"Nothing new under the sun" says Solomon in Ecclesiastes. So true! But Ecclesiastes is not my subject. I chose Nahum, a short three-chaptered book, to fill my Bible study time over the last few weeks. Our days have been different to say the least with the Covid-19 infection and quarantine. As it slowly seeped into our worlds, while wrecking havoc on others in other countries, we did not take it seriously. There were jokes that should have never been uttered or laughed at. That seems to be the laxness of the American way. But that personality has changed quickly as people are infected right and left before our eyes. And as we stay away from those we love so as not to infect them, just in case.
Nothing new? Trials, disorder, wars, etc. have occurred throughout history. Our generation has mostly just read about them not walked through any. Read any prophet in the Bible and you'll see this over and over again. Back to my study in Nahum: Nahum, a prophet whose name in Hebrew means "to comfort" and also "to repent". As I use Matthew Poole in my study of the book, he says that "repentance is a preparatory to comfort." Americans as a whole have much to repent outwardly, not to neglect the root inwardly. When I say as a "whole", I mean starting with Christians. We've shouted, sung, raised our hands and swayed to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, faith, peace, and on and on. But many are reeling through this trying event, with no idea how faith is suppose to look now. And, quite frankly, it's only been a little over a week for us. The devastation that occurs in the prophets are years. And we struggle with a week of change, disorder and inconvenience. We must repent of our selfishness and rise up to the great work of shining a light to the darkness of those who have no hope. This will be our comfort, our joy.
And the subject for this post is "repentance". Mr. Poole says, as he writes about 1:2, God wants to "affect the wicked with terror and awaken them to a timely repentance". Also, to "affect God's people with joy and hope that they may wait on Him." This "joy and hope" was to occur in the midst of the trial. In Nahum, the Assyrians were the afflicting "virus". But I love what Mr. Poole says about them: "That the Assyrians were not yet destroyed is the effect of God's patience, not impotence. He knows the good and will protect, rescue and save them. They must trust, believe, depend and wait on God. They must depend by faith and wait with hope." No! He is not without power. And we cannot quail in the way of this trial. The virus is not yet destroyed and one cannot think of God as impotent in this delay. He has purpose along the way.
Verse three goes on to talk about God's way. Mr. Poole says of "His way":"intimating the unerring steadiness of providence; the straight and known path." What a comfort these words are for Christians in all times and all circumstance. We are on the straight path with our God leading the way. As stated before we cannot give into fear, anxiety, depression in our first week or even if the time ahead continues for awhile. This is God's path for us at this time. And while unknown to us, it is "known" to Him whom we follow. And what an opportunity to live out a faith for those unbelievers who are in dire need of "a timely repentance" before it's too late.
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