Nahum: The Power of God - Nahum 1: 1-15

For the last several months, the Bible Study groups in the parish have been working through the Book of Revelation. We’ve had lots of good conversation, but one thing that keeps coming up time and again is the power of God. The justice of God. In other words, what God alone can do. 

And yet, do we actually live our lives as if God is powerful? I think more often than not, we live like we are powerful. Think back to some of the old American adages, chiefly “pull yourself up by your bootstraps”. Who has the power in this saying - you do! Who can change things, you do! But when you compare that adage to the book of Revelation, you see that the truth is that God is powerful, not us. 

Nahum is a minor prophet who picks up on this theme of the power and justice of God. Who were the minor prophets? They were twelve folks called by God to covey prophecies (or in the case of Nahum an oracle) that were written down and became part of our scripture. They are all short - ranging from one chapter to fourteen chapters. 

Enter Nahum. Nahum is writing at an interesting time in the history of Israel. While the minor prophets who spoke before him were calling out the people of God for their inquiry and telling them to repent, Nahum starts section off where yes, they are calling for the people to repent, but are also giving a word of encouragement to the Israelites that whoever they are facing right now will not last forever. In other words a resolution is coming for them. 

Nahum is writing in one of those difficult times where the Israelites are trying to break free from Assyrian oppression. He is telling the people that there is a time that is coming when they Assyrians are going to be overthrown and the people of God should look forward to that time of celebration. 

Why is Nahum so hopeful? Because starting around 621BC there had been some major religious reforms under King Josiah. While the people of Nineveh are still their enemies, things are also starting to look forward. Nahum in many ways is a prophecy of hope. 

While Nahum is a prophet of God we actually don’t know much about him beyond what is written in our scripture this morning. We are told that he had his vision from God that is before us as an oracle - or in Hebrew a burden - that he is compelled to present to the people. 

Today’s section of scripture is actually written as an acrostic poem - one of those poems where each line starts with a different letter of the alphabet. And in his poem Nahum lifts hight the name of God. 

Who is God? A jealous and avenging God. A God who takes vengeance on those who are against him. Woah. What happened here? These are not often words that we use to describe our loving God. But we also found a very similar definition or characterization of God in the book of Revelation. As we talked about those scriptures we found that God’s vengeance is rooted not in wanting to punish people, but instead a desire that hearts would turn to and worship the Lord. 

In other words, when God’s law is broken, when people are not living as the people of God, then sin must be punished. Remember that Nahum is writing before Jesus changed everything on the cross - using his blood to cover the stains of our sins and being the one to redeem us from that which we deserve for our sin. Even when God seeks retribution, it show the his honor and name, his power and might.

Of course for the Israelites, they heard these words about God’s vengeance and immediately thought of God’s power being on their side. They couldn’t hear this prophecy about God’s power without thinking of the central story of their scripture - the Exodus. When God showed his power and might by bringing the people of Israel out of the oppression of Egypt. They knew of the power of God, because it was the power of God that brought them though before and would bring them through again. 

They needed this words, friends. Just like they needed to be reminded that God protect those who take refuge in him. Refuge was a place of security in the face of one’s enemies and the people of God needed that so desperately at the moment, in light of all that they were facing. That place of security was for those who put their trust in the Lord, trusting in what God had done in the past and trusting what God says he will do now and in the future. 

When we read this Scripture, I am struck by the absolute power of God. Perhaps you have had the opportunity to experience the power of God in your own life - when you did something that there was no way that you could have done by your own strength at all. Something that all you can say is “it was my God who did that!” 

When I think back on some of the hardest moments in my life, when I thought things were spinning out of control, all I can say is it is by God’s grace that I made it through. But it's also in times like that, in full humility, that I realize that I’m not in control. There’s nothing I can schedule better or work harder at. It’s a moment when I fully set aside my own ability and lean into the power and might of God. 

When we focus on God’s power we think of three things:

First, God is sovereign. In other words, he has absolute power and authority, ultimate deciding power. Now does this mean we never make any decisions? Certainly not. You’ve made dozen of decisions today before even coming into this worship service. Things like, what time to get up. What to wear. What to eat. What route to take to church. But what this does mean is that God’s authority is the only one that we can seek on big things. 

A great example of this is that God is the only one who can condemn or judge folks. It is our job to speak about God, to serve God, to make sure our own heart is in the right place. It is God’s job to separate the sheep from the goats. That is a sign of God’s sovereignty. 

Second, God is to be worshipped. When people in ancient times would come across a mighty and powerful king, they would fall face down before the King out of fear and respect. When we worship God, it isn’t about us, or what we desire, its about being present in front of the Holy God. 

Third, God has power that no man has ever known. In fact, there is no one on this earth to even being to compare the power of God, too. It is God who judges. God who saves. God who deserves our respect. 

God’s power was about to lead the people of Israel into a new thing, a new time. A time when the strong would be made weak and the people in captivity would be set free. But we don’t just have to wait for big times in order to see the power of God on display. In the 118th Psalm we find these words, “You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever.” It’s not just God’ love that endures, friends, but also his power. Where are you in need of the power of God in your life today? What do you need to surrender in order to remember God is God and you are not? What is the power of God doing in your life and the lives of others? Amen.