“The Lord is Good” – 3 Studies in the Prophecy of Nahum

The reluctant prophet Jonah famously preached to the city of Ninevah, the great city of the Assyrian Empire.  In God’s kindness, the people of the city repented and were spared God’s judgment. 

Many years later, with sin and wickedness having risen again, God’s prophet Nahum speaks of the city’s destruction, and indeed the end of the entire Assyrian empire.  Ninevah fell in 612 BC, establishing Nahum’s ministry as taking place some time prior to that date.

Nahum’s prophecy, though confronting and graphic, is good news for all who have ever despaired at those who do evil appearing to get away without facing justice.

These dreadful words remind us of the terrible consequences of sin, and that God hates sin and longs for justice, even more than we do, for the Lord is good!

Sample Questions:

Study 1.   Nahum 1

1.      In the school yard, did you tend to rescue other children from danger or bullies? Or were you the one being rescued?

2.     Can you think of a circumstance when you saw a failure of justice?
How did you want to respond?      

3.     In what circumstances do you think it would be right for God’s anger to be directed at people?

Read Nahum 1

4.     What feelings arise when you read of God’s anger?

5.     How does the description of God’s character in verse 2 assure us that God’s anger at Ninevah is not a capricious, unpredictable, reaction?

6.     How does the statement “The Lord is good” (v 7) fit with the picture of God’s anger and judgement in the earlier verses?

7.     In what circumstances is anger, even violence, directed at one party, good news for others?

8.     For whom would God’s word to Ninevah been extremely good news?

9.     A friend tells you they believe that God is real, but not at all involved in the world. How would you respond in the light of Nahum 1?

10.   What do we learn about sin in this section?

11.   Why is it easy to imagine the sins of the Assyrians were so much worse than our own?

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