October — The Book of Nahum NIV
I remember spending time with my dad one evening, before he passed. It was late and he was getting tired. As we walked down the hall, he started singing some old gospel songs and danced a bit. He knew the verses and the chorus. These were songs I cherished but had never heard my dad sing them and did not realize that he even knew them! He shared with me that when he was a little boy, he went to a church camp in Tennessee where he learned these songs. What a delight to my heart! Here I had known him all my life and it was a new revelation about what he liked and thought.
There are layers like an onion to knowing God also. When we are little, we hear “God is love” and then we get a little older and sing “Jesus loves me”. A post from a Facebook blog called “that’s Not Mustard” said earlier this week, “First grade is wild. You’re learning how to be a human, how to write things down, how to manage friendships and follow rules and all the while everybody’s teeth are falling out all over the place.” That cracked me up. You don’t know what you don’t know right? As we age, we mature, and we also mature in what we know about God if we are intimately getting to know Him.
Nahum writes down a vision revealing to the people of Ninevah what God is like, and he doesn’t mince words. Nine times Ninevah is mentioned, and it is prophesied that they will go into exile. We all love the song, the Goodness of God but that’s only part of who God is.
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.
That would make a pretty awkward worship song, wouldn’t it? In Hebrew there’s a repetition to those words (Naqa naqa lo naqa naqa) which sounds like Gods knocking on their heads trying to get their attention. He is an Avenger. Politics aside this blog was in process when Charlie Kirk was murdered. I watched the interviews, heard the forgiveness and many stories of what Jesus would do in this moment. But these verses, they show us where God stands in times like these. He sent a graceful Savior, yet He remains just.
7 The Lord is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for (knows) 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.
9 Whatever they plot against the Lord
He will bring[a] to an end;
trouble will not come a second time.
Make no mistake, God still will have a reckoning. The Lord knows us, which allows Him to masterfully care for us. We need to know Him- the real Him and His character. In the midst of their turmoil and storms we hear:
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.
The One coming on the mountains is also the One who will break off the yokes NOW from their necks and tear away NOW their shackles. That’s freedom! Note the contrast between those who are vile and those who are free. The free are blessed with health, contentment, completeness and soundness. He’s a jealous God but also a God who blesses those who know Him and follow Him.
God does not ask us to understand Him – which would take more than a lifetime, He asks us to TRUST HIM.
Ninevah literally will be circling the drain and yet refuse to return to the Lord. It’s in that context that God asks His people to trust Him! When all they could see was violence and chaos. When God was bringing Judgement around them, they were called to TRUST and remember. Do you remember this city? It is the one that Jonah preached to a hundred years prior. I guess no one journaled or took notes on the revival because clearly they did not stay on the right path. God keeps pointing out the devastation and damage coming to this city and then tells them exactly why it was all going to happen:
Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder,
never without victims! Many casualties,
piles of dead, bodies without number,
people stumbling over the corpses—
4 all because of the wanton lust of a prostitute,
alluring, the mistress of sorceries,
who enslaved nations by her prostitution
and peoples by her witchcraft. 5 “I am against you,” declares the Lord Almighty.
Who will mourn for Ninevah? Where can I find anyone to comfort you?” We see here a prophetic sign of the Holy Spirit (Comforter) to come. The Holy Spirit grieves, comforts and convicts.
13 Look at your troops—they are all weaklings. The gates of your land
are wide open to your enemies; fire has consumed the bars of your gates.
14 Draw water for the siege, strengthen your defenses!
This month was the 250th celebration of the Navy. There were parades, air shows and much more. Our military was encouraged and inspired by their leaders. This was not about boasting but gathering the troops, mustering them for the mission. As an Air Force daughter, I respect the troops greatly. Nahum tells the people thru the vision to “draw water, tread the mortar, repair the brickwork.” Beefing up the military isn’t a Republican or Democratic ideal, it’s a Biblical ideal as God wants to protect and guard His people. Trust in God but build up the troops.
But Nahum doesn’t just stop there. This man whose name means “rest or comfort” rebukes the King of Assyria, saying “your shepherds slumber, your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered.”
Lamar Vest, an amazing leader and professor used a triangle to teach us about leadership. He turned it upside down. Those at the top resource, serve and support those in their spheres of influence. They are guides, feeders who equip those doing ministry. I think this is a Biblical model. Whatever model your church uses – get connected and be diligent to do whatever the Lord tells you to do. It is not the time to slow down or give up! Did you know that most large ministries and their ministers didn’t start until they were 70? You’re never too young or too old to follow God. Seasoned saints – you are needed in this harvest!
God knows and cares for those who TRUST in Him.
Nahum’s words are timely for our culture. God has not given up His authority or right to Avenge. He will bring Justice. He is jealous but He is Good. Both sides of that coin are true of Him. I hope these words help as you sift thru the firestorms around you this month. We are shaken but God is still our refuge. Keep looking to the One on the mountain who brings Good news! His track record proves we can TRUST HIM.
Trusting with you in this season,
RenaeRoche 2025