Every now and again God shows us someone who was a “nobody”, as far as the world was concerned, but mightily used of God in some out of the way place, and some tangible manner to reach people for Christ. Nahum was such a man.
Nahum was “unknown”, except that you could not help but wonder why the meaning of his name: consolation. Another anomaly may catch our attention, that being he was from Elkosh. (That was possibly, Capernaum.) Having stood on some of the ruins of Capernaum, probably makes me a “little proud”, forgive me, for it was supposedly the “headquarters” of our Savior. It was also the place where Jesus cast the demons out of the pigs and they were destroyed.
Try that background and become a Prophetic Preacher to Nineveh. Not an easy task under any circumstance. He certainly had not held any close ties to Nineveh, and now he comes preaching what they might say was negative.
However, he is careful to present the attributes of the Almighty before he presents what God is going to do to Nineveh. “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; and the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.” (v3) He does not leave out the power of the Almighty… (v6) “Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger?”
However, v7 says: “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.”
It was one of the verses that our children learned early in life, and I trust it will carry them through, no matter what befalls them or you!
-Ted
ETCetera 