GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN
Opening Prayer
God I need Your peace… we need Your peace.
Read Nahum 1
1 The [a]burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
2 Jehovah is a jealous God and avengeth; Jehovah avengeth and is full of wrath; Jehovah taketh vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. 3 Jehovah is slow to anger, and great in power, and will by no means clear the guilty: Jehovah hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel; and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. 5 The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt; and the earth is upheaved at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. 6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by him. 7 Jehovah is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that take refuge in him. 8 But with an over-running flood he will make a full end of her place, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.
9 What do ye devise against Jehovah? he will make a full end; affliction shall not rise up the second time. 10 For entangled like thorns, and drunken as with their drink, they are consumed [b]utterly as dry stubble. 11 There is one gone forth out of thee, that deviseth evil against Jehovah, [c]that counselleth [d]wickedness. 12 Thus saith Jehovah: Though they be in full strength, and likewise many, even so shall they be cut down, and he shall pass away. [e]Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. 13 And now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.
14 And Jehovah hath given commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image; I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.
15 Behold, upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! Keep thy feasts, O Judah, perform thy vows; for [f]the wicked one shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.
Footnotes
- Nahum 1:1 Or, oracle concerning
- Nahum 1:10 Or, as stubble fully dry
- Nahum 1:11 Or, a wicked counsellor
- Nahum 1:11 Or, worthlessness. Hebrew Belial.
- Nahum 1:12 Or, So will I afflict thee, that I shall afflict etc.
- Nahum 1:15 Or, the man of worthlessness. Hebrew Belial.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Have you ever felt hope pop up at the most unexpected difficult moment?Nahum is writing at a time of national crisis. References in his prophecy suggest that he is based in the southern kingdom of Judah at a time when it is a vassal state to the Assyrian empire. The northern kingdom of Samaria has already fallen and its people exiled. It is only a matter of time, it seems, before Judah also will fall to Assyrian might.
Nahum, however, is not addressing the people of Judah, but the Assyrian capital city of Nineveh (1). His message is that its reign of terror will soon come to an end and God will vindicate His people (8). He sees a time when God will move in great power, shake the world (3–6) and bring Nineveh to ruin (14). But this is not the reality of the present situation. Still, Nahum is gripped with hope, urging his listeners to look up and see their Savior coming (15). The basis of this hope? Mindless optimism? Far from it! It flows from God’s goodness and loving care (7).
Apply
Read Philippians 4:4-8 to discover God’s recipe for peace beyond human understanding. Can you follow God’s instructions and reach out for His peace today?
Closing prayer
‘Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, / It is well, it is well with my soul.’1 Thank You, God.
1Horatio G Spafford, 1873, ‘When peace, like a river’
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