Finding Comfort in the Uncomfortable- Nahum
Majoring on the Minors
July 16, 2023
Nahum is the sequel to the book of Jonah
Nahum means Comfort in Hebrew
1 An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies.
3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.
5 The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it.
6 Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him. —Nahum 1:1-6
What do we see about God’s character?
1) GOD IS JEALOUS
2) GOD IS AVENGING
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. —Romans 12:17-19
3) GOD IS WRATHFUL
[God’s wrath is] His steady, unrelenting, unremitting, uncompromising antagonism to evil in all its forms and manifestations. —John Stott
What kind of god do you want?
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. —Romans1:18
3b Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. —Ephesians 2:3b
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. —Colossians 3:5-6
6a Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? —Nahum 1:6a
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. —Romans 3:23-25a
7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, 8 but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into darkness. —Nahum 1:7-8
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. —John 3:36
1) PRAY FOR YOUR LOST FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO PUT THEIR FAITH IN CHRIST
2) SHARE THE GOSPEL AND INVITE THEM TO CHURCH
3) EMBRACE THE REALITY OF WHO GOD REALLY IS.
It is a temptation to think that by being nice and accommodating, we can make the Christian gospel seem like a great little addition to everyone’s life. But the gospel is not a great little addition. It is a soul shaking, costly, demanding reality. The church cannot hide this fact! The gospel is not about self therapy. Despite our pressured, taut, nerve-jangling age, the Christian message is not there just to make us feel better about ourselves or more able to cope. It is about coming before our great God and Savior, confessing our sins, entrusting ourselves to him, and surrendering our claim upon ourselves to him. —David Wells