Slow to Anger

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!

Slow to Leave; Quick to Return

Ezekiel 10:4, 18, 19, 23, 24; Acts 2:2

The glory of the Lord rested on the mercy seat, between the two cherubims, on the top of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark itself sat in the back of the temple, in the most Holy Place, and was visited only once per year by the High Priest. This glory was often characterized by a cloud, and all of Israel knew that this was the very Spirit of the Lord.

Ezekiel saw a vision of the final moments of the presence of the Spirit of the Lord in Jerusalem. Having shown Ezekiel the debauchery that was taking place in the temple; idolatry, prostitution and blasphemy (Ezekiel 8), God is now ready to depart from the temple, emptying it of His presence, making room for the enemy to ransack and destroy it. In light of how bad things have gotten, you would think that God would run out as fast as possible, but His slow movements speak of someone who does not want to leave, but would rather stay as long as He can, speaking just a bit longer.

He starts in Ezekiel 10:4, “over the threshold of the house”, which is the doorway into the temple. Then He proceeds outward, “Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims” (Ezekiel 10:18). Now outside of the main room of the temple, the Spirit is hovering near the cherubims that were present at the event, who now fly out the east gate of the temple, with the glory “over them above” (verse 19).

Next we find God’s glory over the heart of Jerusalem, “And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city” (Ezekiel 11:23). Still slow to leave, the Spirit takes one more look at Jerusalem before going up from the mountain, back into heaven (verse 24).

Just over 600 years later, after the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the Holy Spirit makes His triumphant return to Jerusalem. The book of Acts records the way that He arrives as, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2). He comes in a hurry! There is no slow arrival. Some say that He had to be begged in by the prayers of the 120, but that is not true. He waited until, “the day of Pentecost was fully come” (Acts 2:1), so that He could arrive on time.

Some say that if you are not very careful you will run the Holy Spirit off. I have heard it said that any foolishness in a service, even down to someone chewing gum will run the presence of the Lord out of the house. I say that if chewing gum ran the power out of a service, then there wasn’t much to begin with! The Holy Spirit was slow to go and quick to return. Don’t be deceived into believing that He is quick to leave you now. In fact, He will not leave you, nor forsake you. He will stay with you through all things because He is your comforter, and He is always pointing you to Jesus.

Go in the assurance that the Holy Spirit is in you as a child of God. He is not looking for some excuse to leave you high and dry, but rather, He is looking for another excuse to bless you. Take the abundant grace and dwell in it.

Slow to Anger

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!

Slow to Leave; Quick to Return

Ezekiel 10:4, 18, 19, 23, 24; Acts 2:2

The glory of the Lord rested on the mercy seat, between the two cherubims, on the top of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark itself sat in the back of the temple, in the most Holy Place, and was visited only once per year by the High Priest. This glory was often characterized by a cloud, and all of Israel knew that this was the very Spirit of the Lord.

Ezekiel saw a vision of the final moments of the presence of the Spirit of the Lord in Jerusalem. Having shown Ezekiel the debauchery that was taking place in the temple; idolatry, prostitution and blasphemy (Ezekiel 8), God is now ready to depart from the temple, emptying it of His presence, making room for the enemy to ransack and destroy it. In light of how bad things have gotten, you would think that God would run out as fast as possible, but His slow movements speak of someone who does not want to leave, but would rather stay as long as He can, speaking just a bit longer.

He starts in Ezekiel 10:4, “over the threshold of the house”, which is the doorway into the temple. Then He proceeds outward, “Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims” (Ezekiel 10:18). Now outside of the main room of the temple, the Spirit is hovering near the cherubims that were present at the event, who now fly out the east gate of the temple, with the glory “over them above” (verse 19).

Next we find God’s glory over the heart of Jerusalem, “And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city” (Ezekiel 11:23). Still slow to leave, the Spirit takes one more look at Jerusalem before going up from the mountain, back into heaven (verse 24).

Just over 600 years later, after the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the Holy Spirit makes His triumphant return to Jerusalem. The book of Acts records the way that He arrives as, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2). He comes in a hurry! There is no slow arrival. Some say that He had to be begged in by the prayers of the 120, but that is not true. He waited until, “the day of Pentecost was fully come” (Acts 2:1), so that He could arrive on time.

Some say that if you are not very careful you will run the Holy Spirit off. I have heard it said that any foolishness in a service, even down to someone chewing gum will run the presence of the Lord out of the house. I say that if chewing gum ran the power out of a service, then there wasn’t much to begin with! The Holy Spirit was slow to go and quick to return. Don’t be deceived into believing that He is quick to leave you now. In fact, He will not leave you, nor forsake you. He will stay with you through all things because He is your comforter, and He is always pointing you to Jesus.

Go in the assurance that the Holy Spirit is in you as a child of God. He is not looking for some excuse to leave you high and dry, but rather, He is looking for another excuse to bless you. Take the abundant grace and dwell in it.