"God’s Care and Judgement XVII"
Have you ever received a message for your enemy that was also meant for you? This may seem like a strange situation, but it is exactly what happened to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Nahum 1:12 states, "Thus says the LORD: 'Though they are safe, and likewise many, yet in this manner they will be cut down when he passes through. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more'" (NKJV). The first half of this passage is directed against Assyria. Here God describes the Assyrians as "safe" and "many" - literally in Hebrew, the "ones at peace" and the "ones who are many." But even though they think they are safe and sound - that they won't be punished for any of the injustices they have done (verses 6-11) - "they will be cut down when he passes through."
Nahum purposefully uses Exodus language to describe Assyria's fate, which is reminiscent of God passing through Egypt and cutting down all the firstborn. The reason he uses this imagery is fairly obvious: as far as God is concerned, Assyria was as bad as Egypt in oppressing, enslaving, and torturing his people. But in the second half of this passage, God turns to his people Israel and gives them a message of consolation: "though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more." Contained in the comfort of this message, however, is the acknowledgement that Israel has also suffered God's punishment. In fact, the Hebrew of this last clause uses the word "and," which means God's statement about afflicting Israel, and then no longer afflicting them, is merely an addition to God's message to Assyria. Nahum 1:12 suggests that Israel has not been innocent with respect to injustice.
Like Assyria, Israel has practiced injustice on its own people and reveled in it! God wants Assyria to practice justice - and because they aren't doing that, he speaks a "thus says the Lord" to them that will stop them in their tracks. And God has wanted Israel to practice justice - and because they have suffered so much, he speaks a "thus says the Lord" to them that reminds them of their injustice while promising them rest and safety.
Friends, there are times when we want God to punish our enemies, but at those times we might look more like our enemies than God. In those instances, God extends the same kind of message to us - not to indicate that he is against us, but to indicate that he wants to remake us and our enemies into just and righteous people. Trust in the good intentions God always has for you, because thus says the Lord.
God bless,
Pastor Nathaniel Gamble
