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.