Nahum 1, Titus 1

(Nahum 1)

I’ve got to admit, after a couple months of studying the prophets, I’m a bit weary of hearing about our messed up world and God’s judgment. I’m just as amazed and in awe of His greatness, but wow, when will we ever learn? I'm so thankful we live under a New Covenant. Here, Nahum is warning Ninevah (again), the capital of the Assyrian empire. About a hundred years earlier, at Jonah's preaching, the Ninevites repented, and were spared, yet, soon after, they became worse than ever. Nahum’s words come just prior to the fall of the Assyrian Empire. He reminds them of God’s greatness throughout chapter one, but I’m held captive today by verse 4, “He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry.”

Wow, how great is our God? The Hebrew word used here translated “rebuke” literally means to “chide”. That is such a great word picture. If God were to “chide” the sea, if he was to scold it and express His disapproval, it would dry up. The SEA! It would dry up, all of it. I can’t help but think about when I scold my dogs after they eat another plant or chair on my patio. Believe me. I am angry. When I walk out the back door, my dogs know it. I don’t even have to say a word and I know they’ve done something wrong. Instantly the tail goes down, the head goes down, they slowly walk away, and hide. I have such amazing authority over my dogs, right? This is the power and authority we have as humans. We’re so simple (and at times sad). Let’s put this in perspective with God’s power and his authority. God rebukes the sea, and it dries up. Wow.
Funny thing is, the name Nahum literally means “Comforter”. How is this a message of comfort? Matthew Henry says of this writing that, “The anger of the Lord is contrasted with his goodness to his people.”

Check out verse 7. Right in the middle of a chapter on God’s power, judgment, wrath and his anger it says to us, “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. 
He cares for those who trust in him.”

Ah, there it is. Our comfort. Be sure not to miss it.

Scripture let’s us know that God “cares” for those who trust him. The word “care” comes from the root meaning “to know”. Not just to know about or know of, but in context means to care about someone you know and to “advise as a familiar friend”. That brings great comfort to me this morning. That in tough times of life as well as good, that we have a God who cares for us and relates with us as someone who truly cares about our wellbeing and gives us good advise. When does he do this? Scripture says when we trust Him. This happens when we flee to him for protection. When we confide in Him. When we have hope in Him. When we make refuge in Him. Not just when we trust him with our mind, but the Hebrew tells us it’s when we PUT trust in Him. That takes an effort of denying self-sufficiency, submitting to His authority and His Word, and allowing it to be manifest in our lives.

God, in fifteen verses we see fourteen on your power and judgment. As children of God, may we find as much comfort in knowing of your power, as we find in knowing of your amazing grace.

(Titus 1)

I overdid Nahum today, so I’ll be brief on Titus (I hope). There are several great topics of learning in Titus, especially on the standards of being an overseer and leader. Paul also gives Him a little slap on the hand for not taking care of business in verse 5. He literally told him, I left you so you can do what I told you to do regarding elders. It was almost as if Paul was saying, “Hey, I’m taking my ball and going home. When you’re ready to play for real, let me know.” I don’t know if His frustration was because Titus was doing it all himself, if he was losing the opportunity to engage others in ministry, if he was not getting counsel from guys because he hadn’t placed in authority yet, or if he was just mad that Titus blew him off and hadn’t finished what Paul had “directed him to do”. It was probably a combination of all of those things. Let there be no doubt, this was a slap.

For today, as with my writing on Nahum, my theme is finding comfort in God. Call me soft, but I love verses 2 and 3 and the gentle reminder of God’s greatness and his foreknowledge. Paul reminds Titus that God simply does what He says He will do. It’s been proven through time, over and over again. Look at these two verses where Paul is speaking of his faith describing it as, “a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.”

It’s as simple as that. Before the beginning of time, God promised and planned to bring his word to light. Thank you God for life through Christ!