his wrath for sin and God the Son bears the wrath for sin that he people might be justly justified.

But he who does not have Christ as Lord does not have Christ as refuge from God’s wrath, as it is written, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but he wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

God’s judgment is sure for God’s enemies, but God as a refuge is sure for those who know him and are known by him.

Finally, God’s judgment and mercy display his glory and his good for his church (1:12-15)

Because those dwelling in Nineveh were persecutors of Judah, their destruction displayed God’s glory and goodness toward his people. Therefore, as you read the final four verses of this first chapter, it is unclear whether God is speaking of his grace toward his people or his judgment toward his enemies. And the reason for that is that both are displayed in one act. By removing those in Nineveh, he was loving and caring for his people.

And this is a reminder to us that even God’s eternal judgment will be a reminder to his people of his infinite glory, holiness, justice, and righteousness. There will nothing done by God throughout all of eternity that will not display his great glory and his grace to the church.

Therefore as we close this morning, let us remember God’s judgment that we might repent if we are not his children and understand God’s mercy to us if we are. Let it serve as a backdrop to display the kindness and grace of God shown us in Jesus Christ.

To him be honor and glory throughout all generations, both now and forever. Amen.

¹A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (HarperCollins: New York, 1961), 169.

²Tremper Longman III, The Minor Prophets, ed. Thomas Edward McComiskey (Baker: Grand Rapids, 1993), 789.

WRATHFUL TOWARD SIN; A WARRIOR FOR HIS PEOPLE