Chapter 27
Good Monday Morning to this week 27 of 2021
There on the mountains are the feet of a messenger who announces the good news: “All is well!” Celebrate your festivals, Judah! Keep your vows! This wickedness will never pass your way again. It will be completely removed. Nahum 1.15
When will this peace of Nahum come?
Nahum predicts a future time of peace, stating, “Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! . . . No more will the wicked invade Judah.
To discover when this time of peace will occur, we must consider the larger context of Nahum. The book of Nahum was written to communicate the pending destruction of the city of Nineveh. Nahum then looks back and declares that the destruction of Nineveh by the Babylonians would be “good news”. Why?
Nineveh with the Assyrians was an enemy of Judah. We know from history that this destruction of Nineveh took place in 612 B.C. at the hands of the Medes causing that to that time, Judah was rid of one of its most dangerous enemies. The report of this news would have been considered the “good news” to everyone. This made Judah able to fulfil their vows to God at the temple in Jerusalem.
Peace in Hebrew is sometimes used in reference to deliverance or freedom from enemy attack. Paul in the New Testament also writes, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” He used this verse to connect the good news with the deliverance providing with by God’s salvation.
God is just, He is committed to justice and will not allow any arrogant, violent or evil nation to endure forever. However, while He defeats evil, He is also good and cares for the innocent. He will provide a refuge on the day of distress for anyone who humbles himself before God, believes in God’s justice and trusts that in His time He will bring down oppressors in every time and place.
Nahum is a powerful appearance of God’s glory. God the all-powerful creator is at work in history at every age and He won’t allow violent empires to stand forever, very similar to the message of Daniel. God’s judgement on evil is good news the central theme along with the beginning of Nahum with the reference to Moses. The Lord is slow to anger but great in power!
Let’s take this prophecy for our time and week!
Wishing peace and deliverance!
Philemon