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Affirm God's Justice Nahum 1:1-3, 7-8; 3:1-7, 19 June 17, 2007

Introduction
Several times I asked God why He is so patient, and why He holds off giving His judgments. Then it seemed to me I answered my own question by saying, "you better be glad He is patient or you would receive His chastisement more often, and perhaps more severely." We need to Affirm God's Justice, however He chooses to express it.

1. Affirm God's Justice Understanding His . . Patience. 1:1-3

A. His Patience In Exercising His , , Punishment.

The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. 2 The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is fierce in wrath. The LORD takes vengeance against His foes; He is furious with His enemies.

B. His Patience In Exercising His . . Power.

3 The LORD is slow to anger but great in power; the LORD will never leave the guilty
unpunished. His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

God is patient to express His punishment, and affirm His power, but do not interpret His patience as weakness. His punishment is certain, and He is, "a jealous and avenging God." The timing of His judgment is entirely in His hands. Some think because the Lord is slow to anger His judgment will never come. They do not read His word which affirms, "He will not let the guilty go unpunished. If you have never repented of your sin and acknowledged the Lordship of Christ; please do it right now.

2. Affirm God's Justice Understanding His . . Priorities. 1:7-6

A. His Priority of . . Refuge For Those Who Obey Him. 1:7
7 The LORD is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in Him.

B. His Priority of . . Ruination For Those Who Disregard Him. 1:8
But He will completely destroy Nineveh with an overwhelming flood, and He will chase His enemies into darkness. HCSB

God knows His priorities, and man's questioning Him will not change them. God's priorities include being a refuge for His people. We who know the Lord receive the invitation to come to Him, and the promise of protection when we do. In contrast God promises the ruin of those who disregard His mercy and grace. Nineveh was completely destroyed; although she had earlier repented during the preaching of Jonah. What a shame that people return to sinful ways after experiencing such a great revival.

3. Affirm God's Justice Understanding His . . Principles. 3:1-7

A. His Principles Against Their . . Slaughtering Deceitfulness. 3:1-3
1 Woe to the city of blood, totally deceitful, full of plunder, never without prey. 2 The crack of the whip and rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and jolting chariot! 3 Charging horseman, flashing sword, shining spear; heaps of slain, mounds of corpses, dead bodies without end-- they stumble over their dead.

B. His Principles Against Their . . Sorcery and Debauchery. 3:4
4 Because of the continual prostitution of the prostitute, the attractive mistress of sorcery, who betrays nations by her prostitution and clans by her witchcraft,

C. His Principles Against Their . . Shamefulness Displayed. 3:5-6a
5 I am against you --the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. I will lift your skirts over your face and display your nakedness to nations, your shame to kingdoms. 6 I will throw filth on you and treat you with contempt;

D. His Principles Against Their . . Substantiated Devastation. 3:6b-7
". . . I will make a spectacle of you. 7 Then all who see you will recoil from you, saying: Nineveh is devastated; who will show sympathy to her? Where can I find anyone to comfort you?

If nations disregard God's principals they will receive the promised discipline. The substantiation of Nineveh's slaughtering deceitfulness, sorcery and debauchery, along with shameful displays, reject God's principals. Note these words as God says, "Woe to the city, . ." "I am against you, and ". . . I will make A Spectacle of you." All of those statements relate to us God's principals stand, and man kinds rejections of them will be punished.

4. Affirm God's Justice Understanding His . . Punishment. 3:19

A. His Punishment Without . . Remedy. 3:19a
19 There is no remedy for your injury; your wound is severe.

B. His Punishment Without . . Regret. 3:19b
All who hear the news about you will clap their hands because of you, for
who has not experienced your constant cruelty? (HCSB)

God does not punish without it being just. The Bible shares with us that God's day of mercy can be bypassed by the hardened sinner, and the sinful debauchery of nations. A time can come when God says no more remedy. Where is American in God's period of mercy? When we look around this nation and see one so called natural disaster after another with little or no call to repentance; I ask how long will the Lord tolerate this nations sin? We have made it legal to kill babies. Some states allow the same sex to marry. One congressman called for the legalization of prostitution; so how close do we resemble Nineveh? Nineveh had ravaged so many nations God says when He pours out His wrath the other nations "will clap their hands." As we read these passages we need to Affirm God's Justice. Amen? Amen!