Vespers - Homily - Nahum - See also video recording

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2024-2-28 Wednesday in Lent – Nahum

The text that is the basis of the homily is the prophet Nahum

Let the words of my mouth, O Lord, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen. 

During the course of our Wednesdays in Lent, we are focusing on the minor prophets from the Old Testament. Some of you will know that there is a distinction made between minor and major prophets.  One might get the sense that the major prophets are more important than the minor prophets. I am confident that the person who originated that distinction did not intend for anyone to think that one book of the Bible is more important than another. All 66 books of the Bible are God’s Word, equally important for our faith and spiritual development, and, as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 teaches us ¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The distinction between major and minor simply has to do with the number of chapters in the book.  There are twelve minor prophets and they have only a few chapters in each as compared to 48 in Ezekiel, 52 in Jeremiah, and 66 in Isaiah. 

In my mind, the pleasure of having one of the minor prophets as the sole Scripture lesson during the Vespers service is that we experience a continuity of thought and message from beginning to end in one sitting. In my calendar, I labeled this series of Lenten Vesper readings and homilies as “Minor Prophets with a Major Message.” Last Wednesday, we heard a major message in Jonah about how God desires that people of every nation and race, even the Assyrians, know Him as LORD God and worship him. And, that the way forward in that knowledge is faithful preaching that leads to contrition, repentance, and faith.  The only person who objected to God’s desire was the prophet Jonah.

Nahum is part 2 of the Assyrian story.  Jonah was written around 790 BC. Nahum is written somewhere between 660 – 612 BC. So, anywhere between 130-175 years have passed. The repentance that we witnessed in Jonah did not last.  Assyria forgot the LORD God and returned to their idols. Assyria also continued its influence as an Empire with a large and effective military.  Assyria was not a benevolent Empire.  They took what others worked for and they invaded violently and inhumanely. 

Nahum’s message is a powerful one for us to hear. First, we are reminded that the LORD regularly intervenes in human affairs. He has the ability to make Empires and their leaders do that which accords with His will. Scripture bears witness that God’s Chosen people were not always faithful to God.  They regularly fell far short of honoring the LORD God who had dramatically rescued them from slavery in Egypt and brought them to the Promised Land.  When they inhabited the Promised Land, Israel went through cycles of obedience and disobedience.  Sadly, their disobedient cycles were often far longer than their obedient cycles. God’s patience does come to an end. The surprise of many is that the LORD God uses forces like the weather and other countries to bring Israel into a state of repentance and begin to behave like they are God’s Chosen yet again. 

Assyria was permitted to invade Israel and then to be an interfering neighbor of Judah because God was punishing Israel and Judah for their respective wickedness. The time of punishment has come to an end. But, Assyria’s wickedness has offended the LORD God, so he is now going to exact a judgment upon Assyria. 

The reason we can say that Nahum is written by 612 BC is because in that year the Babylonian Empire challenges Assyria and wins.  God uses Babylon to enact judgment upon Assyria. 

Not only does God intervene in human affairs, God can and does intervene as an Angry Warrior who enforces His justice. This revelation may offend those of us who prefer to think of the LORD God as docile and peace loving. We do well to take note what Nahum reveals of God in chapter 1:2  The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.

The Lord is to be feared. He expects fidelity of His people. He will discipline them. And, he will turn around and discipline those who treat His people with contempt and violence. Nahum prophecies about what God will soon do to Ninevah the capital city and Assyria the Empire. 

Not only does God intervene in human affairs, not only can God be an Angry Warrior, God also fights on behalf of His people.  Israel may be a mess, but they are His people. He will fight on their behalf. Likewise, we should understand based on the New Testament witness, that God fights on behalf of His Church. 

We have every reason to believe that what Nahum says in 1:7-8 is also for the Church. “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.” 

Indeed, the LORD fights for us. In the day of trouble, within our own country, in the times of darkness and confusion, we remain faithful, for the LORD is good, and he will rescue us. 

Nahum’s message is a indeed a powerful one.  Nineveh’s fall is an example of how God will not allow violent, pagan, Empires to endure forever. They will come to an end.  The seeds of their violence and selfishness will come home again in their own destruction by another.  In Assyria’s case it is the Babylonian Empire that does God’s Work.  A little further along in time, the Persians will enact God’s justice upon the Babylonians. No violent Empire will endure forever, regardless of its military might and political prowness. 

Nahum is a dark and gloomy prophecy.  As people of faith, we see that because God is directing Assyria’s downfall, Bad News for them is the Good News of God for His people. 

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.