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NAHUM 1
page 827
go unpunished. And the evildoing that we see so often in our daily news will not go
unpunished either. Our just and holy God is still on the throne. Although evil may seem
to triumph for a night, it will not endure the heat of God’s day of judgment. Justice will
prevail, for a just and holy God is still in control.
Key verses in Nahum
1:3 The Lord is slow to get angry,
but his power is great.
1
1:15 Look! A messenger is coming
over the mountains with good
news! He is bringing a message of
peace.
This message concerning Nineveh came as a
vision to Nahum, who lived in Elkosh.
11
Who is this wicked counselor of yours
who plots evil against the Lord?
The LORD’s Anger against Nineveh
2 The Lord is a jealous God,
filled with vengeance and rage.
He takes revenge on all who oppose him
and continues to rage against his enemies!
3 The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power
is great,
and he never lets the guilty go
unpunished.
He displays his power in the whirlwind and
the storm.
The billowing clouds are the dust
beneath his feet.
4 At his command the oceans dry up,
and the rivers disappear.
The lush pastures of Bashan and
Carmel fade,
and the green forests of Lebanon wither.
5 In his presence the mountains quake,
and the hills melt away;
the earth trembles,
and its people are destroyed.
6 Who can stand before his fierce anger?
Who can survive his burning fury?
His rage blazes forth like fire,
and the mountains crumble to dust in
his presence.
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This is what the Lord says:
“Though the Assyrians have many allies,
they will be destroyed and disappear.
O my people, I have punished you before,
but I will not punish you again.
Now I will break the yoke of bondage from
your neck
and tear off the chains of Assyrian
oppression.”
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8
9
10
The Lord is good,
a strong refuge when trouble comes.
He is close to those who trust in him.
But he will sweep away his enemies*
in an overwhelming flood.
He will pursue his foes
into the darkness of night.
Why are you scheming against the Lord?
He will destroy you with one blow;
he won’t need to strike twice!
His enemies, tangled like thornbushes
and staggering like drunks,
will be burned up like dry stubble in
a field.
1:8 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads sweep away her place.
1:15 Verse 1:15 is numbered 2:1 in Hebrew text.
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And this is what the Lord says concerning
the Assyrians in Nineveh:
“You will have no more children to carry on
your name.
I will destroy all the idols in the temples
of your gods.
I am preparing a grave for you
because you are despicable!”
15*Look!
A messenger is coming over the
mountains with good news!
He is bringing a message of peace.
Celebrate your festivals, O people of Judah,
and fulfill all your vows,
• Justice
N A HU M 1:1-8
How can a God described as loving,
merciful, and compassionate also be
portrayed as vengeful? The answer
lies in a proper understanding of God’s
holiness. Because God is holy, he cannot tolerate sin and evil and therefore
must exact righteous judgment on all
unrighteousness. Because he is merciful,
he has not yet destroyed the wicked but
allows the opportunity for repentance and
forgiveness. From our human viewpoint,
God is vengeful. From the viewpoint of
holiness, God is merely administering
justice.