The Lord God Is . . .

The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and wrath. He takes revenge on all who oppose Him and continues to rage against His enemies! 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. 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. In His presence the mountains quake, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles, and its people are destroyed. 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. 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. Nahum 1:2-8 (NLT)

In this brief Old Testament book, Nahum makes five testimonies about God’s character. God is described as jealous (Nahum 1:2), patient and slow to anger (Nahum 1:3), powerful and sovereign (Nahum 1:3-5), good (Nahum 1:7), and a strong refuge (Nahum 1:7). These testimonies of God’s character are also revealed throughout the Holy Scriptures.

First of all, God is described as jealous . . . avenging . . . and vengeance (Nahum 1:2). In the first and second commandments, God said “I am the Lord your God . . . You must not have any other god but Me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind . . . You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject Me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love Me and obey My commands” (Exodus 20:2-6, NLT). These first two commandments clearly state that God wants our wholehearted love, absolute loyalty and exclusive devotion to Him above all else (see also Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:33).

The true and living God created everything and owns everything (Genesis 1-2; see also Psalm 100:3). Since He is Creator, God is jealous over His creation, His glory, and the worship that are due to Him alone (Exodus 34:14; see Deuteronomy 6:15; Deuteronomy 32:16, 21; 1 Kings 14:22). In fact, the true and living God wants our first and foremost affections, allegiance, and love for Him (see Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 6:33; Luke 10:27). In other words, God wants us to worship “no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about His relationship” with humanity (Exodus 34:14, NLT).God wants a genuine and devoted relationship with us, not mere ritual. He wants to be at the center of our daily lives with exclusive devotion to Him first. God’s jealousy is like that of a husband over his wife or the mother over her child. He wants our complete devotion to Him first and will not permit any rivals (see Deuteronomy 5:9; Joshua 24:19). As Jesus Christ taught, we cannot serve money, work, or fame (Luke 16:13). “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” (Matthew 22:37, NLT). “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24, NKJV).

Nevertheless, only God alone has the right to be jealous and to take vengeance not people (Psalm 94:1). God has called everyone to love one another and overcome evil with good (Romans 12:9-21). The Holy Scriptures state we are to love our enemies and not “get even” (Matthew 5:38-48). When people are jealous and take vengeance, they are usually acting in a spirit of selfishness and pride. Besides, both Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul warned about humans taking vengeance into their own hands (Matthews 5:38-48; Romans 12:17-21). God said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.... I will take vengeance on My adversaries and repay those who hate Me” (Deuteronomy 32:35, 41, NIV). God takes vengeance because He is a holy and righteous. He is angry at sin (Nahum 1:2). His jealousy and vengeance are purposed to remove sin and restore peace to the world (Deuteronomy 4:24; Deuteronomy 5:9). God’s holiness, righteous and justice will ultimately triumph against all wickedness, cruelty, pride, and idolatry.

Also, God is all-powerful and sovereign (Nahum 1:3-5). Awesome natural phenomena display God’s majesty and power (Job 38:1; Psalm 18:7-15; Psalm 104:3-4). God controls the forces of nature (Nahum 1:3), including opening the Red Sea for the people of Israel (Exodus 14:1-15:12; Joshua 3:1-4:24) and turning off the rain and make the most fruitful areas of the land waste away as a desert (Nahum 1:4; see also Isaiah 50:2). At Sinai, God made the mountain shake (Exodus 19:18), and He can cause the world to tremble (Hebrews 12:18-21). No human can defy God – the all-powerful the Creator of the universe.

That is why the Lord says, “Turn to Me now, while there is time. Give Me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Joel 2:12-13 (NLT)

God is also patient and “slow to anger” (Nahum 1:3; see also Jonah 4:2; Exodus 34:6-7; Numbers 14:18). God forgives again and again! In fact, God patiently gives everyone a chance to hear His Word, genuinely repent and turn wholeheartedly to Him. The Holy Scriptures are clear that God is patient, slow to anger and not willing to see anyone perish under His judgment (Psalm 103:8; Nahum 1:3). Yet, God’s judgment will come because He will not allow sin to go unpunished forever (2 Peter 3:8–9). In other words, God does not leave disobedient sinners unpunished for long without guilt consequence (Exodus 34:6–7). God will not tolerate dishonesty, adultery, envy, greed, and violence to go unpunished. God is a God of justice (see Exodus 23:1-9; Deuteronomy 32:4; Amos 5:15). When God does deal with sin, His judgment often comes rather swiftly, suddenly, and without warning (see Genesis 19:24; Matthew 24:36-44).

No doubt about it! God is good— good to good people, good to the good-hearted. Psalms 73:1 (MSG)

Moreover, God is good and He cares for His people (Nahum 1:7). Nahum invites everyone (as the apostle Paul says) to “consider the goodness” of God (Romans 11:22, NKJV). The psalmist also declared “For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalms 100:5, NIV). Also, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16) and light (1 John 1:5). God’s mercy is a strong refuge, supplying all our needs and protections, for those who wholeheartedly trust and love Him (Psalm 46). Yet, God is an “overwhelming flood” (Nahum 1:8) or angry fire to those who hate and disobey Him (Nahum 1:6).

The Lord is slow to anger and rich in faithful love, forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion. But He will not leave [the guilty] unpunished. Numbers 14:18 (HCSB)

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him! Psalms 34:8 (NLT)

References

KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1994.

Life Application Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary. Victor Books, 1989.

Wiersbe, Warren. With the Word Bible Commentary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1991.

Word in Life Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996.

Zondervan NIV Study Bible. New York: Zondervan, 2008.

The Amplified Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987.