I am happy to live in the era of power tools and heavy equipment. Having used a hand saw at times, I can appreciate the convenience of a circular saw, and I would miss my cordless drill if it broke (at which point, I would probably replace it promptly!).
It is interesting that power can be used for both construction and destruction. A bulldozer, for instance, can be used to shape landscape or knock down a building. Both of these events can be good things (when building a new home, or getting rid of a broken-down shed), if done at the right time.
However, it is important to be on the correct side of a piece of equipment (whether wielded by ourselves or someone else), so that we are the beneficiaries of its power, and are not harmed by it.
Continuing in Nahum 1, we get some illustrations of just how powerful God is, and what it would mean to experience His wrath.
The LORD is slow to anger but great in power;
the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,
and clouds are the dust of his feet.
He rebukes the sea and dries it up;
he makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel wither
and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.
The mountains quake before him
and the hills melt away.
The earth trembles at his presence,
the world and all who live in it.
Who can withstand his indignation?
Who can endure his fierce anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire;
the rocks are shattered before him.
Nahum 1:3-6 NIV
Here, God has power over the weather, the water, plants, the mighty mountains, and the whole earth. I’d call that pretty comprehensive! Per a commentary (Ham & Hahlen, p.55-56), while it might not be as obvious to us, apparently some of these illustrations of God’s power take direct shots at the pagan gods of that day.
As a side note: Can you imagine the wrath of God the Father that Jesus had to endure when He carried our sins on the cross? Think of all of the sins that you have committed (or, if you don’t think that you have sinned, think about all of the sins that I have committed!), and the necessity that these be punished. Think about the wrath of a perfect, holy God upon those sins: sins that are committed against Him and against His creation, including other human beings (created in His image). Then, imagine the necessary wrath on those sins multiplied by billions of human beings throughout history and being carried by Jesus Christ.
Today, we might call this reminder from the book of Nahum a “cautionary tale”. Those who dismiss God as fictitious, powerless, spineless, or faithless may think that they can skirt His justice, but Hebrews 10:31 reminds us that “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” The good news, though, is that all of us can live on the right side of God’s power, by choosing to accept His offer of salvation and joining His spiritual family.
So, God has power to destroy and to protect. Once we learn from Him what needs to be destroyed (like evil) and what needs to be protected (like righteousness), may we join Him in a grand reconstruction project (bringing others into His righteousness – which, by the way, He supplies to us) and ensure that we’re in the latter group, on the right side of His power.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for August 6, 2023
References:
- The Lookout, August 6, 2023, © 2023 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Minor Prophets Volume 2, by Clay Ham and Mark Hahlen. © 2006 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 