Nahum 1:2, 3
Nahum is a study in God’s character. First, God is described as “jealous” (verse 2). Jealousy is not a desirable trait in anyone, but the context of the verse shows us that in this case it is what we would call a “godly jealousy”. In other words, God wants to be the most important thing in your life. He is jealous of anything else that we might put in the way.
Next, the Lord is vengeful (verse 2). His vengeance is so powerful that Nahum describes it as “furious” and “reserved for his enemies”. It is part of the character of God to revenge those who live their lives opposed to His sovereignty. His wrath is pent up, or reserved, not for His own, but for those who make themselves enemies.
Finally, He is “slow to anger, and great in power” (verse 3). This awesome power and holiness demands that he “not at all acquit the wicked”. It is this slowness to anger and greatness of power that tells us the most about God’s character; for it is in this that we are introduced to the New Covenant.
Paul would write in Romans 5:10, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life”. Notice that God sent Jesus to die for us, “when we were enemies”. It was Nahum who told us that God’s vengeance was “reserved for his enemies”. We are identified as the enemies, thus God’s vengeance was reserved for us.
Since God is slow to anger, He allowed the children of Israel to disobey and break His law for nearly 1500 years. That is the amount of time between the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai and the death of Christ on Calvary. When Jesus died, God’s anger with sin was appeased, since He had placed all sin in the body of His Son on the tree (1 Peter 2:24). Because God cannot judge for the same sins twice, there is no more guilt to be found in sin. This is not a condoning of sin on God’s part, but rather an acceptance of Calvary.
When Jesus died on the cross, God shows that he can be “just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). The only reason that He can do this is because His holy law has been vindicated in the cross.
Nothing of God’s character has changed, for He is constant (James 1:17). With this in mind, if He was jealous in Nahum, then He is jealous now. He still wants first place in our life, but the cross has made a huge difference, not in how God is, but in how God reacts to man. Everything is now filtered through what Jesus did at the cross. Thus God is still great in power, but He is also great in grace and mercy.
Because God is slow to wrath, we are all still here. If He were not slow to wrath, He surely would have taken His church home and started the Tribulation. Every moment that God delays sending Jesus to get His bride is another indication of the mercy and love of God. He wants as many of His sheep as will, to come home to their Father. Oh how He loves you and me!
Nahum is a study in God’s character. First, God is described as “jealous” (verse 2). Jealousy is not a desirable trait in anyone, but the context of the verse shows us that in this case it is what we would call a “godly jealousy”. In other words, God wants to be the most important thing in your life. He is jealous of anything else that we might put in the way.
Next, the Lord is vengeful (verse 2). His vengeance is so powerful that Nahum describes it as “furious” and “reserved for his enemies”. It is part of the character of God to revenge those who live their lives opposed to His sovereignty. His wrath is pent up, or reserved, not for His own, but for those who make themselves enemies.
Finally, He is “slow to anger, and great in power” (verse 3). This awesome power and holiness demands that he “not at all acquit the wicked”. It is this slowness to anger and greatness of power that tells us the most about God’s character; for it is in this that we are introduced to the New Covenant.
Paul would write in Romans 5:10, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life”. Notice that God sent Jesus to die for us, “when we were enemies”. It was Nahum who told us that God’s vengeance was “reserved for his enemies”. We are identified as the enemies, thus God’s vengeance was reserved for us.
Since God is slow to anger, He allowed the children of Israel to disobey and break His law for nearly 1500 years. That is the amount of time between the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai and the death of Christ on Calvary. When Jesus died, God’s anger with sin was appeased, since He had placed all sin in the body of His Son on the tree (1 Peter 2:24). Because God cannot judge for the same sins twice, there is no more guilt to be found in sin. This is not a condoning of sin on God’s part, but rather an acceptance of Calvary.
When Jesus died on the cross, God shows that he can be “just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). The only reason that He can do this is because His holy law has been vindicated in the cross.
Nothing of God’s character has changed, for He is constant (James 1:17). With this in mind, if He was jealous in Nahum, then He is jealous now. He still wants first place in our life, but the cross has made a huge difference, not in how God is, but in how God reacts to man. Everything is now filtered through what Jesus did at the cross. Thus God is still great in power, but He is also great in grace and mercy.
Because God is slow to wrath, we are all still here. If He were not slow to wrath, He surely would have taken His church home and started the Tribulation. Every moment that God delays sending Jesus to get His bride is another indication of the mercy and love of God. He wants as many of His sheep as will, to come home to their Father. Oh how He loves you and me!
