Skip to main content

Nahum, Vengeance

Vengeance is a very common theme in our society. It seems to be the motivation for many of our movie heroes. One of the most profitable franchises around is The Avengers. We cry out for vengeance every time terrorists take innocent lives. We have an innate desire to see evil punished.

This desire for vengeance is often confusing to us Christians. It comes so easily to us yet also feels so wrong. Sometimes we embrace calls for vengeance against evildoers. Other times we try to show grace and mercy. Issues like the death penalty are very divisive amongst Christians as they struggle to balance a hunger for justice and a desire for mercy.

The book of Nahum is all about vengeance; God's vengeance. 

Background

The book of Nahum was written by the prophet Nahum around 645 BC. The book focuses on the inevitable destruction of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians had long been a problem for the kingdom of Judah. During the reign of Hezekiah they had laid siege to Jerusalem and were only defeated by God's intervention. For years they had bullied God's people into giving them tribute.

Themes

The theme of the book of Nahum is simple; God will have vengeance on Nineveh. He will lay waste to its people and will obliterate its walls. The Assyrians will be punished for all the harm they have caused God's people.

This is the entirety of the book. The book of Nahum is only three chapters long and each talks about the destruction of Nineveh. Nahum holds nothing back as he describes the horrors that await the city of Nineveh, and sure enough several decades later this very thing happened.

Theological Point

God will have vengeance on those who do evil. Our own sense of justice and our desire to see evil punished comes from the fact that we are created in the image of God. The problem is that we have been corrupted and twisted by sin. Our sense of justice has been thrown off course. 

God has not been and cannot be corrupted by sin. He is true justice. When God pursues vengeance it is wholly just. It is also completely in line with his mercy and love. God doesn't make mistakes or get carried away. God's vengeance is holy and right.

This makes us uncomfortable. We hear the word vengeance and we think of how sinful and corrupt our own sense of justice is. When we pursue vengeance it often is out of rage or jealousy. So when we hear vengeance applied to God we tend to think the same thing; that God is out of control.

In truth God's vengeance should be seen as a blessing. The promise of vengeance against evildoers is a promise of justice and victory over sin. The threat of vengeance to an evildoer often drives them to repentance and into experiencing the grace of God. Nahum was chosen to deliver this message for a reason. The name Nahum literally means "comfort." 

We should be comforted by the knowledge that God does not let evil stand forever. We should be comforted in the fact that justice and vengeance is not ours to dish out. We should be comforted in the fact that the same God who spoke vengeance through Nahum earlier sent the prophet Jonah to save the very same city. 

Conclusion

My sense of justice and desire for vengeance is twisted. I seek retribution when there is no crime while ignoring the obvious sin around me. I am so thankful that God's sense of justice is always true. I am thankful that when God takes vengeance it is always just. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thankful

Today is Thanksgiving, the day that we are supposed to celebrate all the things we are thankful for. It is a time of family reunions, football, and turkey eating. I sincerely pray that each and every one of you has a good day today. I'll admit that being thankful has not been easy for me this year. As pretty much all of you know, my mother passed away December of last year. Though she had been in the hospital for months, we were not expecting it. In fact I was sure she would be finally able to come home within a matter of weeks. Instead she peacefully passed on into the arms of Jesus, whom she loved more dearly than anyone else. As you can imagine, the entire family was heart broken. After what can easily be described as the worst Christmas ever, I returned to home to Illinois. It was here that I finally broke down. I spent the next months doing everything except being thankful. I cursed God, wept, screamed, begged to have her back, and was generally not the nicest person to be
3 comments
Read more

Matthew, The Promised Messiah

Imagine, if you will, living as a Jewish Christian in the first century. You grew up following the Mosaic Law and have studied the Old Testament backwards and forwards. The life of the synagogue, that shared community of faith, is precious to you. It was, for the longest time, the cohesive core of your walk of faith. You grew up waiting on the promises of God to be fulfilled. Now you've heard the good news you've been waiting for; the news the entire Jewish people have been waiting for. God has acted decisively! The covenant promises made to Abraham have at last been fulfilled! The Messiah has come! Eagerly you listen to those proclaiming the Messiah, a man named Jesus from the town of Nazareth. You listen and are astounded at his life and teaching. Truly this man was a great prophet, just as Moses promised. You listen in awe as your entire concept of royalty is turned on its head, as this Jesus assumed the throne as the promised king of Israel not by war or riches but by a
Post a Comment
Read more

Reading Aloud

What is the primary way we use Scripture today? I think the answer, at least in our society, is private reading and study. The majority of our spiritual advice can be summed up in "study the Bible more." The moral of many sermons is simply that we don't read the Bible enough. I think that this is absolutely true, but I probably mean something a little different. While I obviously agree that we, in general, don't read the Bible enough individually that isn't actually my main gripe. I think we don't read the Bible enough out loud, in community, as a part of worship. This, I think, should be a central part of our gatherings every week. We should simply read the Bible out loud and listen together in community. How much is the Bible read aloud in your gathering? I'm talking specifically about just reading, not during sermons or classes. How often is the Bible simply read without someone commenting on or explaining it? Just the Scriptures read aloud for all to h
Post a Comment
Read more