"The Lord Will Restore" (Nahum 2)

“He who scatters has come up before your face.  Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily.  For the Lord will restore the excellence of Jacob like the excellence of Israel, for the emptiers have emptied them out and ruined their vine branches “(vs1-2).

Even though we have been defeated and chastened of God, the time's come for Him to help us, as promised, and you can be sure His help will succeed.  He says, “For the Lord will restore the excellence of Jacob like the excellence of Israel”.

God's children are often down, wondering what is wrong, learning about unbelief and the unprofitableness thereof. But God sees fit to end the chastening and to restore us, dramatically advancing His truth and power in our hearts.  He says, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Heb 12:11).  The time has come, and He taunts our enemies, calling them to battle and comforting us with ABSOLUTE promises.  He tells them, “Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks!  Fortify your power mightily... Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water, now they flee away” (vs1,7).  

Victory, by God’s mighty grace, just as He promises, is ours!  Hear the Lord’s boast and believe that YOU benefit from these promises, that this is your reality.  He says, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper” (2 Chron 20:20).  You’ve been misguided and faltering because of sin, but now God calls Himself into action, and love, peace, and obedience will result in you.   Hes’ overthrowing what hinders your walk with Christ, and you WILL be more full.

Be encouraged, and you'll see your victory.  Believe, continually, even amidst setbacks, and it will be true in your experience.  Today is your turning point. Now, your shackles are broken, and now you and I can HONOR Christ by the strength that He gives.  We can serve the church, love the enemy, and walk clean. We CAN be better and nearer to God. We can be joyful in spirit by the power that we didn't have before.

Bless Him by believing, go forward by faith, and look for this new help. You're no longer the weak coward or the lustful beast.  You can whip this inward sin by faith.  You now have and will get the obedience that honors God, brings fruit, and increases your strength. Bless Him by believing and sinning no more.  There was a man in John 5 who was impotent, and Christ asked him if he desired to be made whole. Admitting that he had no one to help him was insufficient. Christ said, “Rise, take up your bed and walk”, and He tells you and me the same.  Right now, believe that you can do what you couldn't do before, because God promises it, Christ earned it, and it is the Spirit who gets it done (John 5:8-9).  

"Utterly Cut Off" (Nahum 1:9-15)

Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace! O Judah, keep your appointed feasts, perform your vows. For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off. (vs15)

This text, like so many others, speaks of the salvation that we have in Christ, how He delivers us from sin, destroys all opposition to the gospel, and FREES us to serve God in joy and obedience.

The gospel of God’s grace is DELIVERING before it is enabling.  Luke 19:30-31 says,  ”Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat”, a sinner, broken and ruined, enslaved by sin, never have served God . “Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you , Why are you loosing it?  Thus you shall say to him, because the Lord has need of it”, because he must be liberated, so he can serve.  Grace delivers us FROM bondage to sin and the devil -from the flesh- by Christ dying for our sins, reconciling us to God, and making us beautiful -instantly by faith - for His blessing.  Therefore, when liberated, let us BOLDLY go forth, serving the Son of God, a sons, partakers of the inheritance, and possessors of everything!  The gospel’s glory is deliverance from sin to holiness by the Holy Spirit’s power by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, according as God has promised!

Secondly, venture on Him, venture boldly,and let no fear conquer you. 1 Cor 16:13, says, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong”.  Don’t look at the past or your weakness and say, “What is the point? I can’t obey, serve God, or bring forth fruit. I’m defeated, a slave of my passions, and a captive to sin.”  Don’t think such thoughts when Christ has made you free from God’s curse of condemnation.  Indeed, the enemy defeated you because you WEREN’T looking to Christ.  You trusted yourself, did as you saw fit,and so you were enslaved to sin: Satan defeated you.  But now, by grace in Christ, God’s on your side, so you’re no longer bound by what you deserve or what you can do.  You can do all things through Christ, through trusting Him to give the Spirit because He died for you and lives again, because He’s GRACIOUS to sinners and promises.

You are not on your own, but continually bring everything to Him.  Our Lord said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?”  How long shall you have Me and not use Me? “How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him (the trouble, the problem with sin, the unbelief) to Me”, and He’ll care for you, fix it, and enable you to serve God.  Start as a sinner, unable and unworthy, and look to the grace,blood redemption, the promised help of the Spirit, and take these as yours, even though you may feel unworthy and impotent.  Believe, and you’ll see the glory of God.  Jesus said, “Did i not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God”, and they moved away the stone - did what He said - and He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:40). Take your acceptance by faith and go forward, not in self-strength, but in God’s power.

Finally, this text also speaks of God’s enemies being destroyed, and you and I don’t want to be God’s enemies in the end (Nahum 1:9-15).  He says, “Though they are safe, and likewise many, yet in this manner they will be cut down when he passes through.  though I have afflicted you, i will afflict you no more; for now I will break off his yoke from you, and bust your bonds apart.  The Lord has given a command concerning you: Your name shall be perpetuated no longer.  Out of the house of your gods i will cut off the carved image and the molded image.  i will dig your grave, for you are vile”.  He says again, “For the wicked one shall no more pass through you; He is utterly cut off”.  We will not prevail, and our own way won’t prosper, so be one of these people on God’s side.  This is mandatory, lest you be punished and defeated for your sin He says, “Who do you conspire against the Lord? he will make an utter end of it.  affliction will not rise up a second time (no need for a second blow. One will sufficiently destroy Satan and all who follow him in rebellion).  for while tangled like thorns, and while drunken like drunkards, they shall be devoured like stubble fully dried.  from you comes forth one who plots evil against the Lord, a wicked counselor”. There is no prosperity for the wicked. Sinners may rejoice for a season, but God will assuredly destroy all who oppose Him, all who unite with Satan in unbelief, fighting against God.

Which of these two are you?  Are you the one who is free now, even though enslaved in the past, or are you one who will be destroyed soon, fighting God?

I want my freedom, I want to walk boldly in it, and I want to live WITH God, rather than against!  Bless His name that His great power is on my side, His salvation is for me, and it is FOR you, if you believe!

“The Lord Avenges and is Furious” (Nahum 1:1-8)

“The burden against Nineveh.  The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.  God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges and is furious.  The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies.” (vs1-2)

God is just in hating sin and sinners, punishing those eternally in hatred who do not receive Him in repentance.  He says, “God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges and is furious”.  He’s not just nice and merciful, but He’s angry too!.  He continues, “The Lord will take vengeance on His enemies; the Lord is slow to anger (which makes sin that much more sinful) and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked” (vs2-3a).  He is no “winking at sin” god who doesn’t punish, but He holds justice highly, never pardoning without Christ’s death.  In fact, His punishment of others unfolds a glimpse of what His Son Jesus endured.  He suffered God’s wrath, fully, for His people, dying in our place, and His Father will by no means clear the guilty!  Someone tonight said, “You can’t come to the Father, except by the Son”, recognizing the holiness of God.  But, if you don’t believe the gospel, then what His Son endured in the agony of the cross WILL come upon you, not for a few hours, because He as God was able to suffer away sin, but as a human being, suffering eternally under torments.

Secondly, He's all powerful, almighty, and one to be feared.  He says, “The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.  He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers.  Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts.  The mountains quake before Him, the hills melt, and the earth burns at His presence.  Yes, the world and all who dwell in it.  Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger?  His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him” (vs3b-6).  He's no play god, impotent, powerless, talking, but not responding.  The world and your soul is in His hand. He does as He pleases, always, in all things, even human destruction, earthquakes, and death.  It would be smart to spend your life at peace with Him, doing His will, so you can be saved.  Fighting God is STUPIDITY; it is the irrationality of fools (Prov 14:9).

Finally, Trust will be rewarded and your life spared, but don’t think there’s another way (vs7-8).  He says, “The Lord is good”, saves sinners, gives us what we need, freely, bearing patiently with us in our sin, and bringing us to heaven by grace and goodness.  He says, “A stronghold in the day of trouble”, a refuge from the storm, Someone to run to and get SAFETY.  “And He knows those who trust in Him”, favoring us in His love, knowing our faith, sacrifices, sufferings, and ensuring us it is not in vain.   He is God, merciful and just.  He is One to be believed, so that wrath misses you.  Put your faith in Christ, trusting His blood (work of redemption) to save you, trusting He earned the Spirit, so that you might be mighty over sin.  He rewards believers with eternal peace. “But with an overflowing flood He will make an utter end of its place, and darkness will pursue His enemies”.