Nahum 1:1

Nahum 1:1 says, The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.  We have heard of Nineveh once before being a burden to God.  About a hundred years before Jonah had gone to Nineveh reluctantly to prophecy their doom due to their evil and sin filled nature.  Though they had repented at that time, they had returned to their old ways.  Though their repentance was real, they evidently did not ground themselves in following and teach God's word.  When we repent and turn to God today, we must become grounded in His will and proclaim His gospel.  Matthew Henry says the name Nahum means comforter, and states that all God's prophets came to bring ultimate comfort to those who are His people and who follow His will.  Verse two adds, God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.  God expects those who claim to be His to follow His will.  Nahum says that God is a jealous God.  We often think of jealousy as a negative thing, but here it means that God wants those who claim to be His to be faithful to Him because it is what is best for them.  God's wrath is reserved for those who refuse to accept His mercy. I do not believe that we can conclude that God is simply waiting for someone to fall out of His will so He can show His wrath to them.  As with Ninevah, God had already shown His mercy to them and when they returned to their evil nature, they were to experience God's wrath.  We cannot allow sin to enter into our lives as followers of Christ and expect it not to bring consequences.  Verse three continues, The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.  God is slow to anger, but sin will be punished ultimately.  We can either accept Christ Who bore our punishment for us, or we can suffer the penalty ourselves.  Though God has power over the universe, He still chooses to reach out to people with love and forgiveness.  Verse four states, He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.  When God chooses, He can dry up the land.  He does not do this arbitrarily, but as a way to bring people from sinful actions to His will.  Verse five adds, The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.  This is a continuation of proclaiming God's power.  Still, with all the power in His hands, God is slow to deal with people out of anger.  Verse six continues, Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.  The answer to the question is that their is no one who can stand before God in His anger.  Fortunately, we can stand before God in His gracious forgiveness through Christ.  Verse seven says, The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.  As followers of Christ, we can withstand the trials and tribulations of this world because God is our fortress.  There will never be a time that we cannot trust God if we are His followers.  Verse eight adds, But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.  Just as those who put their faith in God can be assured of their everlasting security, those who refuse to accept God's gift of salvation can be sure of their destruction.  The choice is always up to each individual.