Are God’s People in Charge?

1:7, 12b, 13 show that they are in need of God’s help

History shows they aren’t in charge

• Nineveh/Assyria overthrows Samaria, Israel
• Assyria take 46 fortified cities around Jerusalem
• Jerusalem is spared by no effort of their own (2 Kings 19)

Are God’s Enemies in Charge?

History shows they did all they could to be in charge

• Built up Nineveh
• Military feats
• Strong, arrogant Assyrian kings
• Intimidated by violence

Nahum tells Nineveh she is in store for God’s judgment (2:13; 3:5)

History tells us of Babylon’s attack and overthrow of Nineveh, which looks strangely like chapters 2 and 3 of Nahum

God is in Charge! God is in control and all of His deeds are in line with His character

1:2 God is Jealous

1:3 God is Patient

1:3-6 God is Powerful

1:7 God is Good

The One Thing: No matter how chaotic life may be, no matter how out of control things may appear, we must take comfort in the truth that our God is in control.

Nahum

Is Nahum written to Nineveh? After Jonah, before Jonah, or same time as Jonah?

Yes, it is. Nineveh was the capitol of the empire of Assyria. Assyria was “the boss” for about 250 years, with about 200 or so years being it’s prime (around 800 bc – 612 bc). Jonah went to Nineveh about 760 bc, and Nahum was written about 100 years later, around 660 bc.

One thing that has stood out to me is the fact that many people use Nahum to talk about a revival that just didn’t stick. They refer to the great repentance of Jonah’s time, and then point to how far these Ninevites had fallen in just around 100 years. As I studied through Nahum this time, the truth about how long 100 years was stood out to me. For instance, has America stayed true to its great revival (The Great Awakening) of the late 1800’s, early 1900’s? No. That was about 100 years ago, which is roughly the same time from Jonah to Nahum. So yes, the Ninevites repented of their repentance, but it was almost 100 years later when God judged them.

A few countries (or names) are in Nahum, some of which I’ve heard, some I haven’t. What’s the significance behind Bashan, Carmel, Lebanon (1:4), Thebes and Cush (3:8-9)?

First, 1:4. Bashan, Carmel and Lebanon were all 3 very fertile areas of ground. They were the areas that would be able to withstand the most serious of droughts, but, as verse 4 says, they will whither before God.

Second, Thebes was an Egyptian city about 100 miles into Egypt, guarded by the Nile River on the East, deserts to the South and West and the Mediterranean Sea to the North. It was considered almost impenetrable by attackers because of its secure location. However, Assyria made its way into Egypt, and conquered this impenetrable city. This military victory is considered to be one of the military wonders of the ancient world. As Nahum speaks to Nineveh, he basically says, “What makes you better than them?” The implied answer, nothing. They were as vulnerable as Thebes was. Not even her strong alliances, with nations such as Cush, south of Egypt (modern day Ethiopia), Libya, west of Egypt, and Put, which is believed to be modern day Somalia, southwest of Egypt, could protect her from Assyria.

Wanted to remind you that this Sunday starts the Cocoa Fund Raiser. You can purchase a very handy travel mug and Hot Chocolate for a whopping $2 before and after the morning service.

This Sunday we continue our look at the Minor Prophets in our Heartbroken series, looking at Nahum. Nahum has been a great encouragement to me, which at first blush sounds weird to say, doesn’t it? But as you wrestle through the message of the text, you find that Nahum has included a great message of comfort to God’s people. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s not too late! It’s only 3 chapter long. Or, if you would rather, you can listen to a great audio version of it by clicking here. It will take you a whopping 6 or so minutes to listen to the whole thing…go for it!

Tomorrow we will post the answers to any questions we get about the Minor Prophets. I promise not to mock anyone, or to count any question as a dumb one. I have personally loved the time answering the questions, and have learned a lot while doing it.

Be praying for us. We are looking at our next series, which begins Easter morning, and laying out a Bible reading plan to go along with it. I would love for all of us to be reading along together…be praying!

Below are the songs for this Sunday… take a listen so you can sing with us! Have a great weekend…

• Micah 1:3-7; 2:1-3; 5:12-15 point this out
• He will pour out His wrath on sin
• Wrath is His intense hatred of sin
• This may seem severe, and it is, because the reality of sin is severe
• We must not ignore the Wrath of God.
• If we don’t understand the Wrath, we don’t understand the Grace.

God wants the guilty to be pardoned (Micah 2:12; 4:10; 7:7-9)

How are the guilty pardoned?

• Not by simply being who they are and where they are (3:11b)
• God provides their peace! (Micah 1:1-5)
• Jesus is our peace!
• Jesus is our propitiation, satisfying the Wrath of God
• Propitiation is a sacrifice that satisfies the Wrath of God and turns that wrath into favor
• This truth, that Jesus stood in our place, motivates us to sing the same song of praise found in Micah 7:18-20!!

When a moral person is confronted with contempt, immorality, disloyalty, or dishonesty, he is so repulsed by the offense that he turns away and in despair closes his heart to the offender. But the miracle of the redemptive reality of God is that the worst and the vilest offender can never exhaust the depths of His love.

- Oswald Sanders, My Utmost for His Highest, 2/3/12

Micah

As I read through Micah, I have to confess, I was disturbed. Micah appears angry, and that reflects on God. Not that either of those things are wrong, it just made me uncomfortable.

While this wasn’t a question, it was a great comment on the books we are studying right now. Micah contains a picture of God’s character, and a trait that we often don’t think about, because it makes us uncomfortable. That trait is Wrath. One of the healthy aspects of this particular study is that it forces us to ask the question, “Why is God so unhappy? Why is He angry? Why is He Heartbroken?” So, the question to ask is, why is He Wrathful? I think the most amazing follow up question then is, what did He do about it? In case you are wondering, this is somewhat the crux of Sunday mornings message. If you want a little hint to where it will lead us, look at chapter 5.

What does it mean in 1:5 when it says, “What is the transgression of Jacob?  Is it not Samaria?”

The capital of Israel (represented here by Jacob) is Samaria. Micah is pointing to the capital city as a representation of all that is wrong with the country as a whole. The NLT translation is helpful here, “And why is this happening? Because of the rebellion of Israel— yes, the sins of the whole nation. Who is to blame for Israel’s rebellion? Samaria, its capital city! Where is the center of idolatry in Judah? In Jerusalem, its capital!”

You had to know this was coming eventually, but this is the 2nd or 3rd time I’ve seen a prophet talk about baldness. Micah 1:16 seems to command the people to “make themselves bald.” Is there any significance?

It’s just further evidence that P John and I are obeying God in our hair styles! You are right, it has come up a time or two, and here, as in most cases, it’s referring to a mourning process. In everyday life, the people were forbidden to make themselves bald. The only time it would be acceptable would be during a time of significant mourning. Micah is saying here that even the kids will be taken out of the city and exiled. The people would shave their heads in mourning, and look like “bald eagles” or “bald vultures.”

In Micah 2:4, the phrase “he changes the portion of my people.” Is that referring to God? Or to who?

It’s possible that this is referring to God, but looking at the context, it’s probably better understood as the oppressor. It seems the oppressor is mocking the people who were stealing land from people (see 2:2). I take the oppressor to be Assyria.

I have heard Micah 4:3-5 quoted many times, but I am wondering now, after hearing discussion about the minor prophets these past weeks, to what time this is referring.  Is it after Jesus comes again?

Yes. But that’s too simple, so let me include a quote from the ESV Study Bible, found in its notes on Isaiah 2:4, which is either a quote of Micah 4, or the source of Micah 2:4. I think this gives some background to help in understanding it as well…

Tiny Judah has been threatened by war for most of its existence. Now Isaiah predicts that, far from bringing oppression, the triumph of biblical faith will bring a peace the world has never known, when all nations shall beat their swords into plowshares. The description of the Messiah’s reign in 11:1–10 echoes many of these themes; and 11:4 takes up the words judge and decide disputes, attributing the activity to the Messiah, in order to show that God will exercise this rule through his Messiah. Some Christian interpreters take this to describe the effect on the nations as their citizens and leaders submit to the rule of Christ; others understand this to point forward to an earthly reign of Christ in the millennium; still others see it as a prediction of Christ’s reign in the new heavens and new earth. In any case, people of all ages have taken these words to express their longings for freedom from war, when the nations seek to follow the “ways” of “the God of Jacob” (Isa. 2:3) and when no mere human authority but the Lord Jesus himself shall judge between the nations.

I’ve heard it said that Micah 7:6 is a description of today’s culture, especially as it relates to family relationships. Agree?

I think it describes some of today’s culture well, but I would say that about the entire book of Micah. The relationships in this time are falling apart, and the point of verse 6 is that no one can be trusted, even those who you should be able to trust, like son,daughter, wife, etc. It is in direct contrast to the hope that the prophet demonstrates in verse 7, when he says he will focus on God; He can be trusted.