Merciful and Just God

Nahum 1:1-33 The LORD is slow to anger but great in power;
    the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,
    and clouds are the dust of his feet.

Habakkuk 2:1-3 I will stand at my watch
    and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
    and what answer I am to give to this complaint.[a] The LORD’s Answer 2 Then the LORD replied:
“Write down the revelation  and make it plain on tablets so that a herald[b] may run with it.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;  it speaks of the end  and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;  it[c] will certainly come  and will not delay.

A. God as shown in Nahum

The book of Nahum prophesied the destruction of Ninevah, the capital of the Assyrian Kingdom and in this scripture, God’s universal authority and his punishment to those that go against Him is made clear.
However, what we must know is that 100 years prior (793-753 BC), Jonah was sent to Ninevah to seek their repentance. (Jonah 1:1,2)
We want to observe God’s mercy and his justice through today’s scriptures. These scriptures clearly show us, believers, who God is and how we must act before our God.

     1.God is good.
Hallelujah, thanks be to Jehovah who is good and eternal. God had already sent Jonah to Ninevah 150 years prior and the city and its ruler had repented to God. However, eventually the kingdom of Assyria fell away from God and although God waited for their repentance, it did not come and in the book of Nahum, we see the punishment that awaits their ignoring of God. One thing we must be careful is to not compare God’s justice to the justice we seek. When we seek justice, it is usually a reaction from a human frailty and for personal gain but in the case of God, it is in order to bring justice to world.

     2.God’s mercy – patience
Today’s scripture tells us that God is slow to anger. To extend (Proverbs 19:11) temper. In genesis the culmination of this anger is shown in the nose and steam emanating from the nose. Human beings react immediately and usually cannot hold their anger but God is not like this. Why?
The reason is that although God hates the sin of man, he feels compassion for the sinner and so waits for the sinner to repent his/her sins. In His eyes, all human beings should have received the ultimate punishment long ago but he patiently awaits our realization and receiving of the path to salvation.

     3.God’s justice – sin’s punishment
We need to understand that God does not mix words and he is very direct with his words. If necessary, He is willing to wipe away the sinful things as if it never existed. In the same light, when God gives us remission of our sins, it means to wipe away the sins completely, as if we never sinned.  This is the clear meaning of justice and sin’s punishment of God.

B.Let’s fulfill our duties as Saints/Christians
    (Habakkuk 2:1-3)
For those of us that have received salvation by the grace of God, from that moment forward, we must act in accordance with those that have received God’s commands. The command is as clear as that which is given to a guard upon the tower; to watch with vigilance, for any who might do us harm. In the same light, we too must remain vigilant and aware of threats to our church and if we see something that might be a threat, we must notify and alert our brothers and sisters immediately.

1. Our duty is to receive the word of God
2. Our duty is to spread and share the word of God
3. Our duty is to act in accordance with the word of God

Application

1. God has compassion for mankind and his sins and wants to save us but unfortunately our sins cannot be forgiven by our efforts. It is only through the law of love that has been established through our Lord Jesus Christ that we can receive salvation.

2. Man cannot solve his own problems and the only way to find a solution is to seek the mercy and justice of our God.

3. God’s mercy and justice will shrine only through the church that has become one with Jesus Christ.

4. As we have become children of God, we must live in accordance with the commission given to us from God. In order to act in accordance with our commission, we must listen to the word of God and share the word with others

5.  We must strive to save our neighbors by the word of God because only the word of God can make society complete. This is the only way we can participate in the blessing and righteousness of the redemption of our Lord.