Nahum’s Prophetic Acrostic

Nahum 1:7-13

The Lord is good,

    a refuge in times of trouble.

He cares for those who trust in him,

     but with an overwhelming flood

he will make an end of Nineveh;

    he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.

Whatever they plot against the Lord

    he will bring to an end;

    trouble will not come a second time.

They will be entangled among thorns

    and drunk from their wine;

    they will be consumed like dry stubble.

From you, Nineveh, has one come forth

    who plots evil against the Lord

    and devises wicked plans.

This is what the Lord says:

“Although they have allies and are numerous,

    they will be destroyed and pass away.

Although I have afflicted you, Judah,

    I will afflict you no more.

Now I will break their yoke from your neck

    and tear your shackles away.”

The short book of Nahum is one long acrostic poem (Hebrew alphabet) directed at the Assyrians and proclaims their downfall.  This is good news for Judah who has suffered greatly under the oppressive regime.  It is also confirmation of multiple prophets who warned Judah that the Assyrian occupation was coming and that God would eventually free Judah from the grip of the invaders.  This would have seemed extremely unlikely because the Assyrians had the most impressive military the world had ever seen up until that point.  But the bottom line is that no nation is so powerful that it cannot be brought down.  Babylon rose up after Assyria with might that was overwhelming. The Persians came after that with even more impressive military technology.  The Greeks, the Romans, and every advanced nation in all of history eventually falls because they did not treat those under their rule with justice and mercy.    

God always holds oppressors accountable, even when the oppressors were the oppressed before them.  God stands against injustice, no matter who the perpetrators of that injustice are.  The eloquent poem of Nahum should be a warning to every powerful nation that allows injustice and oppression to be carried out within its boundaries.  Not one of those nations or empires escaped accountability to God.  This is the consistent witness of both the Old and New Testaments and of the history books. 

In ways that are hard to hear and accept, the injustice and oppression of our own country is continuing to be brought to light.  We all, regardless of political or ideological persuasion, are witnesses to all that is being shown to us right now.   We all have a responsibility to do what we can to right the wrongs.  We can use our voice, we can vote, we can help those who are suffering, and we can refuse to support those leaders, institutions and companies that exploit the vulnerable.  I can do more and you can do more.  Furthermore, God expects us to do more.

Prayer:  To the extent that we cannot see it Lord,  show us the injustice around us and show us how we can be a force for change.  Amen.

Prayer Focus:  Pray for people in jail right now for crimes they did not commit

Song:  Don’t Tell Them Jesus Loves Them – Steve Camp (listen carefully to the lyrics, the posted lyrics are incorrect in several places)