Praise the Lord! An eventful week has just left us and we are entering into a new week right away which could be filled with an untold number of anticipated or unanticipated events. The reality in such a situation is that we get entangled in some of these events (good/bad), and they will either drag us along on their pathway or we move forward along with them. Either way, we carry the consequences of our actions this week in our life moving forward. The best thing for us, as the children of God, is to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who redeemed us from God’s wrath and saved us for all eternity to be with the Lord God Almighty. He will help us to carry the burden we bear (whatever it might be) for the Scripture states that Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken (Psalm 55:22). Jesus said to His followers/hearers: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). Apostle Peter encouraged the early Christian believers to cast all their anxieties, like fear, pain, burdens, hatred, and the things that discourage them, on the Lord because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). If He shares our burden and helps us carry our burdens, we will experience safety as well as peace of mind. If one does not trust in the Lord God Almighty, they have to carry their entire burden/load by themselves, and this is an arduous task, even for the strongest among us.

God has blessed us with a wonderful Scripture passage to meditate upon, which is Nahum 1:12-15 (mentioned above). We can understand two specific things from this passage as we read though it: first of all, God’s judgement and punishment upon the wicked people [the nation of Assyria and their allies, in this regard] (Nahum 1:12a, 14); and, secondly, God’s deliverance and reward for the righteous people [the Israelites, in this regard] (Nahum 1:12b-13, 15). Although the Israelites sinned against the God of their fathers, they repented and returned to Him who redeemed them from bondage. Prophet Nahum the Elkoshite (the name Nahum means comfort) was one the prominent prophets of the Old Testament who ministered in Judah (the Southern Kingdom) and perhaps carried out his prophetic ministry in and around Jerusalem. His prophetic utterances mainly focused on two areas: (i) the message about the destruction of the Assyrian empire whose capital city was Nineveh (Nahum 1:12a, 14; 2:13), and (ii) the deliverance for Judah and Jerusalem from their enemies, especially from the Assyrians (Nahum 1:12b-13). Judah’s deliverance was twofold: First of all, immediate deliverance from the Assyrians (Nahum 1:12b-13); secondly, their ultimate deliverance and redemption at the end of the age when God establishes His Kingdom on earth (Nahum 1:15).

In order to understand the context of Nahum’s prophetic utterances, we have to rewind the historical events slightly backward, at least to the ministry time-period of prophet Jonah, where the pictures of the Israel and Assyria conflicts and God’s connection with both the Israelites and the Assyrians are more evident. When we analyze the ministry of Jonah, we can understand that God sent prophet Jonah on a special mission to preach against the city of Nineveh because the Ninevites’ wickedness had reached before God (Jonah 1:1-2). As the wickedness of the Ninevites reached the presence of God, there was nothing left for God to do except to destroy the city along with all that is in it. Although God intended to destroy Nineveh and everything in it due to its widespread wickedness, He, being a God of justice, righteousness, and compassion, wanted to give them a second chance to turn back from what they had been doing and to abstain from their wicked way of life. This was the reason God sent His servant Jonah to Nineveh to warn them of their wickedness and God’s plans to destroy them as their deeds deserve. However, Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh and preach against it because he hated the Ninevites and was waiting for God’s vengeance upon them because they inflicted so much pain on the Israelites (Jonah 1:3 [2 Kings 14:25; 15:19-20; 29; 17:3-6]). After all the twists and turns Jonah caused, God ended the game of hide and seek with Jonah, and He appointed a large fish to transport Jonah (Jonah 1:3-2:10) and Jonah was eventually dropped off on dry land.  Then, God commissioned Him a second time to preach His message to the Ninevites (Jonah 3:1). This time Jonah obeyed God’s command and went to Nineveh to deliver the message he received from the Lord to preach against Nineveh (Jonah 3:3). When the Ninevites heard the warning God gave them through Jonah, they believed God and a fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth – even the animals, herds or flocks were not exempt from the fast declared in Nineveh (Jonah 3:4-9). Jonah 3:10 states that When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. Thus, the Ninevites escaped God’s wrath because they stopped all the wicked things they had been doing and pleaded with God for His mercy (Jonah 3:6-9).  God showed them His mercy and did not send the calamity He had threatened (Jonah 3:10). However, as time passed, they again started doing the wicked things they had been doing prior to God’s warning to them. Prophet Nahum noted some of the real things that was going on in Nineveh in his writings. Below mentioned are some of the sins of the Ninevites carried out, according to Nahum 3:1-4,

• • Nineveh was the city of blood (3:1a)
  • Nineveh was the city with full of lies (3:1b)
  • Nineveh was the city with full of plunder (3:1c)
  • Nineveh was the city never without victims (3:1d)
  • Nineveh was the city filled with the crack of whips (3:2a)
  • Nineveh was the city filled with the clatter of wheels (3:2b)
  • Nineveh was the city filled with galloping horses (3:2c)
  • Nineveh was the city filled with jolting chariots (3:2d)
  • Nineveh was the city filled with charging cavalry (3:3a)
  • Nineveh was the city filled with flashing swords (3:3b)
  • Nineveh was the city filled with glittering spears (3:3c)
  • Nineveh was the city filled with many casualties (3:3d)
  • Nineveh was the city filled with piles of dead (3:3e)
  • Nineveh was the city filled with bodies without number (3:3f)
  • Nineveh was the city filled with people stumbling over the corpses (3:3g)
  • Nineveh was the city that practiced filled with wanton lust (3:4a)
  • Nineveh was the city known for carrying out whoredom (3:4b)
  • Nineveh was the city known for enticement (3:4c)
  • Nineveh was the city known as the mistress of sorceries (3:4d)
  • Nineveh was the city known for enslaving nations by her prostitution (3:4e)
  • Nineveh was the city known for enslaving peoples by her witchcraft (3:4f)

On account of their vile life and endless cruelty, God’s wrath burned against them and God declared, through His servant Nahum, His plan of sending calamity upon Nineveh. This time they neither refrained from the evil deeds they had been doing nor did God relent from sending calamity upon the Ninevites (Nahum 1:1-3:19). The Lord God declared His vengeance upon Nineveh for the evil they had been doing within the city and the casualties they had been inflicting on other nations:

Nahum 1:8 

8 … with an overwhelming flood He [the Lord] will make an end of Nineveh; He will pursue His foes into the realm of darkness.

Nahum 1:14

The Lord has given a command concerning you, Nineveh: You will have no descendants to bear your name. I will destroy the images and idols that are in the temple of your gods. I will prepare your grave, for you are vile.

Nahum 2:13

I am [Yahweh, the God of Israel] against you [Nineveh capital of Assyria], declares the Lord Almighty. I will burn up your chariots in smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will leave you no prey on the earth. The voices of your messengers will no longer be heard.

Nahum 3:5-7

5 “I am against you,” declares the Lord Almighty. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame. 6 I will pelt you with filth, I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. 7 All who see you will flee from you and say, ‘Nineveh is in ruins—who will mourn for her?’ Where can I find anyone to comfort you.

Psalm 147:5-6 states that Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. 6 The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. The Lord God, being a righteous, loving, compassionate, and sovereign God, gave the Ninevites opportunity to turn from the evil they had been committing and live in the shadow of the Almighty (Jonah 3:4-10; 4:10-11). Although, they followed God’s commands for a while and refrained from all kinds of wickedness, gradually they turned against the Lord and did evil again in His sight, as He stated: From you, Nineveh, has one come forth who plots evil against the Lord and devises wicked plans (Nahum 1:11). Despite the opportunity God gave them to escape from His fierce anger and save themselves, they became too proud to abide within the divine principles God set forth, rather they lived a life of endless cruelty and angered the Lord, the God of the universe (Nahum 3:19). Of course, God is gracious and compassionate but that does not mean that He will leave the guilty unpunished (Nahum 1:3a). Prophet Nahum gives a brief account of what kind of God he (and we) serve (Nahum 1:2-7):

• • The Lord is a jealous God (1:2a)
  • The Lord is an avenging God if anyone oppresses the poor, widow, or the fatherless (1:2b)
  • The Lord takes vengeance upon anyone who does evil (1:2c)
  • The Lord is filled with wrath when injustice is done in society (1:2d)
  • The Lord takes vengeance on his foes (1:2e)
  • The Lord vents his wrath against his enemies (1:2f)
  • The Lord is slow to anger (1:3a)
  • The Lord is great in power (1:3b)
  • The Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished (1:3c)
  • The Lord’s way is in the whirlwind and the storm (1:3d)
  • The clouds are the dust of His feet (1:3e)
  • The Lord rebukes the sea and dries it up (1:4a)
  • The Lord makes all the rivers run dry (1:4b)
  • The Lord causes Bashan and Carmel to wither (1:4c)
  • The Lord causes the blossoms of Lebanon to fade (1:4d)
  • The Mountains quake before the Lord (1:5a)
  • The hills melt away before the Lord (1:5b)
  • The earth trembles at His presence (1:5c)
  • The world and all who live in it tremble at His presence (1:5d)
  • No one can withstand His indignation (1:6a)
  • No one can endure His fierce anger (1:6b)
  • The Lord’s wrath is poured out like fire (1:6c)
  • The rocks are shattered before the Lord (1:6d)
  • The Lord is good (1:7a)
  • The Lord is a refuge in times of trouble (1:7b)
  • The Lord cares for those who trust in him (1:7c)

Let us try to understand what the Holy Spirit wants us to learn from the passage He has given us for this week’s meditation, that is, Nahum 1:12-15. There are numerous things we can learn from it but the particular lessons we can learn from this passage is that the Lord God neither leaves the guilty unpunished nor lets His chosen ones suffer endlessly. This means, firstly, the Lord will deliver/save the victims who are going through subjugation (physical or spiritual subjugation) and set them free, if they commit themselves to Him (Psalm 10:14); secondly, the Lord will call the guilty to account for their wickedness and will punish them according to what their evil deeds deserve (Psalm 10:15; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). The Lord has established His throne in heaven (Psalm 103:19), and He does what is right and just (Psalm 89:14). The Lord is a great and awesome king above all divine beings and His kingdom rules over all (Psalm 95:3; 103:19). Love and faithfulness go before the Lord and in the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; He is more awesome than all who surround Him (Psalm 89:7, 14). Below mentioned are the plans of God for Nineveh and Israel according to Nahum 1:12-15 (the passage we chose for our meditation):

• • The Lord will judge Assyria and their allies (1:12a)
  • The Lord will destroy them and they will pass away (1:12b)
  • The Lord has afflicted Judah for their numerous sins (1:12c)
  • The Lord’s promise to Judah that He will not afflict them anymore (1:12d)
  • The Lord will break the yoke the enemy placed on their neck (1:13a)
  • The Lord will tear their shackles away (1:13b)
  • The Lord has given a command concerning Nineveh (1:14a)
  • Nineveh will have no descendants to bear their name (1:14b)
  • The Lord will destroy the images and idols of Nineveh (1:14c)
  • The Lord will destroy the temple of their gods (1:14d)
  • The Lord will prepare their grave (1:14e)
  • The Lord will destroy Nineveh because they are vile and dreadful (1:14f)
  • The feet of one who brings Good News will be upon God’s Mountains (1:15a)
  • The Lord’s servants will proclaim salvation on the Mountains of God (1:15b)
  • The Lord’s peace will be upon everyone who keeps His commands (1:15c)
  • The Lord will establish celebrations and festivals again in Judah (1:15d)
  • The Lord’s people will fulfill their vows to their Lord God (1:15e)
  • The Lord will not let the wicked invade Judah again (1:15f)
  • The enemies of the Lord will be completely destroyed (1:15g)

God promised His people Israel both temporary deliverance (when the situations arise) as well as permanent deliverance at the fulness of time. The Psalmist who wrote Psalm 147 foretold God’s plans of restoring Israel with Jerusalem/Zion being its capital: The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:2-3 [Psalm 132:13; Isaiah 60:14; Nahum 1:15; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 14:1]). The Psalmist also invites Jerusalem to praise and worship their Lord God: Extol the Lord, Jerusalem; praise your God, Zion. He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you. He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat (Psalm 147:12-14).

We can learn that God does not show favoritism to anyone at anytime as it is mentioned in Scripture: For God does not show favoritism (Romans 2:11). Apostle Peter also testified that God does not show partiality in His dealings with either the Jews or the Gentiles: Then Peter began to speak: I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right (Acts 10:34). God blesses everyone who does right and He punishes everyone who does wrong. When the Israelites, His chosen people, sinned against Him, He punished them, but when they repented and returned to Him, He forgave their sins and relented from sending calamity. In the same way, when other nations did wrong He punished them too, and when they repented and returned to Him, He forgave them and relented from sending calamity (Jonah 3:10; 4:10-11). From the Scriptural stand point, we can understand that God does not show favoritism, rather He repays everyone according to what their deeds deserve – it doesn’t really matter whether it is Old Testament Israel or the New Testament Israel/the Church or other nations.

Dear friends, as we have meditated upon the Scripture passage that God has blessed us with from Nahum 1:12-15, we learned that God judged Assyria/Nineveh as their wickedness deserved and God will restore Israel as per their righteousness deserves. In the same way, God will deal with every nation and person. God will do the same with you and me also – if we do wrong, we will reap its consequences; and if we do right, we will receive reward from Him as it is mentioned in Luke 6:38 A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Since God does not show favoritism, He will surely reward everyone according to their good works, but He will also not leave the guilty (anyone who does wrong) unpunished. The Scripture states that For we know him who said, It is mine to avenge; I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge his people. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:30-31). Therefore, let us be watchful and do the right things in our life: keep His righteous laws and decrees, and do everything the Scripture commands us to do (Jeremiah 22:3; Luke 11:42). What Lord God requires of mankind is to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8), and to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). Dear brothers and sisters, let us do these things and fulfill the purpose of God in and through our lives. Let the glory and honor and power and praise and wisdom be His and His alone for ever and ever! Amen!

May the Lord God Almighty bless us all!