Nahum is prophesying against Nineveh - God is about to bring judgment. But first: 'The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.' Even in the context of judgment, God is good.
There's a tension in this book. God is angry at Nineveh, will destroy them. But God is also good and a refuge. How can both things be true? How can God be tender and fierce at the same time?
I think they have to be. If God is only tender, God can't challenge evil. If God is only fierce, God can't be a refuge. Nahum insists that God is both - and the people who trust God can experience the refuge even as the world is being judged.
No comments yet. Be the first.