The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. Nahum 1:3
English Romantic painter John Martin (1789–1854) is known for his apocalyptic landscapes depicting the destruction of civilizations. In these fantastic scenes, humans are overwhelmed by the magnitude of the destruction and powerless against the approaching doom. One painting, The Fall of Nineveh, depicts people fleeing the coming destruction of mounting waves under dark rolling clouds.
More than two thousand years before Martin’s painting, the prophet Nahum prophesied against Nineveh foretelling its judgment. The prophet used images of mountains quaking, hills melting, and the earth trembling (Nahum 1:5) to symbolize God’s wrath on those who’d oppressed others for their own gain. However, God’s response to sin is not without grace. While Nahum reminds his listeners of God’s power, he notes that He is “slow to anger” (v. 3) and “cares for those who trust in him” (v. 7).
Descriptions of judgment are hard to read, but a world where evil isn’t confronted would be a terrible one. Thankfully the prophet doesn’t end on that note. He reminds us that God desires a good and just world: “Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!” (v. 15). That good news is Jesus, who suffered the consequences of sin so we can have peace with God (Romans 5:1, 6).
Nahum 1:1-8, 15
1 A prophecy concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh
2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies. 3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. 4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. 5 The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. 6 Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him.
7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, 8 but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.
15 Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, Judah, and fulfill your vows. No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed.[a]
INSIGHT
1. How do you want God to defend the oppressed?
2. How might your understanding of His wrath against injustice prompt you to speak up for the oppressed?
Despite the gloomy and apocalyptic nature of Nahum’s message, God had offered immense grace to evil Nineveh. About a century earlier, He’d sent His reluctant prophet Jonah to warn Nineveh that they’d be “overthrown” (Jonah 3:4). The city repented, and God relented from destroying it (vv. 5-10). However, history shows how they relapsed into their old ways, their appalling cruelty earning them multiple enemies. This time their judgment would be final. In 612 bc, the city was overrun by the Medes and Babylonians. Today Nineveh is mostly a ruin located near the Iraqi city of Mosul.
PRAYER
Father, I pray for those around the world who suffer unjustly. In Jesus name I pray and believe. Amen.
Read: Nahum 1:1-8, 15 | Bible in a Year: Ecclesiastes 4-6; 2 Corinthians 12
