Did you read of the warning about to come to this capital city? People were warned ahead of time as to all the destruction that was coming, and the results were not going to be a pretty sight! Utter destruction promised, with the people of the city experiencing a once in a lifetime realization of what was about to come. Then the taking of many lives from the strong winds warned of; even whirlwinds; resulting in hills melting away; rivers disappearing, and fires throughout the city! Now that you’ve read my words, let me provide a quote from the headlines printed ahead of time of what was to take place.
“The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and rage. He takes revenge on all who oppose him and continues to rage against his enemies! The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished. He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet. At his command the oceans dry up, and the rivers disappear. The lush pastures of Bashan and Carmel fade, and the green forests of Lebanon wither. In his presence the mountains quake, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles, and its people are destroyed. Who can survive his burning fury? His rage blazes forth like fire, and the mountains crumble to dust in his presence” (Nahum 1:2-6).
The people of Nineveh were warned ahead of time God was about to destroy the city and its people because it was so incredibly evil that the entire city deserved to be destroyed. And yet, Nineveh was given a way out! Did you catch it since we already read what it was? “The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great,” all the while He “never lets the guilty go unpunished.” God told the prophet Jonah to preach to Nineveh, and the people repented, and God accepted their repentance, and the city was spared its destruction.
Can you guess how the city was after a period of time? This time God didn’t wait around to send another prophet, the prophet Nahum reminded them sternly of His warning they had received from Jonah. Now by this time the city had gone too far, and crossed too many boundaries the Lord had warned them about. The time for mercy was over, and the time for justice had begun.
God is patient and waits for us to repent, accept His ways, not only by uttering a few words coming from mouths filled because of fear of consequences only, but from mouths of those willing to be obedient twenty-four-seven to His commands. He’s not going to wait around forever, and He’s not like a wishy-washy parent who makes threats by counting to three, then never following through with actions. Here again is what He said by way of Nahum about the action God will take: “…he never lets the guilty go unpunished.”
Though God desires mankind to repent, justice will be served when He deems it necessary, and the guilty will reap the seeds they have sown! There are consequences for our actions! Ask Speaker of the House Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi! Even though this couple is worth over 120 million, with the economy as bad as it is, he either couldn’t afford or didn’t consider calling a cab! Being stopped for DUI, he landed in jail!
We are fortunate that our God is patient, merciful, and forgiving, but that doesn’t mean we can – and will –get away with our sins, either individually, or as a nation! However, if we will not only just post the words, but say, do, and live what it tells us to do, hopefully God will have mercy on today’s people, “forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14b). Considering the consequences that could be, it’s more than worth humbling ourselves, praying, seeking the face of Almighty God, and turning from our wicked ways, throwing all our hope and trust on His great mercy! Sound like a good plan? It should!
Blessings, Psalm 20:7 Dale & Jeannie