Good News for God’s People

KEY VERSE: “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” —Nahum 1:7

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Nahum 1:2, 3, 6-13, 15

THE BOOK OF Nahum is a literary gem that properly follows the Book of Jonah. It was written to encourage the nation of Judah. In addition to its forecasts relating to the present time, the Book of Nahum also contains a prophecy of doom against the ancient city of Nineveh. Previously God had sent Jonah to warn the Ninevites of their sins and when they repented the city was saved. But now their iniquity had come to the full, so the city was destroyed.

Jehovah is a God of righteousness, of justice, of love, who will not tolerate the continuance of unrighteousness forever in any part of his universe. Nevertheless, he is slow to anger, and when he does take action against sin it is according to a fixed plan. Thus he has permitted sin to reign for more than six thousand years almost wholly unchecked, not because he has been powerless to prevent it, but in order that the human race might learn the dire results of disobedience.

During this long reign of sin and death, occasionally the Lord has taken action against sin and unrighteousness—one of these times was the destruction of Nineveh. At this remote distance in time, and being unaware of all the circumstances of the event, we do not know just why Nineveh was one of the exceptional interventions of the Lord, while other cities seemingly just as wicked were permitted to continue unpunished. But we may be sure that he who is too wise to err, and too loving to be unkind, knew that it was best for the Ninevites, and best for others for whom it would serve as an object lesson.

“We think it is reasonable to conclude that since the Lord had one of his holy prophets record his intentions toward the Ninevites, he may have it as an illustration of his purpose ultimately to destroy all sin, and even death itself, which has resulted from sin.”—Book of Books, pps. 100,101, Dawn Publications

The Scriptures teach that in God’s due time all the evil nations in the world will also experience what finally happened to Nineveh. Newspapers, magazines, television and radio programs keep us aware of what is taking place in the world today. Many nations are confronted with unprecedented problems politically, financially, and every other way, including violence and criminal activities. In beautiful, poetic language the Prophet Nahum describes Jehovah God’s part in the distress of nations: “The Lord will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet”—Nahum 1:3

Certainly the clouds, which prophetically represent troubles, hang thickly over human affairs. To the worldly mind, these clouds are sources of uncertainty, apprehension, and dread. But to the watchful child of God these clouds are signs of the soon establishment of Messiah’s reign. Children watching at evening for their father’s return from the fields, know that he is returning—even though he is a great distance off—because they can see the cloud of dust raised by his horse along the dusty road. Even so the Lord’s people have a keen interest in world happenings, and they are signs to them that Christ’s kingdom is close at hand.

There is indeed “Good News for God’s People.” The good news for the world is that our Heavenly Father has a wonderful plan of salvation which includes all people. Those who follow in the footsteps of Jesus “shall reign with him a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:6) They will have the privilege of helping to bring the world of mankind back into harmony with God. During that blessed time “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”—Isa. 40:5

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