NAHUM - Our Awesome God

My dad was a big guy.

Six foot, three inches tall – about 230 pounds.

Me?

5' 4" – around 110 pounds (in high school!).

I thought it was great that my dad was a little (a lot) intimidating. Kept me safe.

I vividly remember one night when a couple of guys thought it would be *real fun* to egg my house. They drove up our driveway and launched a salvo of poultry grenades at our front door and windows.

My dad flew out of his chair.

At the time, he was wearing this robe that his mother had bought him on a trip around the world. It was black, with little Chinese letters on it. It made him look like a Ninja warrior.

So, you can imagine what happened when Father Shogun threw open the front door and blasted out onto the driveway!

I have never in my entire life seen a VW Bug speed away so fast! I think it set a land speed record of 0-60 mph in 2 seconds flat.

Fortunately, my dad did not recognize the car or its occupants. I had my suspicions. Only later, much later, did a guy from our church 'fess up and relate that evening from his perspective.

"Man, Shari, I thought your dad would kill us if he got his hands on us. I've never been so scared in my life!"

I smiled.

For you see, I knew that my dad's *bark* was worse than his *bite* – but I was often glad for his bark…

Today's "Bible Pick 'Ems" is from the book of Nahum.

Before sharing the verses, let's explore a little background. Remember good old Nineveh? The city that repented after hearing Jonah's warning of judgment? Well, it seems that (only) a hundred years later, they had forgotten the message, and evil was again reigning.

God called Nahum to pronounce his judgment on the wicked nation of Assyria.

"The LORD is…filled with vengeance and rage. He takes revenge on all who oppose him and continues to rage against his enemies!...he never lets the guilty go unpunished. He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are dust beneath his feet. At his command the oceans dry up, and the rivers disappear…In his presence the mountains quake, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles, and its people are destroyed. Who can stand before his fierce anger? Who can survive his burning fury? His rage blazes forth like fire, and his mountains crumble to dust in his presence." (Nahum 1:2-6)

God has *bark* – and He alone has the power to *bite*.

The world has laws – boundaries and rules that are set up by God. But people regularly flaunt these regulations. God calls this willful disobedience, this rebellion against His control – SIN.

Sometimes it seems that the wicked are escaping justice. That they are succeeding in their evil ways.

But, there is a day coming.

A terrible day of wrath.

Justice will ultimately be served. God will settle all accounts. He will not let sin go unchecked forever.

And woe to those who are not under His grace at that time.

"It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31)

Nahum's words are terrifying – even to me, a follower of Christ. Sometimes I think it's a good idea to get a healthy dose of the reality of God's power – His awesome might – His jealous fury. He is not a God to be trifled with – or ignored.

Today's verses serve as a warning to those who remain arrogant and resist God's authority. They will one day face His anger. No one will get away with rejecting Him – no one will be able to hide from His judgment.

For those of us who are believers, today's verses are an admonition. We are not to take the Almighty God lightly. He is a fearsome God who must be feared – worshiped with reverence and awe.

But, to us, He is also something more than a Judge.

He is Mercy Incarnate.

God is compassionate, slow to anger. Praise His name for His patience with me, a sinner who had nowhere to turn but to His salvation.

Jesus took the *bite* out of God’s *bark* for all those who believe on His name.

And those of us who trust Him will be kept safe forever.

"The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him." (Nahum 1:7)

How do you fear the Lord? How is He your refuge?

(I'm linked today with Charlotte at Spiritual Sundays, and Peggy at Soaking On SONday. And please feel free to visit me during the week at my other blog, Sharon Sharing God!)

"When in doubt, search God out!"

1 CHRONICLES - Do It His Way

Sometimes God’s Word contains painful lessons.

Because sin has painful consequences.

Today’s "Bible Pick ‘Ems" is about one of those lessons:

"But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark. Then the LORD’S anger was aroused against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God." (1 Chronicles 13:9-10)

Let’s start our lesson with some background.

The Ark had been in Kiriath-jearim for many years. The Israelites took the Ark from the tabernacle at Shiloh to the battlefield when they were fighting with the Philistines (1 Samuel 4). The Ark was captured by the Philistines, and subsequently taken to Ashdod, then to Gath, and finally to Ekron before they decided to get rid of it. It was finally returned to Beth-shemesh (1 Samuel 4-6).

At some point, the men of Beth-shemesh sent messengers to the residents of Kiriath-jearim and asked them to take the Ark to their town. And there it remained until King David decided to return it to Jerusalem.

I’ve always kinda struggled with this passage. How it seems unfair and cruel.

Why did Uzzah have to die?

But, I am not God.

And God had directly given very specific instructions about how the Ark was to be carried and moved (Numbers 4:5-15).

It was to be carried by the Levites – and only them. It was to be carried on their shoulders. Transporting the Ark on a cart imitated the Philistines. And it was never to be touched.

These instructions had been ignored.

Why?

In his zeal, David had forgotten to consult God, and he had taken it upon himself to determine what God would want done.

He had the best intentions, and probably very good motives. But, he left out one very important particular – what did God want?

David’s enthusiasm was quickly dampened, and the Bible tells us that he had two rather dramatic reactions.

One, (verse 11) – "David was now angry…"

And, (verse 12) – "Now David was afraid of God…"

Has anything like this ever happened in your life?

Has there been something that you were so sure was God’s will? Some way of honoring Him or serving Him? Some job change, or location move, or relationship – a financial decision. It could be anything…

And you just KNEW that it was "from the Lord."

And then, it all blew up in your face…

Why, Lord?

Have you ever found yourself angry at Him, and afraid?

"I was trying to do the right thing, and this is what I get??"

I think it’s important to realize some very important facts – which David himself later learned.

Sometimes, we can do the right thing in the wrong way or at the wrong time.

Sometimes, we forget to really consult God in the matter.

Sometimes, we subtly imitate the ways of the world when trying to accomplish something. We are smudged with sin, but we don’t see it.

Sometimes, we need to be reminded that our obedience is more important than our enthusiasm.

God is not cruel or unfair. But He is God. And He is to be feared and worshiped.

So, how can we know what He wants? How can we determine His will?

First and foremost, consult His Word – God gives very clear instructions on certain matters. Often, our decisions are easier than we realize. If it goes against the Word of God, it’s never His will.

Second, pray about the matter. Ask for wisdom. The Bible promises that God will give us His wisdom if we seek it with single-minded purpose. Often that translates – He will tell you what to do, if you single-mindedly obey what He says.

Third, consult other believers – they are often a very good benchmark to weigh our decisions against. Sometimes God offers His counsel through the words the Holy Spirit speaks through others. And ask them to pray for you, too.

And last but not least, don’t give up.

God might not be saying "No" – He might just be saying, "Not now" or "Not in this way."

David tried again.

He had learned a mighty lesson – when God gives His instructions, it is wise to follow them precisely (even if we don’t understand them!)

So, my friends – step out in faith, following after God in obedience…

…trusting that at the right time, in the right way, He will reveal His will.

(Linked today with Super Sunday, hosted by Peggy - Spiritual Sundays, hosted by Charlotte and Ginger - and Sharon Sharing God)

"When in doubt, search God out!"

EZEKIEL - The Long Fall from Grace

Today’s “Bible Pick ‘Ems” lands us in the middle of Ezekiel, a very interesting book.

Ezekiel was one of the Major Prophets in the Old Testament. He had clear and vivid prophecies and visions. However, very little is known about his personal life. He was one of the thousands of young men deported from Judah to Babylon. Up until those tragic days, Ezekiel was being trained for the priesthood.

Like Isaiah, Ezekiel had a shocking encounter with God. He was never the same!

Whereas Isaiah had warned Judah of the coming storm – Ezekiel spoke in the middle of it. He prophesied in the middle of terrible defeat.

God described Ezekiel as a watchman on the walls of the city, capturing the personal nature of his ministry. Dangerous, responsible, crucial…

A central part of Ezekiel’s message was the importance of each person’s accountability before God. He taught the exiles that God expected personal worship and obedience from each of them.

Today’s verses are a reminder of what happens to the disobedient:

“…you sinned. So I banished you in disgrace from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian…Your heart was filled with pride because of your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor. So I threw you to the ground…All who knew you were appalled at your fate. And you have come to a terrible end, and you will exist no more.” (Ezekiel 28:16-17, 19)

Some of the phrases in this passage describe the human king of Tyre. Tyre was the powerful capital of Phoenicia. It was a highly prosperous and beautiful city. However, pride caused its ruin.

At times, though, Ezekiel describes the king in terms that could not apply to a mere human. Therefore, he may have been condemning not only the king of Tyre, but Satan, who had tempted and motivated this king to sin.

And we all know that pride caused his ruin.

I take two messages out of this passage. First of all, there will be an end to prideful ways, and haughty people. There will be an end to Satan’s rule. The long fall from Heaven is only the first judgment of God against our enemy. He has a final judgment day ahead of him. And after that day, he “will exist no more.” I take comfort in that fact.

God cares about justice. Wickedness will not win out in the end.

The second message I take out of this passage is a warning. God exacts punishment against those who proudly set themselves up. He will not tolerate those who do not yield to His Sovereignty. He demands fearful worship, and a heart yielded to His purposes. Pride will cause ruin.

“Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

Proud people are rarely aware of their weaknesses. They think they are above the frailties that plague others. However, in this state of mind, they are easily tempted – they are easily tripped up.

Proud people seldom realize that pride is their problem.

So, it’s time to take inventory. It’s time to let Ezekiel speak to us.

Are we proud of our “beauty” – our accomplishments, our success? Do we love splendor and money more than God? Have we sacrificed our wisdom in favor of wealth?

Listen to the warning – return to true worship. Avoid the long fall from grace.

“I will not endure conceit and pride. I will search for faithful people to be my companions.” (Psalm 101:5-6)

Oh Lord, count me among the faithful…count me among the humble.

“When in doubt, search God out!”