FHBC Sermon Notes

Does the criminal get what he deserves? We in this fallen world are continually reminded that justice in insufficient in this world.  "How can God let that happen," some may say.  "Is there no justice?" But this is not the end of the story.

What about our own state?  For we have been described as among the condemned. As mentioned in Ephesians, "children of wrath."  How do we deal with the sin that has entered our lives? What is the end of our story?

The passage we look at today is a judgment on Nineveh, that capital of Assyrian, that their judgment was at hand. In gripping language it spells the gruesome reality of what was to come.

*Three Observations on the Passage - Nahum 3*

**1. God's judgment of the wicked is certain** 

The center of this passage comes from the verse before this passage. "Behold I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts." Chapter 3 then spells out what this means. "Woe to the bloody city" it begins. You have stirred the wrath of God, and God is against then.

This outcome is not only certain but also complete.  Their destruction will in full, there will be nothing left, nothing to retain, to hang on too.

Resistance is futile.  This is not an evil force coming against them to be fought and pushed back.  No, they are being judged for their evil ways, and are to be destroyed because of it.  They are not fighting some incomplete force, that takes pride in its own incomplete might, the pride that the Assyrians had in themselves. No, this is the creator of the universe that they have set their faces against. Their own drunkenness for blood will be their undoing. All her preparations will be like chaff before the bonfire.

Lastly, this judgment is fully deserved, and completely given. That question of "does the criminal give what they deserve". Note this passage.

>Behold, I am against you, declares the Lord of hosts and ywill lift up your skirts over your face; and I will make nations look at zyour nakedness and kingdoms at your shame. (Nahum 3:5, ESV)

That sounds harsh at first, but if the punishment is such, what is to be said of the crime.  This punishment is first a declaration of what the crime is.  This is rightly what we deserve. For what God is doing is giving us what we deserve; showing our sin for what it is. If this punishment makes us cringe, perhaps it is because we know that shame, we know that having our sin brought to light is in fact one of the scariest things we can imagine.

**2. God's judgment of the wicked calls people to repentance.**

What are we to do?  If we are also condemned, how do we face a just and wrathful God?

Like the Ninevites in the book of Jonah, they repented and God relented. What would have happened if they had repented here as well.  For this is the only way that we can face God, we must turn back in repentance to God. This judgment itself is a call to repent, not to run away, or hide.  This is a call back to Judah in this passage, it is a declaration to his people that if they did not obey, they would suffer the same.  It is a call to ourselves.

For the believer, the should compel us to examine ourselves.  Let us not forget Ananias and Sapphira and think we are not to be help of account.

For the non-believer, this should compel you to fear and understand, but not to stay there.  For God who judges has also saved us.  Both judge and advocate.  Jesus who should not have died, died. God judged and killed his own son.  He took our punishment.  This is why we baptize, we are turning and receiving Jesus as our savior from our own judgment. What he did was sufficient for what I have done.

**3. God's judgment of the wicked reminds us today is the day salvation.**

This judgment for all eternity is not fully here yet.  We must prepare ourselves, for we have no guarantee for tomorrow.  In his grace, and love for us, God is delaying so that we may turn from our sin, and be saved in Jesus.

For those of us in Jesus.  LET US REJOICE. For this passage is a reminder from what we have been saved. For salvation is without meaning if we are unaware from what we have been saved from. 

Our own arrogance and sin separated us from God. In Christ, we are new creatures, with new identities and freed from our own sin to worship a glorious and holy God.

AMEN.