The small book of Nahum is in some ways a sequel to the book of Jonah. Jonah tells how God had mercy on the Assyrian capital of Nineveh when they repented of their evil. But then several generations later, Nineveh had returned to its wicked and violent ways. It was then God sent a vision to the prophet Nahum about the city’s destruction. This message of judgement on their enemy was also a message of hope for the besieged nation of Judah.
Nahum poses a couple of interesting questions to consider:
- What good was the earlier repentance and revival of Nineveh if in time the people returned to their wickedness and faced destruction?
- The answer is that our God is the God of the here and now! We can’t change the past nor control the future, but the decisions we make now to obey God do make a difference.
- In Nahum, we are presented with two different pictures of God side-by-side. One is a God of justice and judgment who punishes people and nations for their sin. The other is a God of refuge and compassion who lifts up those who are downtrodden. Which is the true Jehovah?
- The answer is that He is both! Justice and compassion are both part of God’s character. The choice of how we experience Him is up to us!