[Anglican Communion 7 November 2019] Topic: God Punishes Sin and Iniquity

Posted by: Henry || Categories: Devotional

READ: Nahum 3:1-11 (NKJV)

1. Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery. Its victim never departs.
2. The noise of a whip And the noise of rattling wheels, Of galloping horses, Of clattering chariots!
3. Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. There is a multitude of slain, A great number of bodies, Countless corpses— They stumble over the corpses—
4. Because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, The mistress of sorceries, Who sells nations through her harlotries, And families through her sorceries.
5. “Behold, I am against you,” says the Lord of hosts; “I will lift your skirts over your face, I will show the nations your nakedness, And the kingdoms your shame.
6. I will cast abominable filth upon you, Make you vile, And make you a spectacle.
7. It shall come to pass that all who look upon you Will flee from you, and say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste! Who will bemoan her?’ Where shall I seek comforters for you?”
8. Are you better than No Amon That was situated by the River, That had the waters around her, Whose rampart was the sea, Whose wall was the sea?
9. Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, And it was boundless; Put and Lubim were your helpers.
10. Yet she was carried away, She went into captivity; Her young children also were dashed to pieces At the head of every street; They cast lots for her honorable men, And all her great men were bound in chains.
11. You also will be drunk; You will be hidden; You also will seek refuge from the enemy.

THE MESSAGE:

Jonah had warned the people of Nineveh of Yahwehs wrath and they had learnt that God is slow to anger (Jonah 4:2). They had repented at the preaching of Jonah but the change had only lasted for a generation or two. Soon, they resumed their evil and arrogant ways. They became like dogs going back to their vomit. They had forgotten the mercy of the Lord that showed them the way to a new life in God and saved them from the destruction and doom that should have consumed them. God pronounced woe upon the city of Nineveh because it was full of iniquities (verse 1 & 4). In other words, God compares the city of Nineveh to a prostitute whose splendour and magnificence dazzled the neighbouring nations. God was against Nineveh and was determined to make Nineveh a pitiable spectacle that would be mocked by passers-by and would have filth thrown at her (verses 6 & 7).

Beloved, it is a dangerous thing to neglect the living God and His way of holiness especially after receiving His forgiveness and mercy. Such act is tantamount to crucifying Jesus Christ afresh (Hebrew 6:4-6). The same God who showed mercy on Nineveh by the preaching of Jonah brought the message of doom and woe through Prophet Nahum. We must always note that our God is a God of both love and judgment. He punishes sins and transgressions. Kindly run away from every appearance of evil and cleave to God in truth and holiness.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, give me the courage to do away with sin and its appearances in my life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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