Getting to Know the ProphetsVoorbeeld

Nahum

The book of Nahum is a sequel to the book of Jonah. At the conclusion of the book of Jonah, we leave Nineveh repentant and spared from God's judgment. A century later, Nineveh was doing abominable things in the sight of God. Nahum was the prophet God chose to speak to Nineveh concerning their sinfulness.

Nahum 1 uses many adjectives to describe God. God is jealous, avenging, wrathful, slow to anger, and great in power, but does not clear the guilty (Nahum 1:2–3). Nahum described God's sovereignty, which gave way to descriptions of the destruction of Nineveh in Nahum 2–3. What does the character of God have to do with the destruction of Nineveh?

Nahum presents us with a problem – a problem resolved through the Gospel. God is good, loving, and forgiving, yet He does not clear the guilty (Nahum 1:3). Nahum illuminates our heart’s need for a renewing Savior, lest we return to our old ways. Through the Gospel, God has demonstrated His wrath against sin and His love, mercy, and grace toward sinners. God's wrath and God's love are perfectly mediated through the Cross of Christ.

1. What was your life like before God gave you a new heart?

2. Does your understanding of God leave room for His wrath against the sin of unbelievers, as we see in Nahum?

Prayer: God, thank You for being a just and loving God. Thank You for the Cross of Christ, a new heart, and my security in You.