Living His Word

Nahum 1:7 ERV:
The LORD is good.
He is a safe place to go to in times of trouble.
He takes care of those who trust him.

The book of Nahum was written by the prophet Nahum during the times when Nineveh and the Assyrian empire were a threat to the people of God in Judah—who had experienced the “ endless cruelty” of the Assyrians (Nahum 3:19). Nahum prophesied the end of Nineveh’s supremacy and a time of comfort for the people of Judah. Nahum’s message is a message for all God’s people who are under threat from oppressive forces of evil of any and every kind.

Although God is able to show Himself as being strong and terrible against all those who are the enemies of His people (like the Assyrians), He is still good. He is merciful, kind, and good to those who are His own (like the Judeans). Indeed, it is because God is good that He rises up in anger in order to visit just retribution against all those who would oppress His people. Judges who mete out punishment to wrong-doers are not evil.

Because God is good, He knows how to treat His people and He knows how to treat those who oppress them. For His people, He is a “ safe place to go in times of trouble.” Just as the Judeans could turn to God for help and protection from the Assyrians, so we can turn to God for help and protection from those who would oppress us. Although we may not be able to protect ourselves, God is our rock and our fortress (Psalm 31:3), a fortified tower that we may run to and be safe (Proverbs 18:10). For His enemies, on the other hand, “ he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness” (Nahum 1:8).

The God who protects us is also the God who takes care of us. If we place our trust in Him, if we are willing to wait on Him, then we can expect God to come through for us in desperate times. “ God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

If we place our trust in Him, then “ Whatever they plot against the Lord he will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time.” (Nahum 1:9).