As Nahum the
prophet proclaimed the LORD's “power” and “vengeance”
against His “adversaries”, He declared the affect of His
strength upon the “seas, mountains, hills and rivers”, and
he shared how “the earth is burned at his presence”
as well as “the world, and all that dwell therein”. In
chapter one and verse six of his prophesy, Nahum writes concerning
God's “indignation”, “anger” and “fury”
where we read:
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
verse begins, “Who can stand before his indignation? and
who can abide in the fierceness of his anger?” Nahum
began with the words, “Who can stand before” or
“remain, endure and take one's stand God's presence, face and
person” “his indignation”
which means “anger, rage and frothing at the mouth”?
“and who can abide” which
means “rise, arise, stand and come on the scene” “in
the fierceness” or “heat,
burning, fury and wrathful displeasure” “of his anger”
which refers to “wrath and the
crinkling of the face, nose and nostrils”? Nahum's implication is
that no one can stand before the awesome “anger”
of the LORD.
The
verse goes on to say, “his fury is poured out like fire,
and the rocks are thrown down by him.” Nahum
continued, “his fury”
or “heat, rage, hot displeasure, indignation, wrath and poison”
“is poured out”
which means “dropped, melted and put in motion” “like
fire” or “flames,
supernatural fire, cooking, roasting and parching”, “and
the rocks” which refers to
“cliffs, rocky walls, blocks of stones and boulders” “are
thrown down” which means
“pulled, broken, cast, thrown and beat down” “by him”
which refers to the LORD. When the LORD's “fury”
arrives on the scene, it “melts” and “moves” any barriers
that may be in His way.
When
we meditate upon these words of Nahum, we should shutter at the power
of the LORD's “wrath and indignation”. No one can stand
before Him when His judgment falls, and although the people of
Nineveh repented during the time of Jonah, they returned to their
wicked ways and would suffer God's justice. We have an opportunity to
avoid the “wrath of God” by accepting Jesus Christ as our
Savior and LORD, and this was God's intention for sending Him to die
on the cross, remove our sin and free us from it's penalty. Should we
reject God's offer, let us take heed to the question put forth by the
prophet Nahum, “Who can stand before his indignation?”
Next
time we see Nahum share how “God
is good”
and “a stronghold in the day
of trouble”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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