February 3 Daily Discovery

Read Nahum Chapter 1

Comfort for the Afflicted

Nahum's name means comfort.

³ 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.

⁷ The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

¹² Thus saith the Lord; Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.

¹³ For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.

~ Nahum 1:3, 7, 12-13

God's Mercy in Hard Preaching

When we read the prophets, they are mostly warning God's people and other nations with very "negative", discouraging messages, but the reason for this is that God is mercifully warning them to repent so they can AVOID God's judgment.

God wants people to be like Him: good, holy, just, merciful, and compassionate.  He created all people to be His image-bearers.

If the people would listen and heed God's warnings and repent, they would be happier and genuinely fulfilled.

²³ Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

~ Ezek. 18:23

God's Purposes will be Completed

God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked.  He wants them to return to Him and live!

When God chastens us, it is to bring us to a place of holiness, where we will be blessed.

¹¹ Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

~ Heb. 12:11

Nahum's Mission

Nahum is the second prophet that God commissioned to prophesy against Assyria.  The capital of Assyria was the city of Nineveh.

The first prophet sent there was Jonah, and the people of Nineveh responded for a period and received God's mercy.

However the nation of Assyria had destroyed and taken Israel (the northern kingdom) into captivity and were afflicting the southern kingdom of Judah relentlessly.

• Nahum cried out against Nineveh warning them of judgment from God.
• Nahum gave a message of comfort to Judah, telling them that their affliction was nearly over and He was going to judge Nineveh.

Nahum's Message

His message for God's people is that the troubles caused them by Assyria was soon to end.  After the hurting comes the healing.

God was soon to break the bonds from off of His people and remove the yoke of Assyria from their necks.

Good News!

¹⁵ Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

~ Nahum 1:15

We find a similar verse in Isaiah: 

⁷ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

~ Isa. 52:7

Keep doing what is right, Judah, you are about to be rescued and restored!

⁷ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

⁹ And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

~ Gal. 6:7-9

Be encouraged by the promise: You Reap What You Sow.

Sow to the Spirit because we are always planting, every day, every moment.  The season of reaping is yet to come, just don't give up.  

We shall reap!

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Continue Your Search

In this chapter, do you see any: Commands to Obey, Warnings to Heed, Promises to Claim, Examples to Follow, Vices to Avoid, Praises to Emulate, Prayers to Use, Principles by which to Live, Questions to Ask or Actions to Take?

See: Berean Fellowship Bible Study Method