As Nahum began
his prophesy and “vision” concerning “the burden of
Nineveh”, he declared how
“God is jealous” and “revenges” his “adversaries”. Although the LORD is “slow to anger”, there is a line where “He reserves wrath for his enemies” and this is evidenced by “the whirlwind, the storm and the clouds” that are “the dust of His feet”. In chapter one and verse four of this book, Nahum shares how the LORD “rebukes the sea, and makes it dry” where we read:
“God is jealous” and “revenges” his “adversaries”. Although the LORD is “slow to anger”, there is a line where “He reserves wrath for his enemies” and this is evidenced by “the whirlwind, the storm and the clouds” that are “the dust of His feet”. In chapter one and verse four of this book, Nahum shares how the LORD “rebukes the sea, and makes it dry” where we read:
He rebukes
the sea, and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers:
Bashan
languishes, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languishes.
The
verse begins, “He rebukes the sea, and makes it dry, and
dries up all the rivers:” Nahum
began with the words, “He rebukes”
or “cries out against, reproves and chides” “the sea”
which means “the large and mighty bodies of water”, “and
makes it dry” which means
“laid waste, desolate and in ruins”, “and dries up”
or “withers and makes without
moisture” “all the rivers”
or “every one of the above and underground streams and floods”.
The Almighty Creator and powerful God easily “cries out against”
“the sea” and can
“dry it up” any
time He deems it necessary.
The
verse goes on to say, “Bashan
languishes, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languishes.”
Nahum
added, “Bashan”
which means “fruitful” and was “a district east of the Jordan
known for its fertility which was given to the half-tribe of
Manasseh” “languishes”
or “is made weak, droops and is exhausted”, “and
Carmel”
which means “garden-land” and was “a mountain on the
Mediterranean coast of northern Israel, just below Haifa”, “and
the flower”
or “buds, sprouts and blooms” “of
Lebanon”
which means “whiteness” and was “a wooded mountain range on the
northern border of Israel” “languishes”
or “is made weak, droops and is exhausted”. The highly vegetative
and productive cities of “Bashan,
Carmel and Lebanon”
were to be “made weak and exhausted” by the judgment of Almighty
God.
When
we think through these words of Nahum, we see the power and might of
the LORD as He engages His foes. Though He incessantly reached out to
them, they continually rejected Him, and now judgment was to fall
upon them and those surrounding them. The Lord Jesus has His hand
extended to all who are living, and He has paid the price for
everyone's sin upon the cross. Second Corinthians chapter six and
verse two states “...today is the day of Salvation”, and
it is imperative that people receive Jesus' offer before their last
breath. Lest we find the Almighty and powerful LORD against us
because of our obstinate rejection, let us receive Him as Savior and
LORD today.
Next
time we see
how God affects the
“mountains”,
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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