Nahum 1:1-3:19
I don’t think I’ll be rushing back to this book. I do love the fact that the LORD reassured and strengthened his people through good old Nahum but I must say that the fate of Nineveh doesn’t hit the top 10 of things I’m worried about. So I don’t suppose I will be visiting Nahum again until 28 September 2012. But, just before I move on I guess I should ponder a little on the remarkable juxtaposition of the phrases “The LORD is good” (v7) and “The LORD takes vengeance on his foes” (v2). The trickiness of this couplet has assaulted me all throughout the Old Testament. A loud voice continually urges me that one can’t both be good and take vengeance. It encourages me to revel in verse 7 and quietly neglect verse 2. But I think this voice is the voice of the devil. Verse 2 assures me of the ultimate determination of God to bring about good and to deal with evil. Verse 2 actually comforts me because it shows me that justice will be done and that abusers and liars and arrogant self-promoters won’t be allowed to dominate forever. Verse 2 speaks of a better world to come in which the meek can inherit the earth and in which the poor and the meagre get a fair bite of the pie. Ultimately verse 2 declares the defeat of Satan - it speaks of the robust intent of the Lord to crush the serpent’s head and prevent him from biting our heal. And I guess that is why the devil is telling me to ignore it.
Ephesians 6:1-24
We live as children of light having put off the old self. But Paul knows that life isn’t a picnic and that the ‘now and not yet’ nature of our new identity leaves us in a challenging place. He knows that we are prone to mess up or lose motivation. So he closes this epic letter pointing us all to the secret tool that I so often forget about - prayer. Many great Christians throughout the ages have made it a daily habit to pray onto themselves the armour of God listed here in Ephesians 6. Many great Christians throughout the ages have spared themselves and others turmoil and loss through the prayers they have offered in the Spirit. They have shown us the way; they have demonstrated how we can pray on all kinds of occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. In prayer is where strength is added and where readiness is made. In prayer is where protection is sured up and where confidence is swelled. Prayer connects us into the mighty power of God and enables us to fling it far and wide to the people we know and care about. Prayer is the engine of the new life. It’s time to stoke the coals.
Psalm 114:1-8
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord.
Hey tom, Do you think we sometimes ignore verse 2 "the LORD takes vengeance" because we know we are sinful and therefore God should punish us? So it's easier to just say God is good and doesn't need to take vengeance?
ReplyDeleteHey Chris, great to hear from you! That's an interesting one. I've tried to reflect on it a bit and I think you might be onto something. It made me think of this quote by Russian novelist and Nobel Prize-winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn: `The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties; but right through every human heart and through all human hearts.’ Even though I acknowledge that must be true I find it hard to truly accept that I have things about me that are evil. Imperfect - yes but evil - no. Maybe it is too much for my ego. More prayer for humility needed for me.
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