Israel already overtaken by the Assyrians; and now, Judah lay in ruble. Only Jerusalem still stood. The nation had turned their eyes away from God, seeking other pleasures and worshiping idols of gold. All appeared lost; when Nahum comes with his message of destruction to Nineveh and hope for revival in Jerusalem and all of Judea. Wherein lay that hope? What message brought the people to their knees in prayer; ultimately, with God bringing revival through King Josiah? It was this: “Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off” (Nahum 1:15). Because the messiah will come as promised; hope was renewed. It may look as though all is lost; but, God is not done and He has the final victory.
What About Us?
We look around us at all the evil and corruption inside our dear country and the world. Disheartened by it all, we too cry out. There seems to be no answer at times. We wonder where God is amid all this pain and sorrow. Yet, He is there bidding His messengers to go forth and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to our nation and to the world. Christ came, just as promised! He died, paying once and for all the penalty of our sins! Arising from the grave, victorious over sin and death; He sits on His throne at the right hand of His Father, making intercession for us (Romans 8:34). Just as He called Nahum, God calls us to spread the good news of the gospel message. Christ is returning to establish His reign. Peace will come!
Furthermore, we can have hope and joy today; because, of every promise written in His Word.
ASSURANCE: GOD NEVER CHANGES!
God’s Promises Stand Firm Today. The same as they did in Nahum’s and Isaiah’s time.
Nineveh and the Assyrian army fell in 612 B.C. Every detail of their destruction from the floods to the fires occurred exactly as predicted. On page 1495 of The Bible Knowledge Commentary a diagram displays the predictive verses in Nahum and their historical fulfillment.1 Because every prophecy in the Old Testament came true, we can trust His promises today. As exact as God fulfilled His vision to Nahum, He also fulfilled His promises that Babylon would fall as outlined by both Isaiah and Jeremiah (Isaiah 13, Jeremiah 50-51). Furthermore, long before Cyrus was born; God spoke his name as the one gentile king coming to free the children of Israel from bondage and provide for them all they needed to rebuild. (Isaiah 44:28, Ezra 1:1).
His Promises Today
This is the same God who promises us that one-day Christ will return. In fact, He uses some of the same words. In Nahum 1:15, he spoke of the messiah. “Nahum says this in reference to Assyria and you will find that Isaiah actually uses the same expression”2
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! (Isaiah 52:7)
Vernon McGee writes:
I think Nahum was the first to say this and then Isaiah. Finally, Paul quotes Isaiah and makes a different application of it in the section of his epistle that refers to Israel, that is in the dispensational section of Romans. Paul is arguing there that God is not through with the nation Israel and that in the future there will again come to them the good tidings of great joy. But it is also a worldwide message applicable to today.3
A MESSAGE OF REVIVAL FOR NOW!
Paul referring to these verses in Nahum and Isaiah takes it one step further and commissions each of us to be the feet bringing good tidings. We are to be the feet who climb whatever mountains that lie before us to spread the truth of the gospel message to the world and to proclaim the victory. Christ will return, alleluia; but, until that day, we must speak forth His truth and bring revival to our faith and all people. Look at what Paul wrote:
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?… how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (Romans 10:12-15).
HOW WILL REVIVAL COME?
- We the people who know Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, must be on our knees praying for our nation! “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). We must in humility, seek forgiveness for our own sins and those of our nation.
- We must study God’s Word. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
- We must Go, climb whatever mountains lie before us and then shout the good news of the gospel for all to hear. Today and everyday until Christ returns, God commission us as the messengers to present light and hope to the world. Revival cannot come, unless we boldly proclaim the name of Christ in our nation and the world. “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
concluding tweets
[tweetthis]How can they know the good news, if we do not teach? [/tweetthis]
[bctt tweet=”Who have you encouraged today with the Good news of Peace, Joy and Hope in Christ Jesus” username=”effiedarlene”]
[tweetthis]Today step out in Faith proclaiming the Gospel, then we will see revival[/tweetthis]
[bctt tweet=”How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace Rom 10:15″ username=”effiedarlene”]
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. Because there is nothing more important than this, I urge you to seek Him today.
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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2017
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
1 John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, eds., The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, (Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications, 2004), 1495
2 J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee: Volume III: Proverbs through Malachi, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1982), 823
3 Ibid.