Not Nineveh! #5

 Read Nahum 1

Background:  Over one hundred years after Jonah's adventure in Nineveh, the Great City once again became the focus of the Lord's eye of judgment.  Having been used of Him to discipline the Northern Kingdom of Israel and many of her wicked neighbors, Assyria was also being used by God to discipline Judah during the times of her evil kings.  Having defeated Cush, Assyria began to believe that she indeed was "god", and there was no other power in the world like her.  He tactics became more and more inhumane and her immorality indescribable. God could no longer tolerate her as her rod of discipline.

Key verses: 2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
    the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
The Lord takes vengeance on his foes
    and vents his wrath against his enemies.
3 The Lord is slow to anger but great in power;
    the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished...

7 The Lord is good,

    a refuge in times of trouble.

He cares for those who trust in him,

8     but with an overwhelming flood

he will make an end of Nineveh;

    he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.

Thoughts: God is totally balanced in His nature: He is a jealous God, but he never loses His head in a rage; He offers a refuge from the flood, but he also uses the flood to judge.  Because of this Nineveh would fall and fade from history, while God would faithfully preserve the remnant of His people who called out to Him.