“The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and rage. He takes revenge on all who oppose him and continues to rage against his enemies! The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished. He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet.” Nahum 1:2-3 NLT
This little minor prophet book, Nahum, is about Nineveh. “This message concerning Nineveh came as a vision to Nahum, who lived in Elkosh.” Nineveh may not have attracted the same kind of attention as Sodom or Gomorrah, but it’s memorable because of another man (Jonah) that God called to go to the city and tell them to repent and be spared. Yep, Ol’ Jonah and his circuitous journey to warn the people of Nineveh of God’s impending judgment.
What was so evil about Nineveh? Why did the city show up on God’s radar as an enemy? The city was the first major empire and it was enormous and powerful. It’s walls stretched for miles and it had numerous gates with massive stone animal figures depicting its fierceness. Were they an enemy because they were powerful? Were they the enemy because they attacked Israel and caused massive loss? It really wasn’t about size or evil influence, it was likely because of the Assyrian reputation of excessive brutality and inhuman treatment of their enemies. There are records indicating their horrible torture of people, much of it wasn’t a show of force, but rather for pure entertainment. They were known to burn boys and girls alive and torture adults, tearing the skin from their bodies, pulling out fingernails and leaving them to die in the scorching sun! These are not Biblical references, they are historical ones. Plus, they city-vibe was filled with a “do whatever feels good” attitude. Sodomy, sexual perversions and pleasure were considered to be the perks of living in such a powerful city. The combination of all those became the reason they were enemies of God.
Nahum writes about God’s display of power over all creation using storms as an example. We know that there are plenty of ways that God can use nature’s fury to change the course of human history. Does that mean that God is responsible for all of nature’s outbursts? I don’t think so. There are many that believe that our own sin causes everything from mosquitoes to monsoons.
I do know this; God’s ways are perfect and meant to be for our own good. Plus the fact that God’s ways are just, right and true whether we believe or agree with them at all. Am I just crazy here or does it seem that God is MORE enraged with the way our “freedoms,” “choices,” or sin effects others rather than just offending His righteousness? I mean 3 out of 7 of the big 10 are dealing with God Himself! The 7 are about us and our relationships to others. Rest is for us. Honor is for our family. Murder, adultery, stealing, lying and wanton desire and comparison towards other stuff – these are all human interactions with each other! When allowing or promoting the seven means the complete breakdown of society, who in the world considers those freedoms or should have inherent legal rights to do them?
Nineveh wasn’t just judged for its arrogance, nor just its perversions, it was also judged for its unjust atrocities towards the innocent, the weak, the outlier. Sennacherib’s hubris advancement wasn’t just to build the greatest city in the world. It was to be a god among men. The one true God just wasn’t going to allow that story to continue.
Prayer
Dad,
It still blows my mind that there were (and are) men and women who have the cojones to take you on in a battle of wits and wills. And that for us who are just common sinners, Paul’s words echo in my head, “while we were yet sinners…” enemies of your ways, Christ died for us. Thank you.