Through the Bible in 66 Days - Nahum

Nahum: The God Who Judges, The God Who Saves

There are parts of the Bible we rarely visit, and Nahum is often one of them. Yet this short prophecy is very relevant for our generation. It reminds us that God is not only the Saviour who delights in mercy—as Jonah discovered—but also the Judge who acts in righteousness, as Nahum boldly announced.

Jonah's ministry resulted in the repentance of Nineveh. Nahum's ministry, about a century later, announced the judgment of God upon the same people. One hundred (or perhaps 150) years separate these two books. Still, the lesson is timeless: when you forget what God has done for you, you set yourself up for trouble, i.e. God's judgment.

1. The Core Message of Nahum

G. Campbell Morgan summarised Nahum's message like this:

"The core of the predictive message of Nahum was the utter destruction of a great city and a great people by the will and act of God."

R. K. Harrison adds: "In this small prophecy of doom, the author demonstrated… that the God of the nation whom the Assyrians had despised was in fact the artificer and controller of all human destiny."

This is not merely history. It is a reality for us in our current world. It is gospel truth. 

The New Testament affirms the same truth:

• God rules over nations — "He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness" (Acts 17:31).

• God's justice is perfect — "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right" (Genesis 18:25, echoed in the NT principle of divine justice).

Nahum reminds us that God is not passive. He acts, He intervenes, and He judges.

Through the Bible in 66 Days - Amos

 

The Message of Amos: A Call to Justice, Truth, and Genuine Faith

Amos was possibly the first prophet to write down his prophecy; up until then, the prophets had delivered their messages verbally. He was called to prophesy during the reign of Uzziah in the southern kingdom of Judah and Jeroboam II in the northern kingdom of Israel.

The Political and Moral Conditions

During this time, both kingdoms enjoyed political stability, which in turn brought prosperity. Sadly, it was also a time of idolatry, extravagance, and corruption. The rich and powerful were oppressing the poor. God sent Amos to denounce the people of Israel for their social injustice and turning away from Him. He warned them that disaster would fall upon them for breaking God’s covenant. He urged them to leave the hypocrisy of their public religious events (chapter 5, verse 21). Nevertheless, Amos reminded them that God would remember His covenant with Israel and would restore those who were faithful (chapter 9, verses 11-15).

Through the Bible in 66 Days - 2 Kings

First and Second Kings are often regarded as one book. It covers the period from King Ahab to the time when Israel and Judah were taken into captivity—the period known as the exile. The reason this happened was that they disobeyed God, worshipped idols and turned to grotesque religious practices that were not only evil but very harmful to women and children.

The basic lesson we learn from this is that sin will always catch up with you. You can't outrun it, and there are long-term consequences to our behaviour. This is something we all need to be aware of, as we often forget that we will all stand before God, our maker and that He, as the judge of all the earth, will deal with us fairly but righteously. Hebrews 9:27,28 state this - 'And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him' KJV.