Nahum 1:3: Whirlwind & Clouds

Nahum’s Oracle and the Character of God

So as you know we're going through the book of Nahum. We're up to verse 3, but before we start I just want to read maybe the first eight or nine verses just to get the context. So Nahum chapter 1 verse 1 an oracle concerning Nineveh the book of the vision of Nahum of El Kosh.

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 slow to anger and great in power and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.

His way is in the whirlwind and storm and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 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.

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. 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 complete 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 for they are like entangled thorns like drunkards as they drink. They're consumed like stubble fully dried. Those are heavy words from the prophet Nahum.

Sometimes we need to understand what God says about himself so that we can understand God as he truly is. So let's take a look at before we get to chapter 3. I just want to do a quick Review of what we went through last week because this is Nahum addressing the character of God in the first 11 verses.

He talks about the vengeance of God in verses 2 through 3. The power of God in verses 3 through 6. The goodness of God in verses 7 through 8 and the severity of God in verses 9 through 11. Anybody want to give me a quick recap of what the word jealousy means?

Yes. He he cares for his people he's zealous for his people. The jealousy of God is his holy commitment to commitment to his honor glory and love that manifests itself in the Salvation of his people and the just condemnation of all who stand in opposition to him.

So his jealousy is for his people. Okay, and it's going to be against his enemies. Any anybody want to give me a glimpse into God's vengeance? What's the difference between vengeance and revenge? Avenge and revenge a direct result of his holiness coming against Injustice.

Yes, John it is. Yes. It's the outworking of his justice a vengeance. To avenge is being concerned with the justice of God. Revenge is more for self-centered motives. Okay, God's vengeance is not him flying off the handle in a fit of anger.

But a measured and just response to the evil actions of those who oppose him and his people. Revenge. Get putting it into the hands of man's most times goes beyond what the person deserves to be punished for some sort of self-satisfaction.

Okay event to avenge is to be concerned with the justice of God and not go beyond that. Okay. Jealousy the jealousy of God leads him to avenging his enemies in wrath. So it is based on the justice of God and him carrying out that justice in wrath upon his enemies.

Okay. So let's take a look. God is also and I gave the short trip on wrath. So I just want to go over that for a second. God is also described as a God who exercises wrath. The English word wrath is a translation of the Hebrew now Hema.

Meaning heat hot displeasure indignation. Anger or wrath is derived from a verb that indicates heat. Much of what has been said about God's vengeance exercises itself through the wrath of God. God's righteous anger is poured out on evildoers and those who have harmed his people.

God's vengeance and wrath are not directed towards his children, but towards his foes and enemies. He keeps it's a continual Verb ongoing action. Wrath for his enemies now. You might remember when we went through the book of Jude.

One of the most important words in the book of Jude throughout the whole letter is keep. He is going to keep us. He's going to keep us to the end and that's that ongoing continual action of God's hand.

Providentially bringing us to him in the in the act of sanctification. Right with justified sanctified and glorified God keeps his people. He also keeps wrath upon his enemies. It's an ongoing active thing that God is doing.

God's enemies are also the enemies of his people. We had talked about last week when God's people covenant with outside Nations that are not part of God's people. Them being covenant with God's people is the same as them being in covenant with God.

Right because God's people are one with God in the in the sense that they're in union with them through Christ Jesus. Anyone who covenants with God's people God is going to carry out the the the ramifications of them breaking that covenant and hurting God's people.

So God's enemies are also the enemies of his people. The Assyrians who had oppressed Israel for a hundred years. Those are his enemies. We may take comfort which is what Nahum means. This is a book meant to comfort Judea.

We may take comfort in knowing that we have a defender who cares about us. He's jealous for us. He has all power and will defend us. Our enemies are his enemies. We can trust God. Okay, so let's now get into the first verse that we're talking about today.

God Is Slow to Anger and Great in Power

Verses 3 through 4. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and the Lord will by no means clear clear the guilty. His way is in the whirlwind and storm and the clouds are the dust of his feet. So is it good for God to be slow slow to anger?

Everybody should say yes, thank thankfully God is slow to anger. Why? If not, we would be consumed. Anyone anybody want to give me some biblical examples of God being slow to anger. Excellent example right.

The iniquity and Amorites is not complete. The one I thought of immediately was Cain right. Cain kills Abel and He's afraid he's he's leaving and he's going to build a city. He's like yeah, but they're gonna kill me and God says no.

I'm gonna put a mark on you so that they don't kill you. So God's even protecting his enemy right for a period. Yes, John ever. Right. Yes. Yes, God is slow to anger and we're gonna go through that right.

Psalm 86. But you O Lord are a God merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Thank goodness that he's slow to anger. Psalm 103. The Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He will not always chide nor will he keep his anger forever. Did you think about Peter? Right Peter denies the Lord three times. Right and what does Jesus come back and do he ends up restoring Peter? If God was not slow to anger Peter would have been gone the first time he he denied Christ, right?

Joel 2. And rend your hearts and not your garments return to the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful. Slow to anger abounding in steadfast love. He relents over disaster you see that steadfast love.

That's the chesed love of God. Okay the Persistent love of God. He will not let his people go. Jonah 4 2 right. Jonah is Nahum 1 .0. This is why I made haste to flee to Tarsus for I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God slow to anger.

Abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster. Jonah didn't want to go preach to the Ninevites because he knew God could forgive them and would forgive them if they repented. He didn't want to see that because he knew the Assyrians and Nineveh were gonna be used to correct and discipline Israel and Finally Nehemiah, but you are a God ready to forgive gracious and merciful slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and Do not forsake them right so God being a patient God Slow to anger although sometimes when we look at our enemies.

We're like God. Why aren't you just wiping them out right now you look at the world right now God? Why aren't you getting getting involved and wiping these people out instantly. Be grateful that he doesn't wipe out people who deny him instantly.

Because we could be wiped out right, but God's keeping his people and he's keeping wrath for his enemies. Okay, so we know that it's good for God to be slow in anger is a good fit for God to be great in power.

The Great Power of God Over the Nations

See he says Nahum in verse 3 the Lord is slow to anger and great in power. Is that good is that isn't everything God does. Good right, so it's good for God to be great in power. Why is it good in this situation for God to be great in power?

Yes, right this the Assyrians were the world power at that point they were the insurmountable Gigantic nation coming against little tiny Judah, and you know the reputation of the Assyrians. They flayed people they beheaded them and set up pyramids of their skulls in front of the the city gates.

I mean they led their their enemies out by hooks in the noses and hooks through their feet and dragged them To wherever they wanted them. They were a brutal people. So Nahum is conveying what God conveyed to him to the Judeans saying God is great in power.

You're gonna need to know that to know that the Assyrians can be defeated. This is not going to be done in your own strength of your own goodness. This is gonna be done in the strength of God who is great in power.

Take comfort and know that he's great in power, but think about he's also slow to anger. So where we want God's enemy squashed instantly. God's like no. I'm slow to anger, and I'm great in power. I will do this in my time.

Yes, sir part of it. Yes, right. It could be part, but right God's not gonna go beyond. We probably would right wait. We're to be merciful to others because what God has been merciful to us. Right. Okay, so let's see where God's great in power.

Job 9 for he is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him and succeeded right so the you know this? Gives us insight into the Assyrians. The Assyrians have hardened themselves towards God, okay?

But they're not going to succeed ultimately in their plan. Psalm 66 say to God how awesome are your deeds so great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you? All right, there's no nation. That's gonna overthrow God and and be able to bring God to his knees.

Psalm 147 great is our Lord and abundant in power. His understanding is beyond measure, and that's the key okay? God has not only does God have all power he has all Wisdom. Right and I talked to my brother Cameron over there the other day.

We talked about God's omniscience. That's God's knowledge. But there's also something called God's on the sapiens. He's not just all knowledge. He's all wisdom, which is the correct application of knowledge.

So God in his knowledge and his power is going to work out everything according to his will and for his glory. Think about Nebuchadnezzar. What did Nebuchadnezzar say about God's power? All. The inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing.

None of them are going to overthrow God's plan. God is going to be the one who overthrows them. He does according to his will and among the hosts of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand.

And say what have you done? Right. God is going to be the one who ultimately gains victory in On the stage known as the world. Okay, the Lord lifts up the humble and he cast the wicked to the ground. Right it's a lesson for us remember to humble yourselves before God never walk arrogantly.

So the book of Nahum Describes a restoration for the nation of Judah like Peter Joe Judah buckled under the under fear and disavowed disowned God. God under Manasseh. That was the most evil king in in all of Israel decided to submit to an evil king and evil gods.

He submitted to the Assyrian king. This decision had horrific consequences. How could God restore his unfaithful people so that they might once again serve him? So now Israel has prostituted herself with another king and other gods.

This is why we need a God of great power, right? Nahum addresses this question by quoting one of the most famous statements in the Old Testament. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.

This phrase echoes the passages of Exodus 34 6 and numbers 14 18 and gives a picture of the Lord's character. Which is complementary to the picture of anger in verse 2, but let's take a look at this. Nahum's description abbreviates the words that God spoke to Moses after the Israelites worshipped the golden calf.

The Lord the Lord a God merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness keeping steadfast love for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But who will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children to the third and fourth Generation.

Nothing about power there, right? Note that Nahum in verse 1 3 does not entirely quote Exodus 34. Instead he uses numbers 14 17 and 18 where Moses pleads and now please let the power of the Lord be great.

As you have promised saying the Lord is slow to anger abounding in steadfast love forgiving iniquity and transgression. All right in this in the verse in in numbers. He adds. Moses adds may the Lord be Powered me to let the the power of the Lord be great.

So, let's see how this how this fares out. I went too fast so look. Please let the Lord the power of the Lord be great. See there's nothing about power in Exodus 34 right. Moses adds that when he's talking about numbers in numbers 14 verses 17 through 18.

Notice how Nahum in verse 1 3 inserts Moses's assertion about God's great power. Into God's own statement about being slow to anger known. Nahum's reference to Exodus by way of numbers Causes us to recall two disasters in Israel's history the Golden Calf and the wilderness rebellion.

Which we the gentleman brought up before in the first Israel sinned by its actions engaging in Idolatry idolatrous revelry they built the Golden Calf bow down and worship. In the second Israel sinned by inaction.

Failing to believe God and attack Canaan by action and inaction Israel proved faithless to the Covenant so pointing to God's great power is going to be necessary because it's only going to be God's power that keeps his people and is able to bring them to a state of repentance.

When Nahum describes Yahweh as long suffering in anger in anger and one who by no means will clear the guilty. It's almost certain that he intends to echo a passage that played repeated significance in Israel's history.

After God's judgment for Israel's apostasy related to the Golden Calf God commanded Moses to duplicate the original tablets of stone. It's here that the Lord in his mercy would reestablish or renew his covenant with Israel.

After God says, okay go through the The crowd and kill all those people who were worshiping the Golden Calf. Okay, those whose hearts were not turned back to the Lord now He he goes and reestablishes he brings out the Covenant again.

This is gonna renew the Covenant for God's people. In Nahum's appeal to the same text in Exodus his omission of a particular phrase tells the story God is long-suffering in in anger, which would explain the long delay in his bringing judgment upon Nineveh.

But Nahum mentions nothing of the fact that the same God is merciful and gracious abundant and loving kindness. Nahum is stressing the reality of judgment that must arise out of the nature of God. If God is jealous for his people and he's just he must pour out His wrath upon those people the Lord may be forgiving and merciful.

But the point of no return has passed by Nineveh. They are not his covenant people. The only thing left waiting for them is the judgment that is sure to come. So Nahum is is comforting his people. Okay, letting them know that God's judgment will be coming upon Assyria doesn't mean that they're gonna escape any consequence.

Okay, but they're still going to be in covenant to God with God. Okay. Many people mistake the Lord's patience for impotence. Right. God is not weak just because he doesn't act when you think he should act doesn't mean he's powerless to act.

Though he is patient. He's not weak. God's hot anger burns against the evildoer, but he is neither fickle nor capricious. He's slow to anger because He is great. He is Unthreatened by the bully. God can be slow to respond and patient even with the tyrant.

This is good news to God's enemy. Not so good news to the one suffering under them. Okay, so God will in his timing bring about the proper justice for the people who are rebelling against him. There's going to be a future day of judgment.

Right when God brings all of his enemies before him and he separates the sheep from the goats. Ultimately giving to each one what they deserve. The rewards that God's people earned while they were here on earth or The right the just punishment for the things done in the body good or evil for those who rejected Jesus.

Nahum uses the traditional confession of faith to let Israel know that not only is God slow to anger against their sins. But that he's also slow to anger against their enemy sins. Just as Israel finally saw the northern kingdom destroyed by God's anger.

So they will ultimately see a Syria destroyed. God brought a Syria into the northern tribes of Israel. You read Isaiah 10 it was by God's hand that he brought them in to discipline Israel because they proved faithless to him and and.

Those ten tribes got decimated and the people the Israelites were were spread out all across a serious such that they're known as the lost tribes of Israel. Right. All all that was left was Judah and Benjamin.

That's where we get the term Jews. We call them the Jews. Why. Because that's the tribe of Judah. Okay Nahum had news for these Syrians and for Judah as they entered a Syrian domination. Strength. God's power belongs to God and no one else God had often displayed that power in creating the earth and all its inhabitants.

Forming the mountains calming the sea his power redeemed and delivered his people. For God's people there is hope in his power. Right, we need God's power in order to restore us because our hearts are bent towards the flesh until he changes them.

And even when he's changing them. We're still surrounded by the flesh. The world the flesh and the devil were influenced by those things. So God has to keep us and continually draw us to him. Before God could avenge himself upon a Syria.

However, he had to restore his people who had abandoned him from for the Assyrian gods. Nahum 1 3 continues the Lord is great in power and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty and think about it.

Well, if you know that that were capital L L or D is Yahweh. That's God's covenant name. So what Yahweh is is explained to the Jews that God's covenant is going to be involved here. Okay in numbers 14 7 17 Moses begins his prayer by pleading.

Please. Let the power of the Lord be great. Moses knew that it would be require great power for God to forgive a sin this great. That Nahum in 1 3 omits the words. Please let from this quotation shows that Moses his prayer has now been answered.

Nahum didn't ask God to forgive. He declared the forgiveness accomplished. Even though Judah had sinned greatly sinned as grievously as the Israelites had in Exodus and numbers. God's great power enabled him to forgive Judah.

Okay, this is why it's important that God is a God of great power. Okay, great forgiveness mercy. Okay graciousness. We're gonna see how this plays out in a second. Okay? God's patience must never be misunderstood as weakness.

Okay, we talked about that a second ago. Corporate and individual sin will not be left unpunished. God ultimately ordains all the events of history. He is sovereign over all things. He is sovereign over all the nations.

Nahum proclaimed impending destruction on Nineveh as God's righteous judgment and he invited his people to a joyful celebration of this event. Long before it took place. Okay, so Judah hasn't repented yet, but they're going to right and what had happened why?

Punish Nineveh and Assyria in this way and not unfaithful Israel. What's the difference? We read in 2nd Chronicles 33 the Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people now Manasseh is the evil king. But they had paid no attention therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with Chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon and when he was in distress there's the key he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and Humbled himself greatly before the God of his father's.

He prayed to him and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. Manasseh turned towards God in repentance and God forgave him.

Remember this is Manasseh who Tradition tells us was the one who sought Isaiah in half. Okay, he did wicked and evil things things that were prohibited by God's covenant for sure. And prostituting himself to other gods and the Assyrian Kings remember he was a vassal state paying tribute to the Assyrians.

Okay, so what's the difference? God remembered his covenant. Okay, Manasseh Repented and this is a warning for all of us. We need to repent of our sin and turn back to God and entreat his favor. No one is in God's good graces because of how good you are.

Okay, you wouldn't need a Savior if you were good. We all need a Savior. We need help and when we when we sin we have that promise that we talk about every Sunday from the pulpit. Right if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of our unrighteousness.

So Manasseh repented and that's the difference between God's enemies and God's people. Judgment is not the Lord's final word through Nahum for Judah. God's retributive judgment is also redemptive right.

God disciplines those he loves. It's designed. Does a father discipline his child so does God discipline his children it? Furthers God's loving purposes for his people and his covenant promises to them.

He destroys the forces of evil with the power with the purpose of rescuing and redeeming his covenant people. He will later say Nahum he God knows those who take refuge in him and cares for them. Right?

What is eternal life? What's the definition of eternal life? John 17 3 this is eternal life that they may know you the one true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Right eternal life is contingent on knowing God.

When we know God we need to know him as he's described in his word jealous avenging right. Just he will pour out his wrath. He will by no means clear the guilty if we don't get that straight in our head.

We're gonna have a misconception of who God is. God is not Barney. God is not Santa Claus. Okay, we want to create a God in our own image and think that our God just approves us no matter what we do. Not true.

Yes, Jerry. Right, exactly. Look there's there's lots of like if you ever collected baseball cards, you know. You have all the stats of the baseball player where he was born what teams he played on like Derek Jeter.

You could say oh, I know Derek Jeter. You know about Derek Jeter if Derek Jeter walk if Derek Jeter walked into the room. He said he wouldn't say oh, there's Anthony. But I would say oh there's Derek Jeter.

Right. It's a big difference. You know having difference between having a relationship with somebody and me knowing about someone you may know lots and lots of facts about God. That's information. You need revelation.

Right when Jesus asked Peter, who do you say? I am this is doubt what the Christ the Son of the Living God. What does Jesus say? Oh good study you are. He says no blessed are you Simon for Jonah for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father in heaven.

Knowing Christ Jesus in a salvific way is by revelation not information. Right. The first thing you need to recognize is that you're sinful before God. You've lied. You've stolen you've used God's name in vain.

You've committed murder in your heart. You've coveted you've broken all ten commandments. You're gonna stand before God and if you don't have a Savior, you're gonna pay for your sins yourself. Every sin in this world because God is just will be paid for.

They will either be paid for by you or paid for by Jesus. I Don't know about you. Jesus has never lost the case. He's argued. Okay, you you you want a safe bet place your faith and trust in Jesus repent of your sins.

You are guilty before God. You need to know that. Okay. It is at this point in biblical history that the prophet Nahum steps in God used Assyria to scatter the northern kingdom of Israel again the lost tribes of Israel.

But Judah looked on the seductive power of Assyria for salvation rather than to God. Assyria a mere tool in God's hand had exalted itself above God. The Assyrians mocked the living God. Mocked the living God in this context.

We find Nahum saying the Lord is slow to anger. God is patience, but his patience has a limit. A serious iniquity is now complete. Okay, so now it's time for God to bring the just punishment on the Assyrians to save Judah.

Whirlwind, Storm, and Clouds as Symbols of Divine Judgment

Okay. Next we're gonna we find us finish that half of the verse now. We're up to the part where his way is in the whirlwind in the storm the clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry.

He dries up all the rivers. So when whirlwind storm clouds. What does this mean? Yes, sir. God's holiness and glory. Sure. Absolutely at the giving of the commandments, right. God descends on on the top of the mountain with cloud lightning, you know loud sounds.

All right. Let's go through a couple verses. Psalm 97. Clouds and thick darkness are all around him. Righteousness and justice are his foundation of the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around his lightnings.

Light up the world the earth seas and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord before the Lord of all the earth. Now is this literal fire? Is this literal mountains like wax? Still more coffee.

Are these literal mountains of wax metaphorical right. Figurative. Sure, sure. Okay. Let's get let's continue going on a little this may help us. Exodus 19 The Lord said to Moses behold I'm coming to you in a thick cloud that me people may hear me here when I speak with You and may also believe you forever.

All right. Is this literally God riding on a cloud, you know. No, all right. Isaiah 19 1 say again right, right right, but not when he when he came against the the Egyptians that he the pillar of cloud was on the on the tabernacle, correct.

Right the cloud figuratively he he he brought the plagues. Would that be considered the cloud or God's wrath. Okay, let's continue. Isaiah 19 1 an oracle concerning Egypt behold. The Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence and the heart Of the Egyptians will melt within them.

Right. So Lord is the Lord is speaking to Moses, right? And Moses is speaking to Pharaoh and warning him if you don't do these things that the plagues are gonna come. And God brings those plagues down on him.

Okay. We'll revert to our brother Gary tomorrow who talks to us in Last day's madness. He talks about the cloud. He said the cloud language of Matthew. This is Matthew 24 the Olivet Discourse. It's similar to the imagery of the previous verses and the descriptions of the darkening of the Sun and the moon and the falling stars.

What is the association of clouds with God now the Sun moon and stars didn't literally fall out of the sky. All right. This is figurative language used in the Old Testament to describe Israel when Joseph was standing as before his brothers.

Okay, so what's the association of clouds with God? First God showed himself by the physical presence of clouds. Although no one ever saw God. Exodus 13 14 19 20. Okay first Kings. Second God's abode is described as a canopy of the clouds.

Psalm 97. God's mode of transportation is figuratively described as a cloud. A cloud chariot. Okay was a literal chariot. Fourth when God speaks he causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth at Jeremiah 10 and 51.

Fifth the day of the Lord will be a day of clouds. Right? We're gonna see that in Joel and Ezekiel chapter 30. Six. God's judgment of the wicked is described as the upheaval of the created order in Whirlwind and storm is his way and clouds are the dust beneath his feet.

Nahum 1 3. In each of the above examples clouds are symbols of God's presence. Okay, so it's not a literal cloud. Okay, although there was a literal cloud over the the tabernacle. Okay, most times it's figurative.

God's cloud means his his justice is coming upon those people which Obviously the Assyrians are going to see shortly in Addition there are verses which describe God's coming on the clouds. Behold. The Lord is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt.

There is no more literal. This is no more literal than God riding on a cloud chariot abiding in a cloud canopy or clouds moving when God speaks. The image of God riding on a swift cloud depicts his sovereignty over the nations.

Okay, so God is sovereignly going to bring about his purposes in judgment, which is Described as clouds and whirlwind in a storm. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks upon the wings of the wind. He makes the winds his messengers.

Flaming fires is his minister. Flaming fire his ministers. Okay. God is not walking on wings of the wind. It's figurative language to describe God's judgment upon these Syrians. God does not physically appear on clouds using them as chariots.

Nor does he literally walk upon the wings of the wind or make the winds his messengers. The language describes judgment and retribution. Why should anyone think it unusual to find similar language in the New Testament in the New Testament?

Testament being interpreted in the same way, so he's describing what's happening in Matthew chapter 24. But this applies to what we're talking about in Nahum about the whirlwind and the storm and the clouds.

In fact He brought up Nahum. That's how I found him. Commenting on this. So the bottom line is this there was a day of judgment coming for the Assyrians and lesser Consequences for the Israelites as well.

God disciplines his people and when he brings judgment his people are going to be affected by it. The Assyrians would receive judgment for their actions while the Israelites would receive mercy with discipline.

The difference between them was the covenant of God. The Israelites were in covenant with God covenant of salvation. Okay, the Assyrians were not everyone is in covenant with God. You are either in covenant with God through Adam or in covenant with God through Christ Jesus there's a final day of judgment coming and the only difference between those who will survive the judgment and those who won't is the covenant of God through Jesus his son.

If you stand before God right now, and you are guilty in God's sight, and you don't have a Savior. You're not trusting in Jesus. You will end up paying for the sins that you've committed my My urge my exhortation to you is turn to Christ and be spared the eternal judgment of God.

God has made a way to be in covenant with him without his wrath being poured out on you. His wrath will be poured out on his only begotten son Jesus to save you from that wrath. Turn to Jesus repent and be saved.

Okay, this is a message of comfort for Nahum and the Judeans the Israelites who were in the southern tribes. And this turns into a message of comfort for us because we look out at the world. And we see the things that are going on and sometimes we we look out at them and we say oh.

There's such bad people. Why isn't God judging them and forgetting that we too are sinners in need of a Savior. We need to humble ourselves. We need to repent of our sins turn to Christ and cling to him and him alone any questions.

No questions.