Nahum: The Lord is a Warrior
Insulting 68 this language of of God fighting for us of a celebrating and dancing in this parade of an army heading up to the city Gates of Jerusalem. And in what I want to do the book of knave whom is a book that I titled. The Lord is a warrior in I just want to give you the punchline the so what right up front if God is for us who can be against us. That's the message this morning in the book of Nahum. If God is for us who can be against us this picture of God is a warrior. It's all over the pages of Psalm 68 and we're going to see you in a little bit that Paul and Ephesians 4 cherry-picks right out of Psalms 68 verse 18 to mention the victory of Christ that we just sang about and that conclusion. No power of hell no scheme of man can ever separate his pluck us from his hand until he returns or calls us home here in the power of Christ I Stand and I don't know about you but for me, Sometimes this is exactly what I need to hear have in your life. Have you had that situation where you need someone to fight for you someone to advocate for you someone to be your hero to be a warrior who will be strong enough to save you and deliver you from what's going on in your life. This was a Case for Israel with Nineveh the capital of Assyria. And then if it was a wicked wicked City in the Syria was a wicked country and we talked about them in the Book of Jonah Fact one of you even mentioned to me afterwards, you know, you didn't mention how evil Assyria was and I said, you're right. I kind of lost over that. Here today, we're going to hear in the book. Goodnight whom or if you want to be super fancy and pronounce it not whom but nay whom how we pronounce that you're going to hear the wickedness of Nineveh. And this was written as a prophecy against Nineveh, but it was really written as a prophecy to encourage the people of God that God has for them and not against them that he hasn't abandoned them. He hasn't forsaken them. And if God is for us who can be against us, so let's begin in chapter one and I want to begin by just reading verses 1 through 8 in Oracle concerning Nineveh the book of the vision of nachum of alkosh. The Lord is a jealous and avenging God. The Lord is avenging and rap for the Lord takes Vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty his way is in Whirlwind in storm and the clouds are a dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry. He dries up all the rivers but Sean and Carmel wither the bloom of Lebanon Withers the mountains Quake before him the hills melt the Earth teams before him the world and all who dwell in it who can stand before his indignation who can endure the heat of his anger. His wrath is poured out like fire and the rocks are broken into pieces by him. 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. It's not possible to talk of God as king without talking of God. As Warrior. God is a warrior who judges evil and his appearance gives Joy to the hearts of his people we heard it in verse 7. The Lord is good a stronghold in the day of trouble. He knows those who take refuge in him, but it's also a terror for those who are his enemies of alienated themselves from him and his people and then basically all of the Old Testament is a Messianic text. That centers on the way that God fights for his people as he seeks to establish his kingdom. I'll say that again. It was a little bit dense, but the Old Testament all of it is a Messianic text what I mean by that is it's pointing forward to this Messiah that's coming who's going to Fight for his people and establish his kingdom on the earth when Jesus comes what does he say? The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and when he comes again, what do we know who's going to happen? The kingdom of this world is going to become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he will reign forever. And this is a message of scripture from beginning to end. In fact, we could argue the first presentation of the coming Messiah as a warrior king is from Genesis 3 15, but we we've heard this we know this passage. Well that as God is bringing this curse upon Adam and Eve he makes a promise that one of the descendants of Eve would crush the head of the serpent. By implication restoring everything that was lost in the garden and of course, we know that the serpent would bruise his heel but the Messiah this coming one would crush the head of the serpent and we often think and rightly so that that's talking about the cross. We're sure Satan bruise the heel of Jesus by having conspiring to put him to death in inciting men to turn against Jesus so that he was crucified but the death doesn't get the last word. Jesus has raised from the dead conquering death in the grave and in doing so he destroyed him who has the power of death. That is the devil and release those who all their lifetime were subject to bondage to death according to the book of Hebrews. And this is the great gospel message that we love and sometimes we don't think about the fact that it's a war. Between the descendants of the serpent in the descendants of the woman. And God is the winner in this war and he's the warrior The Fighter the hero that comes and saves the day through an act of war god rescues his people from the domain of darkness and we see this when they're in bondage in Egypt any transfers them into a kingdom as children in the land of Israel and it is a shadow and a type of what's to come where he delivers us from not just the bondage of Egypt but the bondage of sin and death and he brings us into his kingdom not just as the nation of Israel, but as children who have a citizenship in the Heavenly Kingdom, that's to come the kingdom that will never end. And Jesus inaugurate this Kingdom by destroying his enemies through the cross turnover. I know I have only just started in their humba. Turn over to Colossians 2 again. I it's what I'm doing is I'm not doing anything fancy or new but I'm just turning the spotlight a little bit to show you that this Warrior theme is throughout both the Old and New Testament turn to Colossians 2.
In Colossians 2 in verses 14 and 15. Is this beautiful passage about Jesus substitutionary death? Verse 14 God made Jesus alive in verse 13 together God made a life together with him having forgiven us all our trespasses. How how can God forgive us by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands this he set aside nailing it to the cross and we would say hallelujah. This is good news. All of my sin that I commit was nailed to the cross all of the red ink in The Ledger that handwriting of requirements. You might know how that is. You ever have a credit card bill you have a debt. There's red in The Ledger and you want that someone said that is now nailed and removed from you. It's been given and credited to somebody else. You would say hallelujah, who is that? They took that for me. And of course, we know the bigger picture that it wasn't just removed from our Ledger, but we were given the positive ink of Christ's righteousness credited to our account so that when we look at our Ledger, it's no longer simply a zero balance. It is the infinite resources of the Lord Jesus Christ in our account. Now what I want you to see is the very next verse he Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open Shame by triumphing over them in him. So what is the picture the battle was fought at the cross Jesus disarmed the spiritual forces the rulers and authorities and he did it by putting them to open Shame by triumphing over them. How by his resurrection from the dead. He demonstrated that we win. Jesus is coming back and he's going to establish his kingdom. The first battle was won. The last battle will also be one. Jesus is coming again to finish the war Revelation 19 go ahead and turn their I have to read this to you because this is the picture. And you know this well, I'm sure verse 11 then I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and the ones sitting on it is called faithful and true and in righteousness. He judges and makes War his eyes are like a flame of fire and on his head are many diadem's and he has written a name that no one knows but himself and he's clothed in a robe dipped in Blood In The Name by which he is called is the word of God and the armies of Heaven arrayed in fine linen white and pure were following him on white horses. And from his mouth comes to Sharp sword with which to strike down the Nations and he will rule them with a rod of iron that's an illusion to song to he will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty, which is an allusion to Isaiah 61 and on his robe and on his thigh. He has a name written king of kings and Lord of chords So who's the king of all Kings who's the Lord of all Lords Our Savior Jesus and he's coming back. Then and we're going to be with him but notice how he wins the war with the breath of his mouth. He just commands it to be that's how great he is That's How Strong he is. Yes and beloved. He is for you and not against you if you put your faith in him. He is your lord and your savior any fights for you. Well, I'm getting it a little bit ahead of myself. Go back to Nate whom you might be saying, how am I going to find it again? It took me a moment to find it in the first place.
Right after Micah if that helps. All we know about Nate whom is his name and his name ironically is translated compassion. So the prophet who speaks about God as a warrior has a name that means compassion.
Well, because God is having compassion on his people. As he fights for them the purpose of Nae whom was to pronounce the Doom of the city of Nineveh and Nineveh was representing the brutal wickedness of the Assyrians. And as I said earlier, it was meant to encourage the people of Israel of Judah and the book even begins with a reference to the Psalms alluding to God's name. The Lord is slow to anger great in power who will by no means clear the guilty which is shorthand from Exodus 34 the we've heard this so many times the Lord is gracious and compassionate abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, but who will by no means clear the guilty and my cat takes that famous quote of God's name that was revealed to Moses says he was hit in the cleft of The Rock and his song over and over in the Psalms and begins his book with it. Nathan doesn't give any formal indictment here. The audience is already well aware of the nature of a serious crimes. They had raped and plundered and pillaged the people of Israel. Nathan pictures God is a king who is a warrior and I want to pause here for a moment. Just ask yourself this question when you think of God the father in The and I don't mean this in an idolatrous since we don't want to make any graven images of God, but how do you often picture? Yahweh the father perhaps. It's the picture from Daniel 7 is the Ancient of Days grandfatherly figure with a big white beard that that's the way that many non-Christian people picture him almost like a Santa Claus in the sky.
But more often in the Old Testament Yahweh is pictured as a warrior in his Prime with his armor on ready to fight for his people. And isn't it fascinating that this is the one who is in full battle array and it's given us to help us see who Yahweh really is is that he is a warrior who fights. In fact the name Israel gets Raphael in the Hebrew means that God is the one who fights he fights for his people. And he's proven it over and over in their history. He delivered them out of Egypt by conquering pharaoh and his armies in the Red Sea. He brought them into the promised land conquering Jericho. I don't know about you but battle strategy walking around seven times in Blowing trumpets. That's not a battle plan that I think a lot of generals practice today. But what did God do he brought down the walls and delivered the land into the hands of his people? To demonstrate. He's the one with great power and strength. He's the Fortress. He's the shield. He's the Strong Tower. He's the mighty Refuge who place themselves under the shadow of his wing. And this is what we need to hear. It is so easy to give into fear. When we let our eyes our gaze be filled with the circumstances of what's going on today to be filled with fear about what's going to happen in the future to ourselves to our families in our lives. We need to hear this message that God is a warrior who fights for us. And if God is for us who can be against us. No one. Well this hymn of praise in the first state versus declares war against Nineveh because God is a jealous God. It says in verse to an avenging God his he's one who will not let his people be put to shame. He's jealous for the sake of his people. But he's also slow to anger and verse 3 and I think this is brought up. Why because Jonah had ministered to Nineveh earlier and revealed to them that he's the gracious and compassionate God and they repented a generation earlier, but now they're not repenting they return to their wicked evil ways. And God is going to judge them. Until he says don't take my kindness for weakness. I am slow to anger, but when it comes I will by no means clear the guilty. His sense of justice is great. He's great in power and verse three those deserving punishment will receive it. I mean think about what he's saying in versus 3225. The Lord is a warrior versus 300 the storm clouds verse for he controls the Earth's waters the season the rivers verse for again nature falls apart at his coming which I think Revelation 6 picks up on these illusions that are in the Old Testament to talk about the Stars falling into the sea in the Moon turning red like blood before the coming of the Lord the mountain shake the hills melt. The Earth is laid waste in verse 5. In other words, he's all-powerful. He's the one who is Lord of Heaven and Earth. He brings order out of chaos, and no one can thwart him. And when the victory is won. What we see is a picture of nature coming to life again.
It's going to happen here later in Nathan. But this picture of the after the war is one there will be new life and new Vitality for his people. I think an allusion to the Garden being restored that which revelation 22 speaks about a Garden surpassing. Eden will be established. The trees that are there that will feed the nation's and be for their healing in revelation 22 will be watered by the River of Life flowing from the him who sits on the throne in from the land, which I take to be a reference to the Holy Spirit speaking of New Covenant realities. So the Lord is good the first seven he cares for his people and by judging his enemies. He's delivering his people. And God will use verse AIDS and overflowing flood torrent to destroy those who resist him but he will provide for his people in the midst of it. We've seen this in the past and Noah in the flood in Genesis, the plagues of Egypt God preserved his people in the midst of him bringing judgment upon the nation of Egypt in the ten plagues and God will preserve Us in future tribulation. We will not come under judgment and wrath but God will preserve us. Our battle now is not against Nineveh. It's against the World the Flesh and the devil. It's the Battlefield of the Mind that we saw when we went through 1st John but scripture says we still in the midst of that battle have to remember the same promise the promise of God regarding the Messiah that Jesus is the hero. He's the warrior who fights for us. He's the one who saves and delivers and so we have to preach the gospel to our own hearts and say to ourselves vengeance is the Lord's he will repay, not me. And that's easier said than done, isn't it? Can you imagine living in Israel and Assyria had come in and raped and plundered and murdered people you knew? It would be very tempting to put Vengeance in your own hands. And in our old lives it can be very tempting to say God. I you're too slow to bring Vengeance. I really need you to deal with my enemies. And so I'm going to take matters in my own hands. I can remember going through this at the oil refinery over here in Benicia. I was working as a young man and there was a man there who I worked for who did not like me. He hated me because I was a Christian. I might have told this story before but he he basically I come to find out the reason he hated Christians is a televangelist preacher had stolen all his mother's money. So he hated Christians and he hated preachers and he knew I was training to be a pastor at that time. So we hated me and he mocked me and just just in front of people in meetings would just steal credit for my work and ride me and mock me. And it was everything I could do to not take him into the parking lot and have Vengeance in my own hands. Well, the Lord has a sense of humor because I left there thinking I'll never see that man again. I'll never work for him again and fast forward five years as I was leaving Grace Napa and in between Grace Church in Napa and going over to Calvary Community as a pastor. I had to work at the oil refinery again, and guess who I had to work for. This same man. Now I've been a Ministry five years at this point. So I came in and it was immediate Warfare immediate just verbal abuse and harassment and that's when I found out about this story about his mom being taken and then I finally that's what turned my heart instead of hating this man praying for him. And loving him and hating that his mother had been taken advantage by a crook. An evil man who saw godliness as a means of financial gain. But vengeance is the Lord's and one of the most amazing things that happens is sometimes what God does is he doesn't bring judgment upon our enemies. Sometimes he brings them into the kingdom and they become our friends in our family.
And that's a miracle.
And that's something I pray the Lord would do. But this is what God is doing in in in in nachum. Then what Nathan does he contrasts the future of Israel in Nineveh from chapter 19 verse 23. I'll just read it. What do you plot against the Lord? He will make a complete in trouble will not rise up a second time for they are like entangled thorns.
Like drunkards is they drink? They are consumed like stubble fully dried from you came one who plotted evil against the Lord of worthless counselor that says the Lord though. They are at full strength in many. They will be cut down and passed away. Do I have Afflicted you I will afflict you no more and now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart. The Lord has given commandment about you no more show your name be perpetuated from the house of your Gods. I will cut off the carved image in the middle image. I will make your grave for you or vial behold upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news who publishes peace keep your fees. So Judith will fill your vows for never again. Shall the worthless passed through you he is utterly cut off the scatter his come up against you man the ramparts watch the road dressed for battle collect. All your strength for the Lord is restoring the Majesty of Jacob as the Majesty of his real for plunderers have plundered them and ruin their breath. What is the shield of his mighty men is red. The soldiers are clothed in Scarlet the Chariots come with flashing metal on the day. He musters them. The Cypress Spears. Our brand is Justin. So this back-and-forth between judgment on Nineveh and salvation for Israel first judgement versus 9 to 11. They're pictured is drinking the Cup of Wrath to the dregs these drunkards in verse 10 is Syria is going to drink the cup of God's Wrath Isaiah. 51 mentions. This says in verse 17 wake yourself wake yourself stand up o Jerusalem you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath who drunk to the drags the bold a cup of Staggering so very often God's judgment is pictured you for his people in Isaiah as a cup of wrath for the Nations who he judges as a cup of Wrath. And of course we see this as a picture that's brought into the very night. Jesus was betrayed. He praised father. Let this cup pass from me. What's he talkin about? The Cup of Wrath of the Judgment of God that is deserving to fall Upon Us. Jesus's going to drink it on our behalf that he says not my will but your will be done. Imagine that picture a cup instead of full of wine. It's full of the righteous anger of God. The scripture says this is a picture of God's judgment upon sin and instead of us drinking it because of our sins Jesus drank it on our behalf and drink it down to the dregs. There was nothing left when the cop came to us. There was nothing left to drink because Jesus Paid It All In fact, we could argue that what was in the cup instead was a cup full of the blessings of God every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
And so God promises not just judgment on Nineveh but vs. 12 + 3 salvation for Israel and Syria had made Judah a slave and see pictures at like a ox with a yoke about its neck and the Lord is promising to break the yolk. And then in verse 14, he changes the subject back to the king of Assyria. Then he says you're not going to have any descendants survive you I'm going to remove all the idols from your temples and you yourself King will be. Will die and be buried and then in 15 he brings back to Israel this echo of Isaiah 52 how beautiful Well, that's Isaiah behold upon the mountains the feet of him who brings good news who publishes peace behold this Runner coming from the front lines of battle this Harold to shout out Shalom. Peace, no longer War but peace and then a feast a party true worship could resume and celebrate in in party to the fold and Paul picks up on this. He alludes to this passage in Romans, 10:15. Here and Isaiah and he says when you accept the gospel, you're no longer at war with God Pieces come. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news to announce. Peace peace with God. Isn't that good news? We shout hallelujah. This is this is the good news of the Gospel. If you're not at peace with God this morning come to him put your faith in him believe that Jesus died for your sins and was buried in Rose again, and you can have forgiveness and peace. This is good news.
Again, the reason I had Jason read Psalm 68 was because it portrays Yahweh has a Divine Warrior. In fact, it says in Psalm 68 18 when he ascended on high he led host. He led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men and there's that whole picture of all of the quote. He mentions 4 tribes of Israel, but naftalin and Natalie in Zebulon and Judah and Benjamin that are leading this host and bringing in this Victory Parade into the city of Jerusalem. And Paul in Ephesians takes this picture and says, this is exactly what Jesus did at the cross. He led host captives and he brought them out and he proclaims victory in good news of Peace in Christ were part of his kingdom and he's coming back to make all things right in 2:1 back in nachum the focus shifts back to Nineveh and it's a bit of a at Aunt song man, the walls prepare your defenses, but it's not going to be enough Nineveh. The Lord is this scatterer who's at your Gates and salvation and verse to for Israel. He will restore the Majesty of Judah and Israel, and they will no longer suffer. Then he turns his eye to a vision of judgment in Chapter 2 verses three to 10 The Shield of his mighty men is red. His soldiers are clothed in Scarlet the Chariots come with flashing metal on the day. He musters them. The Cyprus fears are brandished the Chariots raced madly through the streets, they rush to and fro through the squares. They gleam like torches a dart like lightning. He remembers his officers. They stumble as they go they hasten to the wall The Siege Towers set up. The river gates are open the palace melts away its mistress is stripped. She's carried off her slave girls lamenting moaning, like doves and beating their breasts. None of us like a pool whose waters run away. He told they cry but none turn back plunder the silver plunder the gold there is no end of the treasurer of the wealth of all precious things desolate desolation and ruin Hearts melt in the Trimble anguish is in all loins All Phases grow pale what a vivid picture of the confusion and horror that was going to fall upon the city of Nineveh and upon its inhabitants and the reaction of the Nations as they confront Yahweh. It's pictured as if in verse 10 their hearts melt their knees trembled anguish is in their loins this picture of quivering bowls of jelly in their gut imagine the fear and the quaking And then finally what what nay whom does he gives a number of taunts against Nineveh in chapter 2 verse 42 3:17. He taunts in several different ways. The first one is Alliant Aunt we could call it a time. I'm at a loss for what to describe these but you'll see what I mean by this here as I read it 2:12 the lion tour enough for his Cubs and strangled pray for his lionesses. He fills his caves with pray and his dens with torn flesh behold. I'm against you declares the Lord of hosts. I will burn your chariots and smoke in the sword shall devour your Young Lions. I will cut off your prey from the earth and the voice of your messenger. She'll no longer be heard. It's as if Nate home is taunting Nineveh and then about as a lion think you are self-sufficient and Invincible, but your dwellings going to be Nowhere that why would Nathan taunt this way because of Syria was the military machine of the day. They were swallowing up Nation after Nation just like a lion on the Serengeti, but they who says their chariots will be turned to smoke which is a picture of their military might their strongest Warriors will be slain By The Sword their prey will no longer be found. Their Messengers will have no more Tidings of Victory. The next to Aunt is a funeral to Aunt chapter 3 verses 1 2 3 woe to the bloody City full of lies and plunder. No Into The Fray the crack of the Whip and the rumble of the wheel galloping horse and bounding Chariot Horseman charging flashing sword and glittering spear hosts of slain heaps of corpses dead bodies Without End they stumble over the bodies. What a picture as mourners follow a dead body on its way to a gravesite at a funeral. They would Express their belief by crying their their grief rather by crying whoa, whoa and hear none of us pictured like a bloody City full of lies and plunder in in my sermon prep as I was reading the horrors that a serious committed. It's too horrible to actually recount. It is wretched. And they had exploited their neighbors for decades. So many will die and Nae who sees these piles of corpses and no end to the the bodies and then he gives at Aunt talking about this comparison to an evil woman up one who's a harlot and a sorceress versus 427 in all for the countless Horan's of the prostitute graceful in a deadly charms who betrays nations with her whoring Xin peoples with her charms the old I'm against you declares the Lord of hosts. I will lift you up your skirts over your face and I will make Nations look at your nakedness and Kingdoms at your shame. I will throw feel that you and treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle in an all who look upon you will shrink from you and say wasted is Nineveh and who will grieve for her. Where shall I seek comforters for you? Just as Assyria cause shame to the Nations around them sewn in of a shame would be uncovered in judgment and and the judgment is so appropriate that no one will be found to grieve and mourn in other words. Everybody will agree. They are getting what they deserve. That strong language. And then at Aunt about the city of Thebes and what happened there, it was the capital city of Egypt. They thought they were secure. They had their neighboring allies their water system and they were crushed by a Syria verse 8. Are you better than thieves that sat by the Nile with water around her her a Tutsi and water her wall. Kush was her strength Egypt to and that without limit put in the libyans were her helpers and she became an exile. She went into captivity for infants were dashed into pieces at the head of every street for her honored men Lots were cast in all her great men were Bound in Chains. Basically says are you any better know the same things going to happen to you Nineveh? And Then There are a series of insults verses 11 to 15 you also will be drunken you will go into hiding you will seek a refuge from the enemy all your Fortress Is Our like fig trees with first ripe figs if shake and they fall into the mouth of the eater behold your troops or women in your midst the gates of your land or wide open to your enemy's fire has devoured your bars dry water for The Siege strengthen your Ford to go into the clay tread the mortar take hold of the brick mold there. Will the fire devour you the sword will cut you off. Amazing. He says none of us going to become drunk and pass out verse 11. They'll be easy pickings, like ripe figs verse 12, they will be pushovers verse 13 because none of their Warriors will be left in the women will have to fight for them verse 14. He calls them to battle before hand get ready. It's not going to matter. It's going to be useless and even verse 15 the walls that you think protect. You will become your tomb. Credible language and he finishes this to Aunt with a locust horde in verse 15. It will devour you like the Locust multiply yourselves like the Locust multiply like the grasshopper you increase your Merchants more than the stars of the heavens the Locust spreads its wings and flies away. Your princes are like grasshoppers. Your scribe's like clouds of locusts settling on the fences in the day of cold when the Sun rises they fly away and no one knows where they are. Even though their people multiply like locusts, they will use their wings to fly away instead of using their numbers to fight against God whether it's by sorted by fire as the city Falls. Nothing will be left. And Nathan concludes with a dirge funeral lament for the king of Assyria Verse 18. Your shepherds are asleep. Okay, Nova cereal your Noble Slumber. Your people are scattered on the mountains with none to gather them. There is no easing your hurt. Your wound is Grievous all who hear the news about you clap their hands over you for upon whom has not come your unceasing evil. What a conclusion. In fact only two books in the Bible conclude with a question this one and the Book of Jonah and I don't think it's any accidents that the other one is Jonah both are focused on Nineveh Jonah ends with should I not be concerned with that? Great City Nineveh. We heard it a couple weeks ago named who mends with for upon whom has not come your unceasing evil. And so I believe taken together. This is a consolation to us. This is helps us even in us as the church on this side of the Cross who is not the nation of Israel to think. How are we to think about God's justice and our mission to share the gospel. Yes, Nineveh was given opportunity through Jonah to repent and they repented and God relented and it teaches us that we have to have the same heart as God has for all the nations and all the peoples and share the gospel and give them the hope of Jesus that if they believe in him. They can be saved. And yet we also have this desire for justice and righteousness and we can remember vengeance is not ours but its the Lords by the time of night whom the Lord's patience had run out for Nana by the time of Salvation was over in judgment had arrived. And what we can learn from this is God is the Lord of History who works in history to correct oppression and lift up the oppressed and we must never forget that this book of Nahum is a celebration of divine action Not Human Action. The human actions are evil and wicked or they're helpless like Judah who's under the Yoke, but God is the one who is acting to save and deliver Mayhem leaves Vengeance in the hands of god. Let's close by turning over to Revelation 19 again. I read a portion of that Jesus on the White Horse whose name is faithful and true, but I actually want to read verses 1 to 10 that come right before that. and I want you to see the appropriate reaction to God is a Warrior verse one after this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of Revelation 19 verse one of a great multitude in heaven crying out Hallelujah Salvation and Glory and power Belong To Our God why for his judgments are true and just for he's judge the great prostitute who corrupted the Earth with their immorality and is Avenged on her the blood of his servants once more they cried out Hallelujah the smoke from her goes up forever and ever. And the 24 Elders in the four living creatures fell down and worship God. It was Seated on the throne saying amen hallelujah. And from the throne came a voice saying praise our God all you his servants you who fear Him small and great then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude like the Roar of many Waters and like the sound of Mighty peals of Thunder crying out Hallelujah for the Lord Our God the Almighty Reigns for the marriage of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready and it was granted her to close herself with fine linen bright and pure. For the fine linen is the righteous Deeds of the Saints and the angel said to me right this blessed are those who were invited to the marriage supper of the lamb and he said to me these are the true words of God and then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me you must not do that. I'm a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy. What a picture So the picture is God is a warrior who fights and Jesus is the one who's coming whose name is faithful and true on a white horse and he's going to slay his enemies with the word of his mouth because he's the word of God. He's God almighty. And it's a done deal and the Saints in heaven a crying out Hallelujah the Lord Our God the almighty one Reigns. It's his kingdom. And what's he going to do? He's going to throw a party the marriage supper of the lamb and we're going to celebrate and feast. Jesus is coming back. He's going to judge our enemies and he's going to rescue us and we're going to be with him forever. And we're going to have a party a celebration. The marriage supper of the Lamb is going to be the greatest reception party in the history of the world. Better than any of your wedding receptions and you might have had a wonderful one. This one's going to be better. The Lord is a warrior who fights on your side and fights for your behalf and will win the victory don't ever forget. It. Don't ever forget it. If God is for us who can be against us father. Thank you for this time and your word. Who would have thought that a little book like Nate whom would bring such Comfort to us? Remind us of what's true father that you were on your throne. The Jesus is ruling and raining at your right hand and you were putting all of his enemies under his feet and The Last Enemy to be destroyed is death. Then he's coming back to get us and make all things. Right and we're going to be in his kingdom forever. We long for that Lord Jesus come quickly.
May we see your spirit move and work in the meantime to bring Revival to save many to deliver many out of the domain of darkness and transfer them into the kingdom of your beloved Son spirit of God come and do your work that only you can do open blind eyes. Open deaf ears unstop. the hardness of hearts Bring repentance and faith in Jesus. Do it in our midst save our loved ones save our neighbors save, even our enemies Jesus you commanded us to pray for those. Who mistreat Isuzu slanderous? you said the love them the greatest act of love is to share the gospel with them, but we plant we water but God, it's you who causes the growth. So would you do this work in our midst?
Bless us. Now, even as we turn to the table and celebrate everything we have in Jesus in his name. We pray. Amen.