Your destruction is like an incurable wound; your demise is like a fatal injury. All who hear what has happened to you will clap their hands for joy, for no one ever escaped your endless cruelty!
Into the Text
The book of Nahum ends on a dark note. The nation of Assyria has fallen. Though they were overtaken by the Babylonians, it was really due to God’s judgment of their wicked deeds. Nahum describes the nation as one of injustice.
Isn’t it amazing how Scripture is still so relevant today? Just as was the case in Assyria, there are nations today that are in the grip of evil. Violence and wickedness are the norm and we wonder if their end will be the same downfall as in Assyria.
God is the same now as He was then, and He is as much in control now as He was in Assyria. God sees this evil, and He has a plan to make all things new. The question then becomes, “What do we do as believers when we’re waiting on God’s deliverance?” The answer lies in Paul’s words to the Corinthians where he says that we are to be ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).
We live in a lost world full of people who have a God-sized hole in their hearts. They’re looking to fill it with the things of the world. In reality, nothing will fill that void except for the love and acceptance found in Christ. As ambassadors of God’s kingdom, we are to boldly proclaim the gospel to those around us. We are to love others as Christ loves us, and we are to be representatives of Jesus’ character to the watching world.
Though we long for the day when all wrongs will be made right and evil will be wiped away forever, we still have a mission. We are to share the hope of the glory of Jesus to those in need. For believers, our stories won’t have the same ending as Assyria. Hope is here in Christ, so let’s take it to the ends of the earth.
Prayer
God, thank you that you are sovereignly in control and nothing is out of your view. When evil seems to have the final say, help me to remember that I am your ambassador. May you use me to share the gospel with those who are lost. Amen.